TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
1.8 Definition of Key Terms
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Concept of Teacher Characteristics
2.2 Concept of Teacher Quality
2.3 Teachers’
Qualification and Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools
2.4 Teachers’
Experience and Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools
2.5 Teachers’
Attitude to Teaching and Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools
2.6 Summary
of Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population
of the Study
3.3 sample
and Sampling Technique
3.4 Research
Instrument
3.5 Validity
of the Instrument
3.6 Reliability
of the Instrument
3.7 Limitation
of the Study
3.8 Method
of data collection
3.9 Method of data Analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR
DATA
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
4.1 Descriptive
Statistics
4.2 Test of Hypothesis
4.3 Discussion and Findings
CHAPTER
FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Education is
globally-accepted as the most viable tool for sustainable human development. It
is equally an indispensable tool for enhancing economic growth and national
development. Education is seen as the cornerstone of every development forming
the basis for literacy, skill acquisition, technological advancement as well as
the ability to harness the natural resources of the state.
Participants in
the World Conference on “Education for All” in Jomtien (2006) pointed out that
education is a fundamental right of all people, women and men of all ages
throughout the world. It helps to ensure a safer, healthier, more prosperous
and environmentally-sound world. It is an indispensable key for personal and social
improvement. UNESCO (2005) has however pointed out that the current provision
of education is seriously deficient and that it must be made more relevant, qualitatively
improved and universally available. In recognition of the inestimable value of
education, the Nigerian Government has adopted education as an instrument par
excellence for effecting national development. Thus, education is viewed as an
instrument for building a free and democratic society, a just and egalitarian
society, a united strong and self-reliant nation and a great and dynamic
economy (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004).
In order to attain
these national aspirations, secondary schools are expected to provide quality
instructions that will be oriented towards inculcating values of respect for
the worth and dignity of individuals; ability to make rational decisions; moral
and spiritual values in interpersonal relationship and shared responsibility
for the common good of society, among others (FRN, 2004).
The quality of
education of any nation, to a very large extent, determines the development
status of that particular nation. Education can be regarded as the heartbeat of
any nation. As a man nourishes his heart to be alive, a nation must also cater
for her educational system to keep it ‘alive’ technologically, economically,
politically, socially and to ensure quality products.
Education imparted
through quality instruction is not only for good grades alone but also for the
acquisition of the right values, skills and competences to make an individual a
useful member of the society. For education to achieve this objective, it must
be of high quality, which, as Nwangwu (2000) opined, “it should not only
consist of passing examinations (which is usually the first priority) but also
include the acquisition of skills (in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor
domains) through improved schools’ ability to facilitate and support the work
of teachers and students”.
Secondary
education is a very critical level of any educational system. This is because
it is the bedrock on which higher education is built as the foundation of
whatever a child wants to become in life academically is laid here. It is sad
to note that the academic performance of students at this level is very poor in
the western part of this country. In Lagos state, for instance, the quality of
secondary school leavers has continued to deteriorate. Students look for
crooked means of passing their examinations. This is as a result of the fact
that success in examination serves as a good motivator to students, teachers,
administrators and employers of labour. On the other hand, failure to perform
successfully in examination demoralizes all and sundry, especially students. It
is the craving to succeed and avoid the frustration and embarrassment
associated with failure that makes students engage in examination malpractices
which has threatened the very foundation of our educational system (Ijaiya,
2004).
Among the causes
of examination malpractices are poor condition of service for teachers and
inadequate teaching and learning facilities. These have an adverse effect on
the quality of teachers as well as the quality of instruction because no
educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers (FRN, 2004). The
quality of education of any nation determines the development status of that
particular nation.
The teacher is the
pivot of the education process. The teacher is the key in the entire education
programme and he can make or mar the best educational programme in the world.
Education therefore is what teachers make of it. Thus, competent, devoted and
professionally-qualified teachers are an essential foundation for a good
education system. In other words, the attainment of national objectives for the
adequate preparation of students for their examinations and achievement of
educational objectives depend largely on teachers.
Ali (2009) observes that there was
statistically significant relationship between teacher characteristics and
student academic achievement. Adeyemo (2005) notes teacher characteristics
influenced teaching and learning in classrooms. Olaleye (2011) establishes that
there was relationship between teachers characteristics and pupils performance.
It has been stated that the explanations for good or poor student’s academic
performance have been quite exhaustive yet controversy still exists among
scholars as to what contribute singly or jointly to students’ poor performance.
The teacher characteristics found to be dominant in cross-country studies are
related to; qualification, experience, attitude and teachers’ in-service
training.
The idea of highly
qualified teachers is a good one, but compliance has not been widespread. Some
states in Nigeria have set low expectations for teacher quality, and sometimes
it depends on what school in which a teacher teaches in. the question which
begs to be asked is what defines teacher’s quality? If students are asked about
a teacher who is highly qualified, they will most likely say that it is the
teacher who spend extra time with them and who makes the class content clear
and attainable. Conversely, the unqualified teachers are the ones who are
boring and don’t connect with the students. Students don’t care about
educational certificates or years of experience. Anobi (2006) recognizes that
as true educators, teachers are always learning; and teachers need to continue
to define the meaning of highly qualified instead of doing as little as possible
within the meaning of the law. Teachers need to move from mere competence to
excellence in practice.
Defining teacher
quality is a question that resurfaces again in the literature on teacher
preparation. Does content knowledge in addition to knowledge about teaching
make a difference in student achievement? One group believes quality teachers
possess content knowledge and have studied instructional ideas and practices
that have increased student achievement, while another group believes teachers
just need strong content knowledge. Kaplan and Owings (2001) found disagreement
in the literature over whether traditional teacher preparation positively
affected student achievement. They found that teachers who learn and practice
sound pedagogical practices techniques can affect students’ measured
achievements and also students whose teachers had strong content knowledge and
had learned to work with students came from different cultures or special needs
tested higher than one full grade over their peers.
Due to the
increasing nature of poor academic performance of secondary school students
especially in external examinations like West African Examination Council
(WAEC) or Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), many educationists tend
to shift the blame on lack of fund from the government to provide quality
textbooks. However, these might not be the main reasons why students perform
poorly in examinations. It is clear from all indications that some secondary
school teachers are not competent which might lead to poor academic performance
of the students.
Akinsolu (2010)
asserts that availability of qualified teachers determined the performance of
students in schools. There are emphasizes that teachers involved in in-service
training were more effective in classrooms as compared to teachers who had not
undergone training. Wirth & Perkins (2013) indicate that teacher’s attitude
contributed significantly to student attention in classrooms whereas Adesoji &
Olatunbosun (2008) illustrates that student attitude was related to teacher
characteristics. This therefore meant that teacher’s attitude directly affected
students’ attitude. Adu & Olatundun (2007) contend that teachers’
characteristics are strong determinants of students’ performance in secondary
schools.
Scholars and researchers generally are in
agreement that the school variables, which include teacher administration,
perform a critical role in educational achievement than other variables. The
important role of the teachers in the learning is unquestionable. Teachers have
a lot of influence on their classroom practices. Teachers should have and apply
specific abilities without which their influence may not be reflected in their
students’ performance in the subject. For students to be able to make connection
between what is taught in school and its application in problem solving in real
life, the teacher has to be effective in their teaching. There has been no
consensus on the importance of specific teacher factors, leading to the common
conclusion that the existing empirical evidence does not find a strong role for
teachers in the determination of academic achievement. This study therefore
sought to investigate the influence of teacher characteristics in influencing
students’ academic performance.
The relationship
between teachers’ behaviour, knowledge and values with student learning is the
key issue need to be addressed. Teachers need to understand their own practice
and how it affects student performance. They need an understanding of the
developmental nature of the construct areas in which they teach and this must
precede or underpin their understanding of the developmental assessment.
The issue of
declining academic performance of students in secondary schools in Mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State has generated much interest among
stakeholders in the education sector in Lagos State. The quality of education
and performance of students depends on the teachers as reflected in the
discharge of their duties. Over time students’ academic performance in both
internal and external examinations had been used to determine the effectiveness
of teachers and teaching (Ajao, 2001). This was buttressed by Ogunsaju (2004)
that the academic standard of students in all Nigerian educational institutions
has fallen considerably below societal expectations. Teachers have been known
to have important influence on students’ academic performance and they also
play a crucial role in educational attainment because the teacher is ultimately
responsible for translating educational policies and principles into actions
based on practice during interaction with the students (Afe, 2001). Both
teaching and learning depend on teachers: no wonder an effective teacher has
been conceptualized as one who produces desired results in the course of his
duty as a teacher (Uchefuna 2001).
Teachers
are the most important school-based factor in affecting student academic
performance levels. Knowing what teacher characteristics influence student
academic performance levels will help administrators prioritize who to hire,
retain, and assign to classes. The purpose of this study is to answer the
questions whether teacher characteristics are related to student achievement. A
review of teacher quality, teacher mastery of the subject matter, teacher
background provides some background of the relationship between teacher
characteristics and student academic performance.
Many variables affect student performance.
They include family life, community, diet, involvement in extracurricular
activities, and the school environment. Teachers, however, have a direct
responsibility to shape a student’s academic performance. This is why it is
important to examine which teacher characteristics may be related to
performance. Every school has a different mix of teacher experience, education,
teacher attendance, and student-teacher ratio, among other readily available
measures. Considering which teacher characteristics produce the best student
achievement at the school level can help the school in identifying unique ways
to increase student achievement with the teacher resources available to them.
Examining the
relationship between teacher characteristics and student academic performance
in the secondary school-level allows this study to look at the school and
examine if there are certain teacher qualities that increase the academic
performance of students This is important for education administrators because
knowing what teacher characteristics influence students’ academic performance
will help the school’s administration make adjustments in order to increase
student achievement. This does not necessarily mean that all students will
benefit, but it will help identify teacher characteristics that are correlated
with increasing the school’s overall student academic performance.
Considering
governments’ huge investment in public education, its output in terms of
quality of students has been observed to be unequal with government
expenditure. Consequent upon the observed deterioration in the academic
performance, attitude and values of secondary school students in public
secondary schools, one wonders if the high failure rates and the failure of the
students especially in external examinations is not a reflection of the
instructional quality in the schools. Therefore, the ineffectiveness of
teachers in classroom interaction with the students could be responsible for
the observed poor performance of students and the widely acclaimed fallen
standard of education in Nigeria.
This study is
designed to determine if teachers’ characteristics has significant influence on
the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State. It was aimed at answering the question: “Does
teachers’ characteristics have significant influence on student’s academic
performance in secondary schools in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos
State?” In answering this question, the study determined and described the
relationship between teachers’ characteristics and the academic performance of
students. Therefore, this study is significant because the results will enable
the researcher to proffer useful suggestions to the ailing problem of poor
academic performance of students.
Statement
of the Problem
It appears that teachers' characteristics have a great
influence on the academic performance of students in secondary schools in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State. The dismal performance and low
achievement of students in both internal and external examination has made
educational researchers, parents and other stakeholders to be concerned about
the causes of this performance. Teachers have a lot of influence on their
classroom practices, this study therefore sought to investigate the influence
of teacher characteristics on students’ academic performance in secondary
schools in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Objectives
of the Study
•
To investigate whether teachers’ academic
qualifications influence student academic performance in secondary schools in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos state.
•
To examine whether teachers’ teaching
experiences influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools in
Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos state.
•
To find out whether the level of teachers’
in-service training affects students’ academic performance in secondary schools
in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos state.
•
To examine whether there is a relationship
between teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in secondary
schools in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Research
Questions
•
Does teachers’ academic qualification
influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools Mainland Local
Government Area of Lagos state?
•
Does teachers’ teaching experience
influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Mainland Local
Government Area of Lagos state?
•
How does teachers’ in-service training
influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Main land
Local Government Area of Lagos state?
•
To what extent does teacher’s attitude
influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Mainland Local
Government Area of Lagos state?
Research
Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses guided this study:
Ho: There
is no significant relationship between teachers’ characteristics and students’
academic performance in secondary schools in Mainland Local Government Area of
Lagos State.
H1: There is a significant relationship between
teachers’ characteristics and students’ academic performance in secondary
schools in Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Significance
of the Study
The findings of
this study may hopefully contribute to existing literature by extending the
stock of knowledge on the influence of teachers’ characteristics on students’
academic performance in the secondary schools in Mainland Local Government Area
of Lagos State.
The study is
expected to serve as reference or guide for the teachers in choosing training
and development programmes that will help them to improve their quality,
skills, knowledge, mastery of the subject matter and also to adapt to the new
innovations in teaching and learning method like the use of ICT, projector etc.,
all which will lead to better academic performance on the part of the students.
It is hoped that
this study will provide information for educational planners, policymakers and school
administrators to reflect upon various factors that helps students in achieving
their academic goals. In so doing, they can investigate the possibility of
introducing those factors to their school, which may consequently lead to
enhancing students’ educational outcomes in school. In addition, the fact that
this study is conducted in public schools, it shares quite a lot of
similarities with many other counterparts. In this connection, this study
provides a valuable reference for other schools to reflect upon the school
teachers’ characteristics as it affect the academic performance of student in
secondary school.
It is also hoped
that identification of the teachers’ characteristics as a factor that
contribute to academic performance of students in secondary schools in Mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State, will spark the interest of school leaders
and instructional leaders to seek to identify similar attributes that will
contribute to the resiliency and academic achievement of students internationally.
Scope
and Delimitation of the Study
This study focused on the influence of teachers’
characteristics on students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State. The study also is concerned only with public
secondary schools. Private secondary schools were not included in this study
because they were not directly under the control of the state governments.
Definition
of Key Terms
The following are the definitions of some of the terms
used in this research study
·
Academic
Performance: Examination result at the end of an
academic programme in the school. In this study, the West African Senior School
Certificate examination result is used.
·
Attributes:
a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or inherent part of someone
or something.
•
Characteristics:
these are features that helps to identify, tell apart, or describe recognizably
someone or something; a distinguishing mark, quality or trait.
•
Counterpart:
person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another person
or thing in a different place or situation.
•
Deterioration:
This refers to the process of becoming diminishing in quality, character, or
value.
•
Determinants:
it refers to determining or deciding something, it is a factor which decisively
affects the nature or outcome of something.
•
Dismal:
this refers to causing a mood of depression, making someone feel unhappy and
without hope or enthusiasm
•
Enlightenment:
the act of enlightening or the state of being enlightened
•
ICT:
Information and Communication Technology refers to technologies that provide
access to information through telecommunications. This includes the use of
Internet, wireless networks, cell phones, and other communication mediums.
•
In-service
training: In this study in-service training means on-the-job
training such as correspondence courses, sandwich programmes, distance learning
programme, etc. Also, seminars, workshops and conferences constitute in-service
training.
•
Instructional
Materials: teaching materials that enhance or promote students’
academic performance.
•
Projector:
it is a device designed for displaying video, images or computer data on a
screen or other flat surface.
•
Productivity:
it is the measure of efficiency of a person or resources in converting
educational input into useful output.
•
Resilience:
Resilient children are said to be those who beat the odds or bounce back under
adverse circumstances.
•
Resources:
these are stocks or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that
can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively.
•
Teaching-learning
process: a classroom situation where teachers teach the
students and the students imbibe whatever the teacher is passing to them.
•
Teacher
quality: This means a degree of excellence, especially a high
degree of goodness and worth of the teachers. In this study, teacher quality
refers to teachers’ academic qualification, professional qualification and
years of experience.
Login To Comment