ABSTRACT.
This study examined how the teachers’ perception of their
public image influences the Achievement of Secondary School Physics Students in
Lagos, Nigeria. The research design adopted was quasi-experimental of the
pretest – post-test non-randomized control group. Purposive sampling was used
to obtain a sample of three co-educational secondary schools. Each school
provided one S.S.I and S.S. II class for the study. Two instruments were used
in the study, the PhysicsAchievement Test (PAT) to measure students’
achievement and Teachers questionnaire to train the teachers in the
experimental groups. The instrument was pilot tested to ascertain reliability.
Also, there was no significant effect of gender on students ‘achievement in
Physics although, females did better than males. Finally, there was no
significant interaction effect of treatment and gender on student achievement
in Physics. Thus, Physics teachers need to be up and doing and also in the
maintenance of instructional materials. One third of the students did not think
that secondary science teachers prepared them for life in a scientific-technological
society. A culture of high expectancy on the part of teachers, parents and
administrators may be key to influencing rates of success.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title Page............................................................................................................................... i
Certification........................................................................................................................... ii
Dedication............................................................................................................................. iii
Acknowledgements............................................................................................................... iv
Abstract................................................................................................................................. vi
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................. vii
List of tables
………………………………………………………………………….......xi
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 3
1.3 Scope
of the Study 5
1.4 Purpose
of the Study 5
1.5 Significance
of the Study 6
1.6 Research
Questions 7
1.7 Hypothesis 7
Chapter Two
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1 Effective
teaching and qualifications. 8
2.2
Teachers attitude and perception towards physics. 12
2.3 Validity and reliability of student rating of physics
teachers 13
2.4 Factors Affecting Physics Teachers’ Teaching
Effectiveness 13
2.5 Teachers public image 14
2.6 Studies on factors and teachers perception on students’
achievement in physics 16
2.7 Summary of the review
19
Chapter three
RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURE
3.1 Research Design 21
3.2 Areas
of the Study 21
3.3 Population
of the Study 21
3.4 Sample
and sampling technique
21
3.5 Instrument
for data Collection 22
3.6 Validation
of the instrument 24
3.7 Administration
of the instrument 24
3.8 Reliability
of the instrument 24
3.9 Statistical
treatment of the data 25
Chapter Four
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS
AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introduction
26
4.2 Presentation
and Analysis of Demographic data 26
4.3 Analysis
of the data
30
4.4 Testing
of the hypotheses
33
4.5 Summary
of the research outcomes 37
Chapter Five
DISCUSSIONS OF OUTCOMES, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION RESEARCH
5.0
Introduction
38
5.1 Discussion 39
5.2 Implication to science education 47
5.3 Recommendations
for further research 48 5.4 Conclusion 48
Reference
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background to
the Study
While
common sense suggests that teachers’ quality affects student performance,
rigorous supporting evidence has rarely been provided. An important reason for
this is that the ingenuity of teachers makes it difficult to sort out the
direction of causation in the relationship between teachers’ perception and
students’ outcomes in physics, and to separate teachers’ perception from
unobserved individual characteristics that might affect both subject selection
and academic performance.
Bajah.S. (1991) the
ideal way of identifying teachers’ impact on student performance would be
through a random assessment of teachers across schools.
Apart
from parents, the group of people who will help make this dream a reality is
undoubtedly the teachers.
The federal government of Nigeria (FGN, 2008)
also echoes this philosophy. It is therefore, very surprising that these
teachers should be held in contempt the way it is now. If the society places so
much emphasis on education, why then should it treat teachers shabbily? Could it be as much as fault of the society
as it is that of the teacher? These and other pertinent. Questions must be
answered.
Do we agree that teaching as a vocation is not
easy? But we utterly disagree that it is deplorable as many people see it. To
be a school teacher is not to be a clown, to the fools and people of low
understanding. Teaching is a humble task, but to be truthful, it is the noblest
of all vocations.
It will not be an over-statement to say that, shabby`
treatment of teachers or low regard for teachers has been as old as time
itself. From experience in this part of the world, (Frazer, B.J 1992) teaching
is a humble and labour task. It only fits for people who have no other choice
but to be school Master/ Mistresses. One does not need to look too closely at
teaching to know that one of the causes of the poor academic achievement of the
students is low regard for teachers. This has been the main cause and until
this important group of people are accorded their rightful position in the
society, the trend will continue.
This study examines the influence the teachers’
perception of their public image has on the achievements of the secondary
school students in physics.School administrators, parents, and students themselves
widely support the notion that teacher quality is vital to student achievement,
despite the lack of evidence linking achievement to observable teacher
characteristics. Studies that estimate the relation between achievement and
teachers’ characteristics, including their credentials, have produced little
consistent evidence that students perform better when their teachers have more
‘desirable’ characteristics.
Isola, O.M.(2010), it is
widely known that students no longer perform well in physics examinations, a yardstick
of measuring sound growths and
achievement in physics, and one of the major causes may be the teachers public
image as has been mentioned above.
Due to the composition of physics education,
most physics teachers believe it should be done practically and theoretically
to allow for effective understanding of the knowledge by students. From finding
of
Mitchell and Dejong (1990) and Thornton (1993)
“good learning requires constant variation in the purposeful intellectual
activities of the learner and a wide range of pedagogical stratifies”. To them
many teachers do not have access to didactic materials and modern educational
technologies (laboratory, printer, video, multimedia, software etc.), which
could have made training learner – centred. Researches had been conducted on
learning environment in different countries like USA, Australia, Netherlands,
Nigeria etc. such researches include the
research reported by Lim (1993) who did a study in physics performance in different types of
schools (good, average and below) and different educational streams. It is
henceforth imperative to study the teachers’ perception and its influence on
student’s achievement in physics in secondary schools since science without
physics is incomplete and because there can be no technological advancement
without physics. This study is timely and effective when the country needs more
genuine teachers to advance students achievement in physics.
1.2 Statement of the problem:
In spite of the importance of the teacher as
the engine that pulls the educational system along to the land of knowledge,
there is still the tendency for people to regard the teacher lowly in the
society.
Kamoru
O. (2006), teachers being human are sometimes conscious of their rating in
thesociety and their feelings may become attitude to work on their students. It
becomes necessary there to continue to monitor what, the teacher thinks about
his /her job and his / her students in the light of confusing signals from the
society about the public image of the teacher.
The problem of this study therefore is: What do
teachers perceive their public image to be and how do they perceive their
public image to influence their duty performance with regard to the then
academic achievement of their students in physics. Factors such as lack of
adequate laboratory equipment, ineffectiveness and lack of teaching proficiency
of teachers, lack of qualified teachers and school factors have been identified
as major causes of underachievement of science students in physics. Some kinds
of differential behaviour toward students who vary in their mastery of the
curriculum are appropriate and productive. Giving some students more advanced
material than others is clearly necessary when there is variability in student
skill level, and students need different amounts and kinds of teacher
assistance and attention. Nevertheless, most of the teacher behaviours
described below, which have been shown to be associated with high versus low
expectations, cannot be defended as appropriate accommodations to individual
student needs. Despite all these efforts, the poor performances of students
still exist. However, little emphasis has been laid on the effect of teachers’
perception and its influence on the students’ achievement of physics.
1.3
Scope of the Study:
This study looks into the public image of the
teachers and their influence on the achievement of the students in physics as
perceived by the teachers alone. The influence of these teachers perception of
their public image which this study also takes care of, is narrowed down to the
science student especially in the areas of physics.
There
are number of problems we find in different aspect of our educational system,
but we have delimited ourselves to the public image of teachers and its influence
on the achievement of the students in physics. Consequently, the teachers will
help the physics students achieve their goals of academic excellence as well as
the school to encourage preparation for future challenges and thereby
contributing their quotas regarding development in the achievement of good
standard in physics.
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to examine the
influence of teachers’ perceptions of their public image on students’ in senior
secondary school physics, and the objective of this study is stated below
1. To
find out physics teachers perception of their public image.
2. To
find out the perception of physics teachers of their public image has impact on
the academic achievement of their student.
3. To
find out the causes of the teachers public image in physics
4. To
determine the strategies for improving teachers’ public image and its influence
on the student achievement in physics.
1.5
Significance of the Study
This project is of immense importance to (i) Students,
(ii) Teachers (iii) Society.
Students of education who will like to take a
look at or study the image of teachers in the Nigerian society. It is beneficial and will draw their
attention more to the great and important position of the teachers in the
society.
Also
to the teacher it serves as a mirror to them as they will use it to see
themselves from the perspectives of the society or public. It also goes a long
way to correct the poor societal conception of the teachers.
Mkpanang, J.T(2005)
there are widespread claims about the negative public image of physics, but
very little systematic enquiry into it. Therefore the result of this study is
providing systematic and empirical data on public images and myths of physics.
By
examining the different images, attitudes, belief and myths of physics that
public adults hold, there is a potential for such images, attitudes, beliefs to
be challenged, promoted or discouraged. The information obtained will enhance
better strategies and measures for promoting Public Understanding of physics.
Moronfola, B(2002)
the impact of cultural difference on image of physics teachers revealed in the comparison
might serve to support or challenge the notion that physics is universal,
value-free or culture-free. The findings might help to illuminate our understanding
on whether the difference in culture and value system could have led to the
difference in images of physics, and consequently the difference in physics achievement.
Having
described the current scenario of the public understanding of physics and the
importance and significance of the public images of physics teachers, I argued
that there is an urgent need to carry out this study. Before I conceptualise the
theoretical framework of the study (in Chapter 3), I shall first review critically
some related studies in literature.
1.6 Research
Questions:
1.
What is the perception of
teachers of their public image and its influence on the achievement of students
in physics?
2.
What factors determine the
competency level of teachers?
3.
What factors of the teachers’
public image influencesthe achievement of students in physics?
1.7 Hypothesis
In this study, the following
null hypothesis shall be stated.
i.
There will be no significant
relationship between the teachers’ perception of their public image and its
influence on the achievement of student in physics.
ii.
Students’ perception of their
physics teacher will have no relative influence on their achievement in
physics.
iii.
There will be no significant
relationship between the factors and the students’ achievement in physics.
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