ATTENTION:
BEFORE YOU READ THE CHAPTER ONE OF THE
PROJECT TOPIC BELOW, PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW.THANK YOU!
INFORMATION:
YOU CAN GET THE COMPLETE PROJECT OF THE
TOPIC BELOW. THE FULL PROJECT COSTS N5,000 ONLY. THE FULL INFORMATION ON HOW TO
PAY AND GET THE COMPLETE PROJECT IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. OR YOU CAN
CALL: 08068231953, 08168759420
THE
INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS’ CHARACTERISTICS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
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.
HOW TO GET THE FULL PROJECT WORK
PLEASE, print the following instructions and information if you will
like to order/buy our complete written material(s).
HOW TO RECEIVE PROJECT MATERIAL(S)
After paying the appropriate amount (#5,000) into our bank
Account below, send the following information to
08068231953 or 08168759420
(1) Your project topics
(2) Email Address
(3) Payment Name
(4) Teller Number
We will send your material(s) after we receive bank alert
BANK ACCOUNTS
Account Name: AMUTAH DANIEL CHUKWUDI
Account Number: 0046579864
Bank: GTBank.
OR
Account Name: AMUTAH DANIEL CHUKWUDI
Account Number: 2023350498
Bank: UBA.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL:
08068231953 or 08168759420
AFFILIATE
Comments
Post a Comment