CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study:
The development of a nation is intricately tied to its education system, with teachers playing a pivotal role in ensuring its effectiveness. Teachers are considered fundamental in the learning process and the academic performance of students. The quality of teaching is a key factor influencing students' academic success (Shannon and Weaver, 2004). Effective teaching is essential for molding students and guiding them towards achieving their life goals.
Teaching is a noble profession, and the teacher-student interaction is considered the ultimate process of education. The teacher's role is dynamic, influencing students' interest in subjects and shaping their life choices. A variety of teaching techniques can engage students and positively impact their lives (Abiri, 2003).
Academic performance, in this context, refers to students' achievements in various assessments and examinations. The role of teachers in influencing academic performance is crucial, and it is essential to identify factors that contribute to teachers' job performance, which, in turn, enhances students' academic success.
Social studies, as an integrated subject, encompasses various aspects of human life, aiming to facilitate all-around development. The teacher is at the core of the education process, and their competence is paramount in achieving educational objectives. Teachers' qualities, including their rapport with students, mastery of the subject matter, and teaching methods, significantly influence the quality of education.
Statement of the Problem:
Despite the importance of teachers and their role in shaping students' academic performance, there are challenges within the secondary school system in Nigeria. Issues such as inadequate facilities, outdated structures, insufficient instructional materials, and unqualified teachers contribute to the ineffectiveness of the system. Teacher characteristics play a vital role not only in students passing examinations but also in their overall development in affective and psychomotor domains.
Observations indicate persistent poor performance of students in social studies in both internal and external examinations. This poor performance has led to a loss of confidence among parents in the ability of public school teachers to produce successful students. The quality of teachers, their teaching experiences, mastery of the subject matter, and teaching methods are critical factors that can influence students' academic performance.
The problem addressed in this study is the need to investigate the relationship between teacher variables and students' academic performance in Junior Secondary School Social Studies in Eket Local Education Committee of Akwa Ibom State. Understanding these relationships is crucial for identifying areas of improvement within the education system and enhancing the overall effectiveness of teaching and learning processes.Top of Form
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1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of teacher’s variables on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students in Eket Local Education Committee of Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to:
- determine the influence of teacher’s quality on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students;
- determine the influence of teachers’ good rapport with students on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students;
- determine the influence of teachers’ mastery of the subject matter on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students;
- determine the influence of teachers’ teaching methods on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students;
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were put forward and answered as guide to facilitate the study.
i. What is the influence of teacher’s quality on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students?
ii. What is the influence of teacher’s good rapport with students on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students?
- Will teacher’s mastery of the subject matter influence the academic performance of social studies among junior secondary school students?
iv. Will teacher’s teaching methods influence the academic performance of social studies among junior secondary school students?
1.5 Hypothesis
The following null hypotheses were advanced and tested at 0.05 level of significance to guide this study.
H01: There is no significant influence of teacher’s quality on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school.
H02: There is no significant influence of teacher’s good rapport with students on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students.
H03: There is no significant influence of teacher’s mastery of the subject matter on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students.
H04: There is no significant influence of teacher’s teaching methods on academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students.
1.6 Significance of the Study
It is hoped that the findings of this study would be of immense benefits to the teachers, educational planners, school administrators and the students. The findings of this study would help teachers to be committed to the teaching profession with developing positive attEketde towards teaching, respond to students needs based on their individual differences such as aptEketde, interest, and values. It would also help teachers to use appropriate pedagogy to implement the curriculum and effectively evaluate the students.
The study would help educational planners to look inwards and find ways of motivating and encouraging teachers by providing appropriate materials and conducive learning environments in the school system that will assist teachers in their lesson delivery and lesson evaluation techniques.
The finding of this study would help the school administrator (the principal), to motivate teachers to respond to their core assignment of converting the policies and programmes of government into practice. The outcome would help the principal to device modalities that will enhance teacher’s teaching propensity, assess and evaluate the effectiveness of individual teachers.
The outcome of the study would help to improved performance of students since teaching will be effective. It would also be used as a reference material for students who have interest to study in the related area.
1.7 Delimitation of the Study
The study focused on the influence of teachers’ variables and academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school in Eket Local Government of Akwa Ibom State. The study covers the nine public secondary schools in Eket Local Education Committee of Akwa Ibom State. The constructs of independent variable considered in this study were teacher’s quality, experience, mastery of the subject matter and teacher’s teaching methods. The dependent variable was academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students in Eket Local Education Committee of Akwa Ibom State.
.1.8 Definition of Terms
The following variables and terms were defined operationally, as they were used in this study:
Dependent variable: The dependent variable for this study is academic performance in social studies among junior secondary school students.
Independent variables: The independent variable is teacher’s variables.
Teacher’s Variables: These are intrinsic factors of a teacher that enhance his/her job performance.
Teacher’s quality: This means a degree of excellence, especially a high degree of goodness and worth of the teachers. In this study, teacher’s quality refers to teacher’s academic qualification, professional qualification, competency, effectiveness and pedagogical skills.
Teacher’s Good Rapport with Students: This refers to the training obtained by teachers through retraining, workshop, seminars, and conferences as well as number of years teachers spend in teaching profession.
Teacher’s Mastery of the Subject Matter: A teacher with good knowledge of the subject matter is one who able to plan and teach the lessons by way of highlighting the main points of the lesson to the learner while clarifying the knowledge misconceptions.
Teacher’s Teaching Methods: A competent teacher is the one who uses many methods and techniques as possible in lesson delivery and effectively communicate the lesson to the understanding of the students.
