CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education is widely regarded as a basic human right, a key to enlightenment, and a source of wealth and power (Mugenda and Mugenda, 1999). Education is critical to industrial and technological development, with the history of developed nations bearing records of this, developing nations aspiring to realize the same status have to put a premium.
According to Boit, Njoki and Chang’ach (2012), the purpose of education is to equip the individuals to reshape their society and eliminate inequality. In particular, secondary school education is an important sector in national and individual development. It plays a vital role in creating a country’s human resource base at a level higher than primary education (Achoka, Odebero, Maiyo and Mualuko, 2007).
Provision of quality secondary education is therefore important in generating the opportunities and benefits of social and economic development (Onsumu, Muthaka, Ngware and Kosembei, 2006). One of the indicators of quality of education being provided is cognitive performance of learners (UNESCO, 2005). Levin, Wasanga and Somerset (2011) reported that the academic performance of students at secondary school level is not only a pointer of the effectiveness of students but also a major issue that depends on teachers characteristics.
Yusuf and Adigun (2010) noted that the performance of students in any academic task has always been of special interest to the government, educators, parents and society at large. It has been proved that teachers have an important influence on students’ academic achievement. They play a crucial role in educational attainment because the teacher is ultimately responsible for translating policy into action and principles based on practice during interaction with the students (Afe, 2001).
Wright, Horn and Sanders (1997) posit that the most important factor influencing student learning is the teacher’s characteristics. Teachers stand in the interface of the transmission of knowledge, values and skills in the learning process. If the teacher is ineffective, students under the teacher’s tutelage will achieve inadequate progress academically (Lydiah and Nasongo, 2009). This is regardless of how similar or different the students are in terms of individual potential in academic achievement.
A teacher is the bridge that makes teaching and learning effective. The teacher is thus the builder whose performance depends on adequate qualification, gender, experience and preparation. This adequate knowledge and experience could be attained or achieved by acquiring additional knowledge that will stimulate his/her communication in teaching for efficiency (Oyedeji, 2000). That is, teachers’ attitude, personality, quality, effectiveness, academic qualification, experience and gender of a teacher enhance or determine his/her performance. It could also be noted that the level and quality of education attained by the teacher determines the characteristics exhibited vis-à-vis the performance of the students. Hence, this study investigates the effects of teachers’ characteristics on students’ academic achievement in Government.