CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The issue of professionalism in
teaching has been on course for quite some decades ago. Scholars argued the
necessity of skilled teachers for effective learning. Nigeria in Fajonyomi
(2007) emphasized that the success or failure of any educational programme
rests majorly on the adequate availability of qualified (professional),
competent and dedicated teachers. Seweje and Jagade (2005) noted that the
ability of a teacher to teach is not derived only from one’s academic
background but it is based upon outstanding pedagogical skill acquired. The
realization of the national growth in technology as highlighted in the Nigerianational
policy on education hinges amongothers. This view is supported by Nkwodimah’s
(2003) submission that the teacher’s quality will inevitably be seen in the
citizens tomorrow. Okebukola in Ngada (2008), while remarking on teachers’
quality, observed that over 80% of respondents in a survey researcher were of
the view that teachers are carriers of weaknesses. These weaknesses include,
among others, inadequate exposure to teaching practice, poor classroom
management and control, shallow subject-matter and lack of professionalism.
From Ajayi’s (2009) point of view. The professional qualities of a teacher have
to do with the following:
·
Mastery
of the subject matter
·
Sense
of organization
·
Ability
to clarify ideas
·
Ability
to motivate students
·
Good
imagination
·
Ability
to involve the students in meaningful activities throughout the period of
teaching
·
Management
of the details of learning
·
Frequent
monitoring of students’ progress through tests, formal and informal, written
and oral quizzes.
The availability of professional
teachers in our schools is low (Ngada, 2008). The reasons may not be
farfetched. Teaching is seen as a dumping ground for any unemployed school
leavers, irrespective of their area of specialization. This group of
able-bodied young men and women thus handle the job as a bye-pass venture to
their desired ends. Consequently, their input on the job would be very low
since it lacks the dedication demanded by the job. The few ones that seem to
show little dedication lack the technical know-how
of teaching since they were never trained on the job. The resultant effect on
the students’ performanceis catastrophic. The major evil done by this is half-baked and shallow-knowledge students who
often perform poorly in their examinations.
The quality of education of a
nation could be determined by the quality of
her teachers. The most important factor in improving students’ performance is
by employing seasoned qualified teachers in all schools (Abe and Adu,
2013),Seweje and Jegede (2005) found that
policy investment in thequality of
teachers is related to improvement in students’ performance. Specifically, the
measurement of teacher’s preparation and certification are correlates of
student’s performance. It is further
reported that teacher’s characteristics
such as certification status and adegree
in area of specialization are very significant and positively correlated with
students learning outcomes. This report was in line with the findings of Salman
(2009).
Abe and Adu (2013) and Wiki
(2013) opined that a teaching qualification
or teacher qualification is one of a number of academic and professional degree
that enables a person to become a registeredteacher in primary or secondary
school. Such qualifications include: but are not limited to. The Postgraduate
Certificate in Education (PGDE), The Professional Diploma in Education (PDE),
Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). In
Ekiti State, ateacher who are
academically qualified and those that are professionally qualified are engaged
to carry out instructional process (Ahiazu and Prince Will, 2011).
Academically qualified teachers
refer to those who have academic training as a result of enrolment into aneducational institution and obtained
qualifications such as HND, B.Sc, B.A and M.A. and so on. On the other hand,
there are studies that have found no significant relationship between teacher
educational qualification and students’ academic achievement. For instance,
Igwe (1990) investigated the influence of teacher’s qualification on theacademic performance of students in science
subjects in Kano State. The researcher found no significant relationship
between teacher’s qualification and students’ performance. While Abe and Adu
(2013) found out that teacher’s qualification contributed minimally to the
variance with students’ cognitive achievement and Ajayi (2009) and Salman
(2009) found that teacher’s experience was highly significant on students’
academic performance. Okebukola in Ngada (2008), opined that students do not
understand easily when they were taught by an ineffective teacher. Izumi and
Evess (2002) buttressed this by saying that teacher quality is the most
important among other critical factors like quality curricula, funding, small
class size and learning situation. George (2004) attributed thepoor academic performance of students to
teacher qualification, theinadequacy of
materials as well as administrative factors.
For instance, in teaching some
subject such as Mathematics, Izumi, and
Evess (2002) opined that with an exception of holders of aminimum of B.Sc. in Mathematics, many other
teachers would be confronted with theproblem
of teaching secondary school mathematics syllabus effectively. Hence, George
(2004) argued that no one gives what he/she does not possess. He further said
that no matter how good a course curriculum is, if we do not have well trained,
qualified and motivatedteachers, we may not achieve the desired goals. In view
of this, a teacher is someone who has been exposed to ag measure of training in a teaching subject area as well as in
professional education: such professionally qualified teachers may according to
the Federal Ministry of Education (2004) fall into a number of academic
categories. Salman (2009), regarded the trained institution or in a planned
programme of training. Among such areas of training may include principles and
practice of education as well as being exposed to an observed period of
internship either after or as part of the period of raining. People who fall into this category should under normal
circumstances be able to fulfill the various functions expected of teachers
within and outside the four walls of the classroom. Ajayi (2009) perceived a
professional teacher as one who possesses
professionally based knowledge in the theory and practice of education as well
as finds job satisfaction in the belief
that he/she is making an important contribution to the social, cultural and
economic development of his/her country. Such a teacher should equally, be able
to understand students’ abilities to exploit educational benefits of the social
context within which he/she lives. He/she should be able to assist students to
reach their full intellectual and social potentials. According to Seweje andJegede
(2005), non-qualified and
non-professional teachers in theteaching
profession are killing the profession because they are not really teachers. He
regarded them as “bird” of passage that rate unnecessary vacuum whenever they
see greener pastures and ‘better prospect in the profession they are originally
trained for. The comparison of students’ academic performance on teachers’
qualifications becomes necessary in order to know if formal teaching methods have any significant effect/influence on
students’ academic performance of asecondary
school or not.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Teaching and learning depend to a large extent on teacher’s own knowledge
of the content and ability to adequately
deliver the instruction to the students. However a lot of variables may inhibit
or hinder theeffective dissemination of
knowledge to the understanding of the content by the students, such variables
may be lack of qualified teachers, teachers’ qualification, experience, inadequate
use of instructional materials among others. No wonder (Ajayi 2004, Adebayo
2008) hence, calls for attention. The consequence of this might result from
unqualified teachers handling thesubject
in the secondary schools. Therefore, this study,
therefore, sought to determine the effect of teacher’s qualification on
secondary school students’ academc performance.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The broad purpose of this study
is to investigate the effect of teachers’ qualification on the student academic
performance in some selected secondary school in OdedaLocal Government Area of Ogun State.
Therefore, the specific
purposes are:
i.
To
examine if there are any correlations
between teacher’s qualification and the academic performances students of
secondary school.
ii.
To
really check how deep teacher’s qualification affect the student performance
iii.
To
investigate the effect of teacher’s qualification on the academic performance
of secondary school students
iv.
To
check if there is difference between the student’s
performance taught by professional and non-professional
teachers
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following assumptions stand
as the research questions of the study:
1.
Do
teachers qualification has any relationship with the academic performance of
students in schools?
2.
Do
teacher’s qualification really affect the academic performance of the students?
3.
What
is the effect do teacher’s qualificationsposted on the academic performance of students
of secondary schools?
4.
To
what extent do teacher’s qualifications
affect the academic performance of students
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
i.
There
are statistical differences between
teachers qualification and students academic performance
ii.
There
are no statistical differences between
teachers qualification and students academic performance
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is not just a mere
academic exercise. It holds immense benefits. The significance may vary for the fact that the result is going to
provide necessary information to the state and thefederal government of Nigeria, teachers, stakeholders in the
educational sectors, policy makers etc. on the effects of teachers
qualifications and the academic performance of students. This study will also
contribute its quota to enlighten the
public on the assumption that teaching is seen as a dumping ground for any
unemployed school leavers, irrespective of their area of specialization.
The study will provide the general
public with information on the importance f training people who are capable of
offering the best to the students in our various schools. And why it is good to
employ only the professional e.g. (NCE) national Certificate on Education and
Degree holder to our secondary schools.
Finally, the project will
provide the public and mostly the teachers on the best way to take in order to
avoid half backed teacher
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study is centered on some selected
secondary schools in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State. It is limited
to the effect of teacher qualifications and the academic performance of
students.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Teachers
Qualification:
a teaching qualification or teacher qualification is one of a number of
academic and professional degrees that enables a person to become a registered
teacher in primary or secondary school.
Academic
Performance:
academic achievement or academic performance is the outcome of education – the
extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their
educational goals.
Teaching: the occupation, profession, or
work of a teacher
Qualified
Teachers:
qualified teachers are those who got professional training that gave them
professional knowledge, skills, techniques, aptitudes as different from the
general education (Edu and Kalu, 2012).