A Survey Of Teachers Availability And Quality In Public Secondary School

This study investigated teachers’ availability and quality as determinant of students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria. In pursuance of this course, four (4) research questions were raised and two of them were answered that were not hypothesized while two (2) hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research based on survey research design was adopted. The population for this study consisted of 418 Mathematics and English Language teachers in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria. Eighty-four (84) Mathematics and English Language teachers in public secondary schools were sampled. The checklists titled: “Students’ Academic Performance Checklist (SAPC)” and Teacher Quality Checklist (TQC) were used for data collection. The analysis of the result was carried out using frequencies, percentages and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The results revealed that level of teacher quality in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria was high, there was average level of students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria, Teacher quality and academic qualification had no significant influence on students’ academic performance. It was recommended among others that principals should ensure that the potentials of the teachers are well harnessed and utilized to reflect the true picture of their quality and avail themselves in the academic performance of students.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWELDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

• • PROBLEM STATEMENT

• • AIM/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

• • RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• • RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

• • SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

• • SCOPE OF STUDY

• • LIMITATION OF STUDY

• • DEFINTION OF TERMS

• • PROJECT ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

• • REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

• • INTRODUCTION

• • OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

• • REVIEW OF THE STUDY

• • SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE

• • TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• • GLOBAL STUDIES ON TEACHER STUDENTS RATIO

• • TEACHER- STUDENT RATIO AND THE CLASS SIZE

• • TEACHER-STUDENTS RATIO AND CLASS INTERACTION

• • TEACHER STUDENTS RATIO AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

• • EMPIRICAL LITERATURE

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

• • RESEARCH DESIGN

• • POPULATION OF THE STUDY

• • SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

• • INSTRUMENT OF THE STUDY

• • VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE INSTRUMENT

• • ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTRUMENT AND DATA ANALYSIS

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULT ANALYSIS

• • ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

• • DISCUSSION

• • CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE

CHAPTER FIVE

• • CONCLUSION

• • IMPLICATIONS

• • RECOMMENDATION

• • REFERENCES

QUESTIONAIRES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                               INTRODUCTION

1.1                                                 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In Nigeria, education is seen as an instrument par excellence for effecting national development. As such, education is expected to be of high quality in order to produce sound and quality products that can contribute to the growth of the national economy. The quality of education of a nation could be determined by the quality of her teachers and their availability. The most important factor in improving students’ academic achievement in school is by employing seasoned qualified teachers and those that are ready to teach in all schools (Abe & Adu, 2013). Academically qualified teachers refer to those who have academic training as a result of enrolment into educational institution and obtained qualifications in various areas of endeavour such as HND, B.Sc, B.A, and Master of Art (M.A.) and so on; while professionally qualified teachers are those who got professional training that gave them professional knowledge, skills, techniques, aptitudes as different from the general education. They hold degrees like, B.Ed, B.Sc. Ed, B.A. Ed, and M.Ed degrees and so on. Onyekuru and Ibegbunam (2013) found that teaching effectiveness of teachers from secondary schools was below average. However, Akinsolu (2010) had a contrary result when he found out that teachers’ qualifications, experience, availability and teacher–student ratio were significantly related to students’ academic performance.

The issue of quality in the educational system has been receiving a great deal of attention in the society in recent times. Stakeholders of education especially parents as well as the entire society are now clamoring for quality in the education system which may be as a result of the perceived poor quality products turned out from the institutions on yearly basis. The demand for quality in education is not out of place considering the huge sum of money that goes into the system. Madumere-Obike (2003) was of the view that education consumes a lot of public revenue. Therefore, it is important to note that those who manage schools should be accountable to the stakeholders. The quality of the products of education is part of that accountability and the availability of the qualified teachers should also be considered (Oladokun, Adebanjo & Charles-Owaba, 2008).

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 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. The school can only achieve this lofty objective through the use of the services of qualified teachers who have all it takes to give quality instruction through interaction with students in the teaching-learning situation. Muhammad, Rashida, Riffat and Fayyaz (2011) who found out that there was no much difference in the quality of teachers of schools with higher academic achievement and that of the schools with lower academic achievement. However, Daso (2013) in a study had found out that there was a significant relationship between teachers’ method of teaching, teachers’ attitude, teachers’ availability and students’ achievement in mathematics. Furthermore, Adedoyin (2011) in another related study found that teachers’ training had significant relationship on students’ academic performance in Mathematics. In another related study, Jacob and Lefgren (2004) found out that marginal increases in in-service training have no statistically or academically significant effect on either Reading or Mathematics achievement, suggesting that modest investments in staff development may not be sufficient to increase the achievement of school children in high poverty schools.

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 all over the country in Nigeria (Adebule, 2004). The quality of secondary school leavers has continued to deteriorate each year and a practical example is the 2014 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) where only 31.28% of the candidates that sat for the examination had 5 credits in five subjects and above including English Language and Mathematics (WAEC, 2014). It is not uncommon that students allegedly look for crooked means of passing their examinations. What we often hear of this day is “miracle centres” where parents even encourage their children to be enrolled because they want them to pass. 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 have threatened the very foundation of our educational system. This may not be unconnected with the quality of teachers we have in the educational system. This has an adverse effect on the quality of instruction because no educational system can rise above the quality of its teachers (Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), 2004).

The quality of education of any nation determines the development status of that particular nation. The most important person in a school setting is the teacher and he is the pivot of the education process. The teacher is the most important person 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 part of 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 quality teachers. Uche (2012) in a study indicated that the students rated the quality of the academic staff high, especially in terms of professional competence, but rated their supervision low.

In view of the above, and in order to improve teacher quality, it is necessary that efforts are made to provide adequate and functional educational services for teachers. These services should include the provision of e-library services, distance learning programmes, in-service training, teachers’ resource centres services and the promotion of Information, insure that teachers are always available to teach and Communication Technology (ICT). These services tend to facilitate the implementation of the educational policy, the attainment of policy goals and the promotion of effectiveness of the educational system.

Taking a critical look at the secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District, the non- availability of these services has adversely affected the quality of teachers in the schools. The researchers observed that majority of the teachers were not computer-literate and they were not even in the habit of accessing the internet for new ideas about the subject they teach but rather they continue to use and repeat the same learning materials for their students, year in, year out. The researchers had observed that many are unable to develop themselves academically but continue to quote outdated principles of teaching and use archaic or obsolete methodologies for their poor and frustrated students. The staffing position in many secondary schools has been of great concern to many researchers and other educational stakeholders. The teaching personnel in Nigeria’s secondary schools are not only inadequate but also professionally-unqualified as observed by the researchers. This may be very similar to what is obtainable in secondary schools in other parts of Edo State. However, this work was limit to teacher quality.

Many graduates and school leavers in Nigeria are without jobs and there is the assertion among the public and employers of labour that many Nigerian graduates are unemployable and those employed are inefficient. These are pointers to problems in quality and this raises the question of whether quality instruction is given to students. Also, one wonders if the stakeholders in education are doing what is expected of them. Jacob and Lefgren (2008) examined how differences in teacher quality affected students’ achievement in a midsized school district. It was found that teacher quality is a sine qua none to students’ academic performance in schools.

It has been rumoured among a large number of people that teachers in public secondary schools are more academically qualified than teachers in the private schools. Meanwhile, parents continue to take their children or wards to the private schools for those who can afford the tuition. The reason often adduced is that the quality of teaching in the private schools are better than those in public schools and also that the academic performance of students in private schools is better than that of their counterparts in public secondary schools. One would reason therefore that if teachers in public secondary schools are perceived to be of higher quality, why it is not being reflected in the academic performance of their students? This is a major gap this study was to cover. It was also imperative therefore to find out the level of teacher quality in public and private secondary schools. It was equally important to determine the level of quality of teachers in urban and rural secondary schools.

However, it is the belief among many people that teachers in private secondary schools irrespective of their qualifications tend to be more dedicated to duties in terms of lesson delivery and commitment to goal actualization. Parents have preference for private secondary schools for their children because of some factors such as teacher commitment and dedication to duty, availability of staff, facilities, class size, curriculum practices, stability of academic calendar, disciplinary concerns and overall output. It was in the light of the above that that the need to examine the various ways by which secondary school teachers can be kept abreast of time and thus improve their quality and students’ academic performance become imperative.

1.2                                                     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Research studies have shown that many secondary school products in Nigeria are poor in reading, writing, computational and vocational skills (Uzoka cited in Oviawe, 2016). Many of them also perform woefully in various examinations. The parameter commonly used in determining school effectiveness is students’ results in standardized tests especially in external examinations (Ijaiya, 2008). In the result released by WAEC for the 2014 May/June Senior Secondary School Examination, only 31.28% (529,425) candidates out of 1,692,435 candidates who sat for the examination had credits in five subjects and above including Mathematics and English Language as against 38.81% and 36.57% in 2012 and 2013 May/June examinations respectively. Though the result of May/June 2017 had recorded increase in the pass rate with 923,486 candidates representing 59.22% of a total of 1,471,151 candidates who sat for the examination scoring a minimum of five credits including Mathematics and English Language as against 52.97% in 2016, there is a lot more to be done therefore to encourage pass rate in schools.

Since one of the purposes of education is the acquisition of knowledge and skills, students’ performance after graduation can be seen as a reflection of their performance in school. This also borders on the quality and availability of human and material resources which are available during their schooling. For many years, educators and researchers have debated on which of the school variables that influence students’ achievement (Asikhia, 2010; Ayodele & Ige, 2012). As policy-makers become more involved in school reform, greater attention is given to the role teachers’ quality and availability play on students’ achievement.

There has also been an outcry from stakeholders in the educational sector such as union bodies (Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologist (NAAT) etc), parents and concerned individuals about the poor provision of facilities for providing essential services for teaching and learning as well as their effective utilization. The genuineness of this outcry is depicted by the deteriorating poor performance of students in examination as earlier mentioned.

Although several attempts have been made at improving teacher quality, availability and teaching facilities, these efforts have not been proportionately reflected in students’ overall performance. Therefore, there is the need for teachers to acquire enough skills to make them relevant technologically. Although many variables account for students’ academic performance such as adequacy of educational resources (both human and material) and their effective utilization, conducive learning environment, this study was concerned mainly to investigating the extent to which teachers’ quality and availability determine students’ academic performance in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria.

1.3                                          AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The major objective of this study is to examine the influence of teachers’ availability and quality on the academic performance of public secondary schools’ pupils. Hence specifically, the objectives of the study are;

• • To establish whether there is a relationship between teachers’ qualifications and students’ academic performance in the sampled public secondary schools

• • To establish whether there is a relationship between teachers’ years of experience and students’ academic performance in the sampled public secondary schools

• • To establish whether there is a relationship between teacher – students ratio and students’ academic performance in the sampled public secondary schools

• • To establish whether there is a relationship between teachers’ availability and students’ academic performance in the sampled public secondary schools.

1.4                                                        RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions were raised to guide this study.

1. 1. What is the level of teachers’ quality in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District of Nigeria?

1. 1. What is the level of students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District, Nigeria?

1. 1. Is there any influence of teachers’ quality and availability on students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District?

1. 1. Does academic qualification of teachers influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District?

1.5                                                       RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance:

1. 1. Teachers’ availability and quality does not significantly influence students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District.

1. 1. Academic qualification of teachers does not significantly influence students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Edo South Senatorial District.

1.6                              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work examines the effect of availability and quality of teachers on academic performance of pupils. However, the effective use of the available and qualify in primary schools covers all development of pupils.

Hence, qualitative analyses of this research work will provide more detailed explanation and insight into the effect of availability and quality of teachers on academic performance which needed when establishing guidelines for future implementation especially the primary schools.

Furthermore, this research will encourage the public secondary schools teachers to adequately utilize the available quality to know its effect on the academic performance of their pupils.

Therefore, it is hoped that the results of this study will be helpful in providing useful information for the preparation of pre-service teachers for teaching practice exercise; To serve as a basis for comprehensive investigation to redress problems in the implementing the new secondary school syllabi.

Finally, the research works will be an eye-opener to the various challenges face by the public school teachers in adequately utilizing the available quality in them.

1.7                                                      SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work significantly covers the availability and use of qualify teachers in public secondary schools.

Therefore, the research work covers only the public secondary school teachers randomly selected based on their demographic information.

1.8                                          OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Teaching: Is the process of facilitating pupils learning through a proper management by the teacher, pupils interest, content of learning, method and materials intend to use in teaching and learning process.

Teacher: this is professional personnel that involve in teaching process

Availability: refer to having instructional material at hand, which has an impact on the use of the instructional materials. This is important because for the instructional materials to be used they must be readily available.

Utilization: this is to make use of or turn to practical use i.e instructional material