ABSTRACT
The study focus
on the effects of teachers’ qualification on student’s achievement in Junior Secondary
School in Enugu North LGA. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of
teachers’ qualification on student’s achievement in Junior Secondary School in
Enugu North LGA. The population of the study consists of 4000 student, the researcher adopted the
Yamane Yaro formula for finite population (Yamane, 1973). Descriptive survey
research was used for the study. Questionnaires were distributed, analyzed and
presented in tables using simple percentage. It was recommended that Secondary
schools should only engage qualified teachers to teach students in school.
Schools should employ highly experienced teachers in the teaching of social
studies in school. Adequate monitoring and supervisory activities shall be
mounted to go round all schools when in session. Education administrators
should organize seminars and workshops to update secondary school teachers on
the need for qualification and experience in teaching.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0
In this chapter, background of the
study, statement of problem, purpose of the study, significance of the study,
research questions, scope of the study were discussed.
1.1
Background of the study
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary defines ‘qualification’ as a special skill or type of experience or
knowledge that makes someone suitable to do a particular job or activity.
Hence, teachers’ qualification skill or type of experience or knowledge he/she
possess to make him or her suitable to teach. Teachers’ qualification could,
therefore, mean all the skills a teacher requires to teach effectively. Such
skills include formal education, experience, subject matter knowledge, pedagogy
studies, duration of training. Certificate/licensing and profession development
(Adeyemo, 2005).
Someone
might have a teaching certificate at hand but without adequate knowledge of
subject matter. This individual has no teaching qualification yet. Similarly,
someone without proper knowledge of pedagogy or someone who spent few years in
training Olaleye, (2011) without completing the required years does not possess
teaching qualifications. Professional development and experience (Akinsolu,
2010) also count for teachers’ qualification because several studies have
revealed this (Adesoji, &Olatunbosun, 2008). Qualification is one of the
critical factors that drive sudents’ academic performance. Adu, &Olatundun,
(2007) observed that one of the most important factors in the teaching process
is the qualification of the teacher. The perspective of Adu, &Olatundun,
(2007) was that teachers’ qualification can go a long way to bring about
students’ higher academic achievement.
Teachers’
profession relates to competence in instruction and management of students and
materials in the classroom (Patrick, 2005). Teachers’ qualifications,
therefore, might not only be the certificate someone is holding as erroneously
conceived by some people. Teachers’ qualifications are more than just holding a
certificate of any institution. Findings form Olaleye, (2011) in her study on
“Teachers’ qualification and their impact on students’ achievement ties
teachers’ qualifications to seven indicators listed below:
Teachers’ formal education, Teacher’ education in the subject
matter of teaching (in-field preparation), Teacher education in pedagogical
studies, duration of the preparation period, certification and licensing status
and years of experience (Olaleye, 2011).
These indictors are central to preparation in professional
development activities because they act as a compass through which to navigate
this review (Akinsolu 2010). Therefore, each of them will separately discussed
in detail for proper understanding of what qualification are.
With the increased
demands for accountability, in line with performance standard and with the
growing demand for evidence-based policymaking, students, achievement is
considered an accurate measure of teacher effectiveness and has become basis
for value-added teacher assessment systems (Sanders, 2000; McCaffrey, Lockwood,
Koretz, Louis, & Hamilton, 2004; Sandaers& Rivers, 2006).
These
notions have also found favour in regard to the effectiveness of teacher
education systems. After tracing the development and reform of teacher
education in terms of the major questions shaping this field of education
Cochran-Smith (2011) argues that “the outcome” question is what currently
motivates teacher education research and policymaking. She sets down three ways
in which the outcomes of teacher education are constructed. One of them,
long-term impact outcomes, refers to the relationships between teacher
qualification and student learning. Teachers’ qualification encompass teachers’
scores on tests and examinations, their years of experience, the extent of
their preparation in subject matter and in pedagogy, what qualifications they
hold in their area of expertise, and their ongoing professional development.
Student learning is taken simply as the gain scores students attain on
achievement tests. Cochran-Smith (2011) went on to posit the relationship
between teacher qualification and student learning as the percentage of
variance in student scores accounted for by teacher qualifications when other
variables are held constant or adjusted.
In
many countries, teacher qualifications that are considered to be related to
student learning have become targets of education reform. However, the nature
of this reform is under debate. Some perceive the main problem to be the low
academic and cognitive level of those who go into the teaching profession and
call for policies aimed at attracting more capable candidates through shorter,
less regulated alternative routes (Ballou&Podgursky 2010; Goldhaber&
Brewer, 2010; United States Department of Education, 2012). Others view the
problem mainly as he result of inadequate teacher preparation and call for the
“professionalization” of teacher education by making it longer, upgrading it to
graduate programs, and regulating it through mechanisms of licensure,
certifications, and promotion aligned with standards (Darling-Hammond, 2010;
Darling-Hammond, Berry, &Thorenson, 2011; Darling Hammond, Chung,
&Frelow, 2012; National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, 2006).
The impact of these different approaches on student learning
have been explored in several meta-analytic studies based mainly on United
States data but also drawing from the databases of other countries. In Israel
too, teacher qualifications have become the target of several recent reforms,
such as those announced by different teacher unions (2004), the National Task
Force for the Advancement of Education (Dovrat Committee, 2005), Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2005 and the Committee of the
Commission for Higher Education (Ariav, Olshtain, Alon, Back, Grienfeld,
&Libman, 2006). The reforms suggested thus far envision improving the
candidate selection process, upgrading the disciplinary preparation of
teachers, opening advanced degree Master of Education (M.Ed) or Master of
Teaching (M.Teach) programs, and providing opportunities for professional
development. (Greenwald, Hedges, &Laine, 2006); Harris & Sass, 2007;
Darling-Hammond, 2010; Ferrini-Mundy, 2011; Wilson, Darling-Hammond,
&Berry, 2011; Santiago, 2012; Wyne&Youngs, 2013; Wilson, Floden 2013)
other relevant studies have drawn more on local sources of data and have been
targeted at specific (country-based) policies.
Given the relatively few studies conducted in Isreal on the
impact of these recommended policies on student learning, and because of the
conflicting results obtained from the many studies conducted elsewhere, the
study documented in this article attempted to validate some of the assumptions
at the basis of the suggested policies. More specifically, the study
re-examined the extent to which advanced academic degrees, majoring in the
field of teaching, years of teaching experience, and intensive participation in
professional development activities all assumed to be cardinal teacher
qualifications are indeed positively associated with students achievement in
mathematics and science.
Ali (2009) observes that there are statistically
relationship between teacher characteristics and student academic achievement.
Adeyemo (2005) notes that teacher characteristics influenced teaching and
learning in classrooms. Olaleye (2011) establishes that there was relationship
between teachers characteristics and pupils performance.
Gravestock&Gregor-Greenleaf (2008) states that the explanations for good or
poor students’ 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
personality.
Akinsolu (2010) asserts that availability of qualified
teachers determined the performance of students in schools. Coonen (2007)
emphasizes that teachers involved in in-service training were more effective in
classrooms are compared to teachers who had not undergone training. Wirth &
Perkins (2013) indicate the teacher’s attitude contributed significantly to
student attention in classrooms whereas Adesoji&Olatunbosun (2008)
illustrate that student attitude was related to teacher personality,
Adu&Olatundun (2007) contend that teachers’ characteristics are strong
determinants on 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 education achievement than other variables (Patrick, 2005). The
important role of the teachers in the learning is inestimable. 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 his teaching. There has been no consensus on
the important 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’
achievement.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Poor achievement of students in their
Junior School Certificate Examination. The Nigeria over the years have been
blamed on teachers qualifications and their inexperience in pedagogy prowess
source?
Studies have shown that
teacher’s own knowledge of the content and ability to adequately deliver the
instrument to the students has effect on students’ achievement. However, there
has been no consensus on the important of specific teacher factors attributable
to poor achievement of students leading to the common conclusion that the
existing empirical evidence does not find a strong role for teachers in the
determination of academic achievement. The teacher characteristics that are
found to be dominant over cross-country studies are related to qualification,
experience, attitude and personality. Similar study has not seen carried out in
Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. Hence, the impart of
this study is to investigate the correlation between teacher qualifications and
students’ achievement in Junior Secondary Schools in Enugu North Local
Government Area of Enugu State.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main aim of the study is to
investigate the effects of teachers’ qualification on student’s achievement in
Junior Secondary School in Enugu North LGA. Specifically, the study intends to:
1. Compare
the mean scores of students taught by teachers with high qualification and
those taught by teachers with low qualification.
2. Determine
the mean achievement scores of students taught by teachers with long time
experience and short time experience.
1.4 Research Question
1. What
are the mean achievement scores of students taught by teachers with high
qualification and those taught by teachers with low qualification?
2. How
does the mean achievement scores of students taught by teachers with long time
experience compare with those taught by teachers with short time experience.
1.5 Hypotheses
The following null
hypotheses guided the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance
Ho1 :The
mean achievement scores of students taught by teachers with higher
qualification would not differ from those taught by teachers with low
qualification
Ho2 :There
is no significance difference in the mean achievement scores of students taught
by teachers with long time experience and short time experience respectively
1.6 Significance of the Study
Theoretically,
the findings from this study will help to open windows to the understanding of
the theory of learning or psychology of learning.
Empirically,
the findings from this study will be of immense benefit to teachers, students,
both Federal and State Ministries of Education and Educational Institutions.
Teacher,
Students Federal and States Ministries of Education and educational instruction
from Primary – Tertiary Institution.
1.7 Scope of the study
This study is concerned with investigating teachers’
qualification and students’ achievement in junior secondary schools achievement
in social studies. There is the need to verify which if qualified teachers’ helps
more in teaching and learning of social studies in junior secondary schools.
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