Teachers’ Characteristics And Academic Performance Of Students In Government
Abstract: This research study was carried out to investigate teachers’ characteristics and academic performance in secondary school in Government. This study was conducted in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Three research questions and hypothesis were posed to guide the study. A survey research design was adopted for the study, a sample of 180 students were randomly selected from three secondary schools for the study. The selection was done through the simple random sampling technique. The instrument used in collecting the needed data was Government Achievement Test (GAT). The result of the analysis revealed that, teacher’s characteristics significantly influences academic performance in Government. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that parents and teachers should monitor their children against delinquent behaviour, as this will enhance their academic performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
It is pertinent fact that government has played a very significant role in man’s civilization. It is the invaluable contributions of social studies to our nation that engendered our educationalist and government to make provisions in the National policy on Education for bringing government in the curriculum of the senior secondary school as core subjects. Myriads of factors have been known to influence the academic achievement of students in their various school endeavours. These factors can either be personal (poor self-concept, motive, readiness, emotion, attitude, maturational level of the student) or environmental. studies have identified allied factors such as students’ individual differences (personal causal factors), teaching-learning strategy (system causal factors), family causal factors and the teacher (academic causal factors) to interfere with the performance level of students. This research work focused mostly on the personal causal factors (i.e the teachers characteristics). These refers to a collection of emotional, though and behavioural patterns unique to a person that is consistent overtime. It can also include an individual’s thoughts, behaviour, feelings, emotions, attitudes, physique adjustment, unique learning history response patterns, habits and general poise (Denga, 2002).
A student’s attitude towards the study of social studies can affect his performance in the subject. Students exhibit a dislike for the subject due to the fact that it involves rigorous works which are carried out on the society. This dislike as shown by apathy towards various activities a then leads to low performance and subsequent failure. Motivation has been recognized as another pertinent factor that is related to student’ scholastic performance. According to Kuhman Sreber and Harold (2000) in Broussard (2002),high motivation and engagement in learning are associated with increased level of student’s success and low dropout rates. Studies show that a moderate amount of Anxiety aids in academic.
It is essential to know that for the achievement of the educational goal to be achieve, the teacher play a very important pact. According to Usen Ikpe (2005), the Nigerian teacher must wake up to the challenges ahead and keep abreast of modern friends. Teaching involves a behaviour which can be identified and acquired by teachers and profession teachers.
Teachers’ Characteristics And Academic Performance Of Students In Government
Teaching is a very important occupation in the advancement of any society as is seen as a process whereby a specialized skill is used to develop formal knowledge in the learners. Ekanem (2006) opined that teaching is the possibility of people to influence another through interactive experience. Nwafor (2001) earlier observed that teaching can only be said to occur when learning has taken place.
Many factor have contributed to students performance in government in government in Uruan Local Government Area. These include teachers characters. The professional qualities of teachers can enhance or work against students performance in schools. Nwafor (1991) stated that the personal characteristic of the is capable of impacting on the learner. These personal qualities include communication skill, personal appearance of the teacher, empathy, sense of humour, level of mastery of subject-matter, friendliness with learners as well as the teachers’ respect for the personality and views of the learners. This is corroborated by Usen Ikpe (2005) who added other characteristics such as poise, personality, emotional, stability, effective speech, sense of good judgment, tact, command of English language, professional commitment, and discipline etc.
The personal qualities of a teacher, according to park (1998) can either make or mar a child’s interest in a given subject in school. If this happens, there is no doubt that the performance of the child in school will decrease. It was in recognition of this fact that this study was embarked upon to find out the effect of teachers characteristics on students’ performance in government in secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area.
This study was conducted to assed the effect of teachers’ characteristics and effective teaching of government in secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area. The study took into consideration three teachers’ personal problems, the mastery of the subject matter and the communication skills of the teacher. 48 students were ran 200 students were randomly selected from 4 selected secondary schools in SS1 and SS3. A questionnaire was designed by the researcher to obtain responses from the students,
The result of the findings had if that 70.5% agreed the concern of teachers for the problems of students had an effect on performance of student in government. However, the finding also reveals that the communication skills of the teachers also affect students performance in government as well as the issue of the mastering of the subject matter by the teacher.
The study concluded that students perform better when the teacher put into bear his professional quality while teaching and recommended that the government should always organize seminars, workshop and conferences to keep the teachers’ update with the current events to have a high productively. The researcher also recommended that students should take their students serious and do away with pride so that they will have adequate knowledge of government.
Teachers’ Characteristics And Academic Performance Of Students In Government
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The number of students who offer government as a subject is on the decline and the there has also been a high rate of failure in the Now and WASCE in government in Uruan Local Government. This can be attributed to the bias against the subject. Others believe that if is not as important as mathematics and English language which the view as core subjects.
Another form of bias is on the communication skills and the mastery of the subject by the subject teachers. It is against this backdrop that this study on the teachers characteristics with effective teaching of Government and how these influence their performance in government.
1.3 Purpose of the study.
The main purpose of the study was to find out how teachers characteristics influence their teaching effectiveness of the subject government in Uruan Local Government Area.
The specific objectives of the study include.
- To examine the effect of teachers communication skills on students performance in government.
- To examine the effect of teachers mastery skills on students performance in government.
- To examine the extent of teachers concern for students problems and effect on students performance in government.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The finding of this research will help the teachers to know that they are the role- model and the formations of the students as their personal characteristics can help to build or destroy the students likeness for government as a subject.
The work will also help the government and curriculum planners to emphasized on the good qualities of teachers for the betterment of the students. The research material for future researchers.
Teachers’ Characteristics And Academic Performance Of Students In Government
