Abstract: The study investigated Classroom Management Techniques and Academic Performance in Economics among Secondary School Students. Three research questions and three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The population for the study comprised of 2984 senior secondary two (SS2) students in all secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area. The sample size was 200 SS2 students. A structured questionnaire titled “Classroom Management Technique and Academic Performance of Students Questionnaire (CMTAPSQ)” and Students’ Economics Achievement Score Sheet (SASASS) for collecting achievement scores of students in Economics were the main instruments for data collection. Data were analyzed using Mean, Standard deviation and independent test statistic.
Findings revealed that there is significant difference in academic performance in Economics between students taught using Laissez-faire classroom management technique and those taught with democratic classroom management technique; there is a significant difference in academic performance in Economics between students taught using Laissez-faire classroom management technique and those taught with Autocratic classroom management technique; and that there is a significant difference in academic performance between students taught using Democratic classroom management technique and those taught with Autocratic classroom management technique in Economics in secondary schools in Eket Local Government Area. Based on this it was recommended that teachers should adopt democratic classroom management technique which appears to enhance better academic performance.
Classroom Management Techniques and Academic Performance in Economics among Secondary School Students
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Classroom management technique is one of the most important aspects of a teacher’s daily responsibilities. It is also one of the areas in which teachers are given the most freedom to choose teaching techniques that will enhance learning. According to Okwori (2015), classroom management techniques include permissive authoritative and democratic techniques. Applying any of these management techniques depend on the situation the teacher finds himself. Moreover, classroom management technique according to Obi (2004) includes autocratic management technique, democratic management technique and laissez-faire management technique.
Autocratic management technique is the type that the manager (teacher) is self-centered. He is after the outcome, the teacher believes in himself mostly, decisions are made exclusively by the teacher who dictates what should be done while the students follow without complain. There are no consultations before taking decision concerning students. Okwori, (2015) also asserted that one can only tell that classroom management techniques are effective if they are applied in classroom situations and proven to be effective.
Management in the classroom has to be done in a systematic and orderly manner. It needs to be well handled by teachers (Ekanem, 2006). Classroom management techniques can be seen as a wide variety of skill that teachers use to keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task and academically productive during a class.
Finding by Ekanem (2006), asserts that learning cannot take place in a rowdy atmosphere it calls for a conducive and controlled environment as such the purpose of classroom management need not be over-emphasized. The purpose includes the following; to ensure that the national objectives of educating are achieved. Classroom is the power room in which the objective are dissected and coupled through different processes of teaching and learning; to encourage hard work. Student themselves can be appointed to assist the teacher as the teacher assign responsibilities to them, they are been trained as leaders to tomorrow.
However, in secondary schools, there several classroom management techniques which according to Omenka and Otor (2015) include the method of maintaining of discipline, motivational teaching methods, leadership styles, use of instructional materials and communication. The authors further explained that classroom discipline is a function of the interaction between teachers and students which bring about self control and respect for authority by students and to Omenka and Otor, classroom discipline can be achieved by setting of rules in the classroom that student should follow while teaching and learning process is going on.
For instance, disturbance during class will demand the students to answer certain question based on the lesson before he or she sat down. Another way of ensuring discipline is rearrangement of sitting, position among students. The authors concluded that discipline is a classroom management technique that teachers in secondary schools must adopt since some secondary schools student are in their period of adolescent which is characterized as a period of stress and storm.
The use of motivational teaching method such as the use of class activities which enhance participatory learning where the students are being engage during and after the lesson. This could also involve the use of class discussion. According to Akpan (2013), the use of motivational teaching method is a classroom management technique which stimulates students to take actions that will enhance their learning and that technique does not allow students to be lazy. Akpan added that the teacher can use reward learners in order to increase the probability of reporting the desired behaviour.
Peter (2012) posited that the use of motivation by teachers in classroom management enables the students to be eager to learn, willing to undertake learning activities and attend classroom regularly and punctually and that some student’s interest are aroused only by rewards while others are spurred by showing of demonstration stories and other relevant instructional materials.
Though some teachers set their own rules for the students to follow, it is good if the students are involved in making the rules and agreed upon by everybody in the class, everyone will feel guilty of his own action if he/she contravenes the rules. There must be consequences for breaking the rules which should also be agreed upon by the class. Democratic management technique is class-centered; it respects students’ opinion within the classroom. It is against this background that the researcher investigated the extent classroom management techniques affect academic performance in Economics among secondary school students in Eket Local Government Area.
Classroom Management Techniques and Academic Performance in Economics among Secondary School Students
1.2 Statement of the problem
The importance of appropriate classroom management techniques in the realization of objectives of education cannot be overemphasized. According to Okwori, (2015), the classroom management technique used in the classroom has a lot to do with students’ performance in the class. The technique of classroom management enables teacher to utilize resources, influence students’ actions and facilitates changes in their behavior in order to accomplish the instructional objectives.
Unfortunately the academic performance of students in external examinations has fallen below expectation of recent. This is highlighted by the WAEC May/June 2016 result where only 38.64% or 616, 370 students secured five credits and above out of 1,605,248 candidates that registered for the examination (Eguridu, 2016). It is poor performance of students that motivated the researcher to investigate if classroom management techniques do influence the academic performance of students in Economics among secondary school in Eket Local Government Area.
