Teachers’ instructional task performance and academic performance of students
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the Study
Instructional tasks are statutory curricula functions that are performed by the teachers to enable learners achieve the set educational goals in schools. This ultimately depends on the avowed commitment of principals and teachers to make judicious and adequate use of both human and material resources to ensure quality assurance in the teaching-learning process. Teacher quality is the ability of the teacher to demonstrate sound professional attributes like scholarship through adequate training and it is pivotal to successful teaching, students’ learning outcomes and attainment of quality education in secondary schools.
Teachers’ quality is manifested in their knowledge of the subject–matter, skills and competences in the teaching and learning processes, which leads to the accomplishment of the stated educational goals. This means that the real teacher must possess the qualities for effective teaching and pleasant learning within the school setting. He must know what he is to teach, how he is to teach, and whom he is to teach. The purpose is to deliver the curriculum efficiently, so as to achieve the set goals and standards in schools (Koleoso, 2002; Makinde & Alao, 1992).
Teachers’ instructional task performance and academic performance of students
The teacher’s role is crucial to effective and efficient learning, the teacher is expected to provide essential inputs like adequate planning of lesson notes, effective delivery of lessons, proper monitoring and evaluation of students’ performance, providing regular feed-back on students’ performance, improvisation of instructional materials, adequate keeping of records and appropriate discipline of students to produce and enhance expected learning achievement in secondary schools (Ayeni, 2010). The purpose of any teacher in the classroom is to help learners learn, inquire, solve problems, and cope with their own emotional needs and tensions.
The teacher promotes quality education from the domain of teaching and learning through creative idea, participation and cooperative learning, research, analysis and critical thinking, problem solving, innovation and encouragement of creative and divergent thinking. These lead to the proper development of knowledge, skills, attitude, values that enable students to function effectively and live as responsible citizens and also makes useful contribution to the society.
In order to ensure effective teaching and learning process, Withall (1975) opined that, teachers must create a psychologically non-threatening, non–inhibiting climate but at the same time a cognitively challenging situation to help the learners to predict the consequences of certain courses of action and to identify, if need be, alternative activities. This all adds up to the need for the teacher to constantly challenge the learners intellectually without undermining their sense of individuals’ worth or integrity. Aside the knowledge of lesson plans, record-keeping, use of audio-visual aids and standardized testing, it is also imperative for the teacher to possess a good measure of self-understanding, psychological awareness and insight so as to be able to demonstrate expert quality in the performance of instructional tasks (Bottery, 2008).
Teachers’ instructional task performance and academic performance of students
The quality of students’ learning outcomes is directly dependent on the quality of teachers as demonstrated in their knowledge of the subject matter and capacities to effectively carry out instructional tasks with the ultimate aim of facilitating the learning of diverse students and raises achievement for all learners to meet the specified standards and satisfaction of the larger society (Middlehurst & Gordon, 1995). The teachers’ quality and instructional task performance are germane to the achievement of any well-developed quality assurance system in secondary schools.
The teachers’ professional tasks and effectiveness indicators/traits highlighted by Ameen (2007), Bottery (2008), Koleoso (2002), Makinde and Alao (1992), Middlehurst and Gordon (1995), and Withall (1975) include:understanding of educational goals, continuous learning, professional competence, sound knowledge of the subject matter, proper planning of lessons, regular curriculum implementation, optimization of instructional resources, class management, assessment of students’ learning outcomes, expectations of success for all students, record-keeping, self-understanding and control, psychological insight and collegiality.
