ABSTRACT: This study examined the Influence of Teachers’ Effectiveness on Students’ Academic Performance in Biology. In order to carry out the study, Research hypotheses were formulated. The area of the study was Ukanafun Local Government Area. The survey design was used in the study. The population of the study was all senior secondary two (SS2) students in the area. the sample size of sixty (60) students randomly selected from six secondary schools, ten (10) from each of the six schools was used for the study. The instruments for data collection were Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and teachers’ questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using independent t-test statistics.
Influence of Teachers’ Effectiveness on Students’ Academic Performance in Biology
The result revealed that the performance of students in Biology taught in the conducive classroom atmosphere created by the teacher was greater than those in unconducive classroom atmosphere. Again, students taught by teachers with adequate subject matter knowledge out-performed their counterparts taught by teachers with inadequate knowledge of the subject matter. It was recommended that government should provide awareness through seminars, workshops and conferences for teachers to help them improve and update their instructional approaches.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The quality of education at any level depends largely on the qualification, commitment, and effectiveness of the teachers. Thus, the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) states that “no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers”. Teacher’s effectiveness is a matter of the degree to which teachers achieve desired effects upon the students. Ukeje (2004) opines that the performance of the students in schools positively correlated with successful and effective teaching. Determining effective teaching has been a problem for educational researchers. Thompson (1973) describes teaching as “involving the consideration of the nature of the child, the goals to be achieved and finally the methods and materials required to attain the goals”. Teaching involves developing a policy, and putting that policy into practice, students expect teachers to teach.
They value clear exposition, lucid statement of the problems and guidance in their solution. Besides, teacher’s effectiveness is assessed in terms of knowledge of subject matter, favourable attitude towards teaching, effective classroom management, and effective classroom communication effective use of instructional materials and adequate knowledge of teaching methodologies (Adeyemi, 1999).
As one of the key inputs or hub of the instructional system (Ukeje, 2004) opines that teacher exert enormous influence on students’ learning. Considering this point, it is observed that the level of performance in any school is intimately related to the quality of its teachers, while the quality of any school system is a function of the aggregate quality of the teacher who operates it. On the other hand, inexperienced and ineffective teacher who fumble as they teach tend to frustrate and discourage students. As such, effective teaching is likely to be absent if it cannot be situated within a philosophy of meaning purpose and achievement (Berry, 2002). It was against this background that the study seeks to find whether teacher’s adequate knowledge of the subject matter and effective classroom management have effect on students’ academic performance in Biology.
Influence of Teachers’ Effectiveness on Students’ Academic Performance in Biology
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to all and sundry. The problem is so much that it has led to the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria in general. Overtime, students’ academic performance in both internal and external examinations had been used to determine excellence in teachers and teaching. Little is done to find out what teachers do in the classroom and their role effects in students’ academic performance. The backdrop has also been noted in Biology students’ performance in various examinations. The question therefore arises at this point. “What is the cause of students’ poor performance in Biology and science related courses, could it be as a result of ineffective teaching by teachers?”
