Teacher Quality and Work Environment as Determinants of Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The following are the objectives of this study
- To examine the teacher’s quality as determinant of secondary school students’ academic performance
- To determine the effect of work environment on secondary school students academic performance
- To identify factors that affect secondary school students’ academic performance
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter gives an insight into various studies conducted by outstanding researchers, as well as explained terminologies with regards to teacher quality and work environment as determinants of secondary school students academic performance. The chapter also gives a resume of the history and present status of the problem delineated by a concise review of previous studies into closely related problems.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The study was based on three (3) theories of effective teaching and learning. These are as follows:
- Effective Schools Theory.
- Behaviorist Theory.
- Cognitive Theory.
Effective Schools Theory
The study was mainly based on the Effective Schools Model by Lezotte (2010). According to this model, an effective school is a school that can, in measured student achievement terms, demonstrates the joint presence of quality and equity. According to Lezotte (2010), there are seven correlates of effective schools – strong instructional leadership, clear and focused mission, safe and orderly schools, climate of high expectations for success, frequent monitoring of student progress, positive home-school relations, and opportunity to learn/time on task. According to Lezotte (2010), strong instructional leaders are proactive and seek help in building team leadership and a culture conducive to learning and professional growth. In the effective school, the principal and others act as instructional leaders and effectively and persistently communicate and model the mission of the school to staff, parents, and students.
Having a clear and focused vision and mission means everyone knows where they are going and why. A clear focus assists in aligning programs and activities for school improvement. To effectively determine a specific focus, school leadership and stakeholders use a collaborative process to target a few school goals and then build consensus around them. A safe and orderly school is defined as a school climate and culture characterized by reasonable expectations for behaviour, consistent and fair application of rules and regulations, and caring, responsive relationships among adults and students (Lezotte, 2010). Classrooms are warm and inviting, and learning activities are purposeful, engaging, and significant. Personalized learning environments are created to increase positive relationships among students and between students and their teachers. Students feel that they belong in the school community, and children are valued and honoured; their heritage and backgrounds are viewed as “assets,” not deficiencies.
In a climate of high expectations, the mantra “all students can learn” must be followed by instructional practices and teacher behaviour that demonstrate that teachers believe in the students, believe in their own efficacy to teach students to high standards, and will persist in teaching them. Teaching advanced skills and teaching for understanding together with basic skills are required for all students to achieve at high levels.
Frequent monitoring of teaching and learning requires paying attention both to student learning results and to the effectiveness of school and classroom procedures (Lezotte, 2010). Learning is monitored by tracking a variety of assessment results such as test scores, student developed products, performances, and other evidence of learning. Teaching is monitored by teachers themselves through self-reflection and by supervisors for program and teacher evaluation. Assessment results are used for planning instruction for individual students as well as for school-wide decision making and planning. Classroom and school practices are modified based on the data.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes methods and procedures used in conducting this research work. The description of the procedure is done under the following headings:
RESEARCH DESIGN
The surveys research method was used for this study. This was considered appropriate because survey design generally can be used to effectively investigate problems in realistic settings. The survey technique will also allow the researcher to examine several variables and use multi-variate statistics to analyze data.
AREA OF THE STUDY
The study was conducted in AkwaIbom State, Nigeria. Akwaibom is the most beautiful cities in Nigeria. The population of AkwaIbom State, according to the AkwaIbom State Government is 9.5 million, a number disputed by the Nigerian Government and judged unreliable by the National Population Commission of Nigeria. The study was carried out Champion Breweries plcUyoAkwaIbom State.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
The population consists of the entire staff of Champion Secondary school UyoAkwaIbom State. With a staff strength of 100 employees (personnel dept, 2015).
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
This chapter is devoted to the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data gathered in the course of this study. The data are based on the number of copies of the questionnaire completed and returned by the respondents. The data are presented in tables and the analysis is done using t-Test. The Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation co-efficient was used in the validation of hypotheses.
CHAPTER FIVE
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
The objectives of this study were:
- To examine the teacher’s quality as determinants of secondary school students academic performance
- To determine the effect of work environment on secondary school students academic performance
- To identify factors that affect secondary school students academic performance
Findings from the study revealed the following:
- That there is a significant relationship between the qualification of teachers and secondary school students’ academic performance.
- The performance of secondary school students is a direct consequence of the level of qualification of teachers.
- Working environment of teachers has an effect on secondary school students’ academic performance.
- There is a high impact of the qualification of teachers on the academic performance of secondary school students.
- Better working environment improves both teachers and secondary school students’ academic performance.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the findings from the study, the following recommendations are made:
- Trainings and retraining of teachers should be a priority as the quality of teachers directly influences the quality of students in secondary schools.
- Teachers should be constantly tested to determine their level of qualification; this would help to improve the academic performance of secondary school students.
- For teachers to give their best, they have to be provided with better working conditions help bring out the best in them.
REFERENCES
- Ajao, A. (2001). Teachers effectiveness on students’ academic performance. Journal of Education and Practice 5 (22).
- Akinsolu, A. O (2005). Resource utilization and internal efficiency of public secondary schools in Osun State, Nigeria. Unpublished PhD dissertation. Department of Educational Management, University of Ilorin.
- Farombi, J.G. (1998). Resource concentration, utilization and management as correlates of students’ learning outcomes: a study in School Quality in Oyo State. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, university of Ibadan.
- Farrant,J. S. (1991). Principles and practice of education (Tenth Impression Singapore: Longman.
- Patrick, B. (2005). Why children must not be Compared In Education Sight for Quality Information Magazine, Kenya
