The Influence of Teachers Qualification on Students Performance in Mathematics in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.
The purpose of this research is to
- Find out if mathematics teachers inculcate only in the students the skills of imagination, appreciation and order which accompany mathematics
- Investigate if mathematics is introduced to the students in an interesting method to help them see the subject as a language of investigating the nature of things we deal with in science, technology and engineering. to make what we study in mathematics real to life
- If the skills introduced in number one and two above are not introduced to the students, to find out reason for the non-introduction.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
A quality teacher is one who has a positive effect on student learning and development through a combination of content mastery, command of a broad set of pedagogic skills, and communications/interpersonal skills. Quality teachers are life-long learners in their subject areas, teach with commitment, and are reflective upon their teaching practice. They transfer knowledge of their subject matter and the learning process through good communication, diagnostic skills, understanding of different learning styles and cultural influences, knowledge about child development, and the ability to marshal a broad array of techniques to meet student needs. They set high expectations and support students in achieving them. They establish an environment conducive to learning, and leverage available resources outside as well as inside the classroom. This study was guided by Education Production Function theory (EPF) which connects teacher characteristics to students’ achievement. This theory is also called input-output theory. Teachers have been recognized as indispensable factor and the most important element in the cause of transmission of knowledge and academic success. Concepts and attributes used to indicate teacher quality are complex and lack consensus definition. Some literature has teacher quality indicators as not only knowledge and skills, but also personal qualities like attitudes, organizational skills, teaching skills, guiding and supporting, communication skills, and so on. Several studies have it that quality indicators like teachers’ subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, teachers’ qualification have strong positive effect on achievement while others observed contrary to that. Some researchers claimed that teachers’ knowledge of her students has the highest correlation to their achievement, while others maintained that teachers’ teaching experience has the highest correlate. Generally, effective classroom management was observed to have strong positive correlate to students’ interest as well as their achievement.
Teacher’s experience and achievement
Scholars including Darling-Hammond (1999), and Obanya (2003) asserted that the quality of an educational system depends on the quality of the teachers. Ferguson (1992) and Wenglinsky (1992) in different studies found that the single factor affecting academic growth of students is differences in effectiveness of individual classroom teachers. Certain studies on performance suggest that three consecutive years of quality teachers can help overcome the average achievement gap between children from low income and children from higher income families (Hanushek, 2005, Boyd 2008). Clearly, the context of teaching is important and may affect the impact of teacher attributes. It is argued that prospective and experienced teachers’ knowledge and beliefs serve as a filter through which their teaching takes place (Borko and Putnam 1996). However, a study conducted by Martins, Mullis, Gregory, Hoyle and Shen (2000) showed that in a situation where experienced teachers are not promoted out of the classroom into management positions, level of experience has a significant influence on teaching effectiveness of the teachers and their students’ achievement. Aiken (1991), in his study found that teaching experience of teachers is significantly related to their teaching effectiveness and their students’ achievement. The findings of Martins et al (2000) showed a strong positive relationship between teacher experience and students’ outcomes. Murname (1996) opined that the typical teaching- learning curve peaks in a teacher’s first few years. Other studies have shown that new teachers have incomplete or superficial pedagogical content knowledge (Ornstein et al 2000, Feiman-Nemser and Parker 1990). A novice teacher tends to rely on unmodified subject matter knowledge, most often directly extracted from the curriculum and may not have a coherent framework or perspective from which to present the information. Novice also tends to make broad-pedagogical decisions without accessing students’ prior knowledge ability levels or learning strategies. If beginning teachers are to be successful, they must wrestle simultaneously with issues of pedagogical content knowledge as well as general pedagogy or generic teaching principles (Grossman 1990 as cited in Ornsten et al 2000). Similarly, pre-service teachers have shown to find it difficult to articulate the relationship between pedagogical ideas and subject matter concepts (Gess-Newsome and Lederman 1993). Wilson (1992) documents that more experienced teachers have a better “overarching” view of the content field and on which to base teaching decisions.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine the influence of teachers qualification on Students Performance in Mathematics In Kwande Local Government Area Of Benue State. Selected secondary schools Kwande Local Government Area Of Benue State forms the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the Influence Of Teachers Qualification On Students Performance In Mathematics In Kwande Local Government Area Of Benue State. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of Teachers Qualification On Students Performance in Mathematics
Summary
This study was on the Influence of Teachers Qualification On Students Performance in Mathematics in Kwande Local Government Area Of Benue State. Three objectives were raised which included; Find out if mathematics teachers inculcate only in the students the skills of imagination, appreciation and order which accompany mathematics, Investigate if mathematics is introduced to the students in an interesting method to help them see the subject as a language of investigating the nature of things we deal with in science, technology and engineering to make what we study in mathematics real to life and if the skills introduced in number one and two above are not introduced to the students, to find out reason for the non-introduction. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected secondary school in Kwande Local Government Area Of Benue State. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The study vividly showed that professional qualification of teachers is the major variables affecting students’ performance in mathematics among the secondary school in Kwande Local Government Area Of Benue State.
Recommendation
Teachers with NCE should strive to improve their knowledge in Mathematics by acquiring additional qualification through in-service training or part-time or sandwich degree programme in the Universities around their place of working. Graduate teachers without teaching qualification should endeavour to proceed on PGDE or PDE programme to enhance their teaching method in Mathematics at Secondary Schools level.
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