1.1 Introduction
Teachers' effectiveness has been theorized as important to students performance (Darling Hammond, 2010), According to Darling Hammond effective teachers have improved subject matters knowledge, are capable of designing and deliver instruction, can better manage and evaluate classrooms and can better support student learning. Other scholar such as Clotfelter et al., (2007) suggested that effective teacher use new teaching strategies pay more attention to student learning and use assessment to change their practice. These scholars insist in order teacher to be effective on students' performance is supposed to use modern teaching and learning methods like in Nigeria system of education now days insist the use of competent base curriculum which is being implemented in primary schools.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Nigeria secondary schools lack dedicated and qualified economic teachers, especially since 1989 when secondary school student population started to increase astronomically in many states of the federation. It should be noted that no educational system could rise above the effectiveness of its teacher and for any society to change the citizens must be dedicated.
Teachers have been shown to have an important influence on students’ academic achievement and they also play a crucial role in educational attainment because the teacher is ultimately responsible for translating policy into actions and principles based on practice during interaction with the student (Eze E.N. 2011). Both teaching and learning depends on teachers. No wonder an effective teacher has been conceptualized as one who produces desired results in the course of his duty as a teacher.
The issues of poor academic performance of student in Nigeria have been of much concern to all sundry. The problem is so much that it has led to the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education. Education has been described as the key that unlock the door to modernization. Observation has shown that the story is different at the national level. Over time students academic performance in both external and internal examinations has been used to determine excellence in teachers and teaching (Taya, 2001).
This is so because education helps one to acquire knowledge and skill, which enables him to understand his problem and look for way of solving these problems. It is an ironic coincidence that while developed countries would love and cherish economics in their schools, the Nigerians in the secondary and tertiary institution are scared of the subject economics because of mathematics and statistics aspect of it. This hatred has also led to the poor performance in senior certificate examination.
The Ashby commission set out in 1959 observed that a well qualified teaching staff is the first important step to be considered in an attempt to train skilled manpower. The commission asserted that one out of every two teachers in Public Secondary Schools should be a graduate. The commission also recommended the introduction of Bachelor of Arts degree in Education B.A (Education) in all Nigerian Universities. It is a universal agreement that teachers are the main determinant of the quality of education one receives. The kind of teachers trained and posted to our secondary schools may well determine what the future generation will be.
Therefore, in Nigerian Public Secondary Schools where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to determine the Factors Affecting Teachers’ Effectiveness.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that teacher ineffectiveness may be caused by classroom environment such as lack of necessary teaching and learning materials and the number of pupils in one classroom. The widely expressed view in Nigeria that all that is required to be an effective teacher is the general qualification earned from a university also needs to be investigated. Maybe that is the reason why unqualified teachers are still employed in Nigeria schools.
Teachers should always be effective at all times, because any ineffective teacher will be useless to the teaching profession. Such inefficiency may not necessarily be caused by individual teacher characteristics such intellectual capacity, inadequate training, and resistance to modern pedagogical methods, or poor attitude about the teaching profession and a lack of dedication to professional duties (Hakielimu, 2008) but also from the students' characteristics such as family background, students' predisposition to learn.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to determine the Factors Affecting Teachers’ Competence in Delta State Public Senior Secondary Schools in Warri-South Local Government Area of Delta State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the factors that influence teachers competence in Public Secondary Schools;
- To find out the effect of teachers competence on students academic performance;
- To examine the challenges impeding teachers competence in Public Secondary Schools;
- To find out our effective secondary school teachers are in Warri-South Local Government Area.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Is there any effect of teacher's effectiveness on student's academic performance in Public Secondary Schools?
- What are the factors that influence teacher's effectiveness in Public Secondary Schools?
- What are the challenges impeding teachers competence in Public Secondary Schools?
- How effective secondary school teachers are in Warri-South Local Government Area?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant effect of teacher’s effectiveness on student in some selected Public Secondary Schools academic performance in the area under study
- H1: There is a significant effect of teacher’s effectiveness on student in some selected Public Secondary Schools academic performance in the area under study
1.7 Significance of Study
The research findings have revealed that, it is crucial that the role of teacher effectiveness in determine students' performance is one of the topics in field of education that have generated heated argument, the researcher is of the opinion, that results from research findings concerning teacher effectiveness, if appropriately articulated, could be used to initiate structure, to organize classroom atmosphere, to help to increase the students' skill level and to motivate students in their learning performance. Other significances are that, result from such findings, and could be desirable factors for the achievement of schools objectives of which students' educational achievement forms an important factor.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Factors Affecting Teachers’ Effectiveness using Some Nigerian Public Secondary Schools in Warri-South, Delta State as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Student Performance: According to Pendleton (2005), refers to the mastery of knowledge, skill and attitude which student is supposed to know as a result of instruction.
Factors: These are things that help to produce results, which could be positive or negative.
Educational Programmes: Entails all teaching-learning process going on within or outside the school supervision.
Motivation: Making teaching appealing and interesting to teachers’ by stimulating the active interest of the teachers.
In-service Training: Training going on or continuing while still in service.
Teacher-Student Ratio: This implies the total number of students in class to a teacher.
Teaching Experience: Is the knowledge, skill acquired or gained over the years as a result of teaching.
Effectiveness: According to the oxford advanced learner dictionary (2006:469). The term effectiveness refers to produce the result that is wanted or intended, producing successful result
Teacher Effectiveness: According to Weimer (2013:4) teacher effectiveness refers to the process of cultivating skills, stimulate interest in the subject, motivate student to learn, present material well, make subject interesting, helpful and knowledgeable, intellectual challenging, setting high standard and encourage self-initiated learning.
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