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
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.
Teachers’ performance can be said to be the ability of the teacher to effectively and efficiently carry out the following duties:
- Adequate preparations for lesson
- Teach the number of periods allocated on the timetable, regularly and punctually;
- Keep the teaching records;
- Sees to the cleanliness of the classrooms and its environment;
- Maintains discipline among his students in and outside the class.
- Check and mark notes given to the students regularly.
- Sets, marks, records, class assignments, tests and examination scripts promptly.
- Properly invigilate both internal and external examinations.
- Attends staff, P.T.A. and other meetings regularly, punctually and partakes actively in them.
- Marks the attendance register daily and takes note of the absentees.
- Sees to the welfare of every student in the class.
- Prepares the continuous assessment booklet and the class master’ sheet.
- Carries out other assignments given to him by the school authority.
High teacher-student ratio, inadequate facilities, equipment and materials could affect teachers’ effectiveness, and also could reduce the performance level expected of an average learner. Thus, the students will directly feel the inconveniences experienced by the teachers. In a situation of unconducive school climate, teachers may find it difficult to function effectively. The school climate entails the sum total of the values and attitudes held by those in the school. These include the interpersonal relationships existing between the principal and teachers, between the teachers − students and other people within the environment as well as everything the school reflects.
Furthermore, the truancy of many students nowadays, may influence teachers’ effectiveness. Many students taking advantage of the fact that most schools are overpopulated and that absentees are seldom noticed, disappear from school during the mid-day. Yet, others who were intentionally absent come-up with varying excuses the next day. In addition, some students deliberately miss continuous assessment test, leave their homework undone or refused to attend lesson, even when present in school, but prefer moving from one class to another or stay in some corners in the school.
Teachers’ experience is another teacher quality variable that may also influence student-learning and is indirectly related to issues of certification. A teacher with long years in teaching would draw home his point with various examples drawn from his wealth of experience and this makes the students to understand him better. In other words, a teacher could be motivated through his experience to achieve a high level of teaching competence. He is able to achieve the educational goal by using appropriate teaching method and contexts.
Therefore, in Nigerian Public Secondary Schools where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to determine the Factors Influencing Teachers’ Effectiveness Questionnaire (FITEQ).
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 Influencing Teachers’ Effectiveness Questionnaire (FITEQ) in Nigerian Public Secondary. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the factors that influence teachers effectiveness in Public Secondary Schools;
- To find out the effect of teachers effectiveness on students academic performance;
- To examine the challenges impeding teachers effectiveness 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:
- Do the factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness vary by gender?
- Do the factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness vary by age of principal?
- 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 effectiveness 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 difference between factors influencing male teachers and female teachers’ effectiveness in public schools.
- H1: There is a significant difference between factors influencing male teachers and female teachers’ effectiveness in public schools.
Hypothesis Two
- H0: There is no significant difference in factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness in large and small schools.
- H1: There is a significant difference in factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness in large and small schools.
Hypothesis Three
- H0: There is no significant difference in the factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness in age of the principal.
- H1: There is a significant difference in the factors influencing teachers’ effectiveness in age of the principal.
1.7 Significance of Study
Educational policy makers like the Delta State Ministry of Education, Teaching Service Board (TSB), Post Primary Education Board (PPEB) of Delta State, School Administrators, Teachers, Parents, Philanthropic Organization and the students as well, will benefit from the findings of this study. This is because the various problems that prevent teachers from performing their duties effectively will be exposed.
Moreover, appropriate recommendations will consequently lead to positive results in terms of the output of our schools with regards to quality of students produced. Thus, the standard of education will be improved. This will create an egalitarian society, economic growth and national development, which is the objective of the National Policy on Education.
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 Influencing Teachers’ Effectiveness Questionnaire (FITEQ) 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
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.
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.
