TEACHERS ATTITUDE AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN GOVERNMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

TEACHERS ATTITUDE AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN GOVERNMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ABSTRACT

The study examined teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study consisted of five thousand seven hundred and twenty three (5,723) students from 12 public secondary schools. Simple random sampling technique was used to select three hundred (300) students from 7 schools.

A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). The findings revealed that teachers’ commitment to teaching has a significant relationship with students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools.

Equally, teachers’ absenteeism from class affected students’ academic performance in the subject negatively in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. It was therefore recommended among others that teachers should develop positive attitude to work through regularity in class, dedication and devotion in order to improve students’ academic performance.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

Teaching is an art and the quality of teaching depends on the love, dedication and devotion of the teacher towards his duty. The quality of the product of every educational level cannot rise above the quality of its teachers. This is because a teacher is regarded as the catalyst of the change observed in any educational system (F.R.N., 2013).

However, there are prescribed rules of conduct in Nigeria which those in the teaching profession are expected to adhere strictly to and organize their behavioural dispositions around those values (F.R.N, 2013). The school as a formal institution of the society cannot function effectively without individuals imbued with the pre-requisite social responsibilities needed to lubricate the system.

Odunsi (2008) added that what transpire in the school and indeed the classroom are determined by the teacher who has the most direct, close and determining influence on the learners. The author further maintained that teachers have to be trained and exposed to the principles that would guide their future actions. This is because the way an individual behaves tends to be consistent with his/her own beliefs. It is essential that would-be teachers purge themselves of all negative attitudes as they get into the school system to enable them work with colleagues and learners in the school.

Attitude according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary edited by Parkison (2010) is defined as the way someone thinks and feels about something or the way one behaves toward something especially when it shows how one feels. Knowing a person’s attitude about something makes it possible to predict more readily his behaviour or actions about it (Kilander, 2003).

The author opined that, attitude are effective variable of paramount importance for the well-being of the learners and the society. Teachers have to acquire the right attitude towards teaching, students and materials at his disposal.

kilander (2003) further stressed that attitude, interest and achievements are positively related which implies that attitude and interest significantly influence students’ academic performance in school. This view gives credence to the fact that teachers’ negative attitude and lack of interest towards teaching are among the major factors that contribute to the poor performance of students in any subject.

Eneh (2002) remarked that teachers with positive attitude and interest motivate the students to learn while those with negative attitude and interest discourage the students and this creates serious problems in the teaching-learning process. Hence, if students must be made to develop their academic potentialities properly, teachers’ attitude and its influence on students’ academic performance must be well taken care of in schools.

It has therefore become necessary to examine teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. However, this presents an area for investigation.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

Over the years, there has been public outcry on the dwindling nature of students’ academic performance in Government in both internal and external examinations. It is a fact that the poor academic performance of students in the subject has become a recurring feature in our educational system.

Many researchers and educationists have attributed the trend to the nonchalant attitude of students towards studies and the laissez-faire attitude of parents towards the educational pursuits of their wards. Worried by this ugly development, government, corporate bodies and well-meaning individuals have made concerted efforts to stimulate students’ interest in learning, improve the performance of students and to make sure that the past glory of our educational system returns.

These efforts have been in the areas of providing basic teaching and learning materials, school infrastructural development, recruitment of qualified teachers among others. All these efforts notwithstanding, the input has remained nothing to write home about.

Moreover, it is on the expectation that teachers’ attitude to work could exert influence on students’ academic performance in schools. It is as a result of the above reasons that the researcher is motivated to undertake a study on teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in Government in Secondary Schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.

1.3   Purposes of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to:

1.  Examine generally the influence of teachers’ attitude on students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:
2. Examine whether teachers’ commitment to teaching influence students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.
3. Find out if teachers’ absenteeism from class affects students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.

1.4   Significance of the Study

This research work will be of great value to the students, teachers, school administrators, government and researchers in the following ways:

–  The study will reveal if teachers’ attitude certainly affect students’ academic performance in Government.

–  It will guide and direct teachers to inculcate right attitude which is necessary for high academic performance of students.

– The findings of the study will redirect the teachers and create awareness to their students on the need to develop positive learning habit.

–  The study will also expose the factors responsible for students’ poor performance in schools.

– Lastly, the study will serve as a source of reference materials to prospective researchers who may wish to undertake a study in this regard.

1.5   Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

1. i) To what extent do teachers’ attitudes generally affect or influence students’ performance in Government in secondary schools?
2. ii) To what extent does teachers’ absenteeism from class affect students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools?

1.6   Research Hypotheses

The understated hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

(i)     There is no significant relationship between teachers’ commitment to teaching and students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.

(ii)    There is no significant relationship between teachers’ absenteeism from class and students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.

1.7   Limitations of the Study

The researcher had some limitations in the course of the study which threatened the success of the research work. These were in the area of insufficient funds at the disposal of the researcher, time frame for the completion of the research work, inadequate research materials for the review of empirical literature and researcher’s academic work load.

1.8   Delimitation of the Study

The study was restricted to teachers’ attitude and students’ academic performance in Government in secondary schools in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area and did not extend beyond the scope to other Local Government Areas and subject area

1.9   Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms used in the study were defined by the researcher as follows:

Teacher: A person who teaches especially in school. On the other hand, a teacher is an individual who have undergone training in a reputable teacher training institution and is certified to teach.

Attitude: This is an individual way of thinking, acting and behaving.

Students’ Academic Performance: This refers to the performance of students on taught lessons as determined by their tests and examination scores.

Commitment: This is the state of being dedicated to work

Absenteeism: This is the practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason.

Government: This is a machinery or a body vested with power to maintain peace an enforce law in a given state.