Teachers Variables and Students Performance in Economics

Teachers Variables and Students Performance in Economics

Abstract

This research work “Teachers’ Experience and Students’ Performance in Economics in Etinan Local Government Area” was undertaken to investigate the identified experience of the study. To achieve this objective, three operational hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The research design adopted in this study was a survey design. There are 33 Economics teachers and one thousand nine-hundred and two (1,902) students in 8 public secondary schools in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.

A sample size of 10 Economics teachers currently teaching and 100 in senior secondary schools classes was selected through purposive sampling technique. A sample size of 10 Economics teachers and 100 students who registered Economics in the 2021/2022 academic session was used for the study. The researcher developed two research instrument Checklists on Teachers’ Experience (CET) and Economics Achievement Test (EAT)”.

The data collected for this study were analyzed using the mean and standard deviation for research questions and Pearson Product moment correlation (PPMC) for the testing of the research hypotheses. The following findings were made: there is a significant relationship between teachers’ years of teaching experience and students’ academic performance in economics in secondary school students; there is a significant relationship between teachers’ teaching skills and students’ academic performance in economics in secondary school students and that there is a significant relationship between teachers’ subject mastery and students’ academic performance in economics in secondary school students in Etinan Local Government Area.

Teachers Variables and Students Performance in Economics

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Teachers play very important role in the learning process of students who idealize teachers and try to copy them. Teachers are the hub of educational system in the world and Nigeria in particular. Teachers therefore, are the forefront of the battle of national development. National Policy on Education encapsulates this as “Teachers educational shall continue to be giving major emphasis in all educational planning and development”. Also, the policy stipulate that, the purpose of teachers education is to produce highly motivated, conscientious and efficient classroom teachers for all level of our educational system (Goe and Stickler, 2018).

Education has being the pillar upon which all meaningful national development are built (Equasi 2010). It is the instrument which set a pace for growth, development source and understanding and issues in all their ramifications. For education to be the relevant in a society it has to be effectively taught. And this can only achieve through the use of good method and suitable instrumental material.

Teachers factors are personal attributes of the teacher that makes Han distinct from one another to excel in his or her chosen career. Adodo (2007) argued that one key overridden factor for the success of the students academic achievement is the teacher. Students learn at different rate and by different means, some learn better when they hear, some aroused through the experience of the teacher and her achievements. Base on this, the teacher experience and achievement emphasizes the device that aroused internet of learners and make the lesson to be meaningful and understandable.

Teachers like other professions require people that are skillful and tactful. All teachers can teach, but some can teach with special skill. Such that learning can take place in a very simple way. That is to say, if student have their way, they can make choice of the teacher, one who is skillful and meditate the children learning. Teachers’ experience are often considered in terms of teachers intellectual competence, mastery of the subject matter, lessons delivery skills, teachers relationship with students, motivational ability, years of teaching experience, teaching methods etc. affect students performance and learning.

The quality of education depends on the teacher as reflected in the performance of their duties where some of teachers factor influenced student’s academic performance or achievement, some of this factors are qualification, years of experience, knowledge on the subject matter, teaching methods and teaching skills. The teachers qualification which is one of the teachers’ characteristics as usually believed to be potentially the largest influence on schools and student because of its crucial role in the teaching and learning process.

Thus has come under the spotlight of educational reform presently, the quality of education of a nation could be determined by the quality of its teachers. Abe and Adu (2013) and Wiki (2013) opined that teaching qualification is one of the several academic and professional degrees that enable to be a registered teacher in schools.

Years of experience can also determine the association between teachers’ years of experience and teaching quality from studies using indirect measures (e.g., attitudes, student performance). The teachers’ years of experience examine more direct indications of teaching quality, specifically more experienced teachers’ observed in a classroom behaviors in areas of classroom management. Moreover, teachers interaction with students and also important in teaching quality. Knowledge on the subject is the impact on teachers interactions of the intended curriculum, the learning opportunity they design to implements the curriculum and their interpretation of how well students have attained the curriculum.

Teachers Variables and Students Performance in Economics

The concept of teachers’ behavioral trait, teachers’ productivity and teaching effectiveness are multi-dimensional. More of these additional experiences occur after regular school hours and considerable length to the working days. Some teaching specialization may concentrate on preparation and organization, while many others may involve on marking or extracurricular involvement. Teachers handling subject like economics must have skill and method of teaching, experience, qualification, good manners as well as teacher-student relationship.

Teachers’ attitude can help or hurt student motivation, achievement and well-being. Recent studies found that negative teaching attitudes can impair academic achievement and increase students’ psychological disorders and physical symptoms of stress. Teachers who use humiliation or sarcasm can leave a child feeling believed. Discipline by fear and can intimidation can be harmful to the students’ future success. Teachers who are harsh in their display of authority or are in different towards their students or lessons can leave a lingering feeling of negativity with the student.

However, the teacher is a trained professional with knowledge and skill as well as a level of competence in the task of teaching and re-modeling the students under his care. Fagbamiye (2016) remarked that teachers’ competence contributes to students academic performance. To improve students’ academic performance levels, teachers must be knowledgeable and strive harder to informed of the most up-to-date methods and techniques in teaching. Based on this assumption, the researcher seeks to examine Teachers’ Experience and Student Performance in Economics in Nist Ibom Local Government Area.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Most teachers in secondary schools system lack the type of training require for making them feel confident and adjust in the teaching-learning situation due to their level of training and self-application, most of those who teach at the secondary school level lacks basic level readiness for effective role accomplishment. Many do not know what is involved in teaching at the level, and some are often confused of what their role should be in modern classroom.

Most teachers feel that their task is to force knowledge into the hands of unwilling learners, it is understood that teachers irrespective of their academic background still lack the teaching potential and affect the academic performance of the students. There is need for this research in order to determine if there is any relationship between teachers’ knowledge of subject matter and students academic achievement in economics in Senior Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

This study investigated teachers variables and students performance in Economics in Nist Ibom Local Government Area specifically, the study attempt to:

Examine the level of teachers’ years of teaching and Academic Performance of Students in Economics.
Examine the relationship between teachers teaching skills and students’ academic performance.
Access the effect of teachers’ level of subject mastery on students’ academic performance.

1.4 Research Questions

On the basis of the foregoing purpose of the study, the following research questions are raised;

To what extent does teachers’ years of teaching experience relate with students academic performance in economics?
What relationship exists between teachers’ teaching skills and students’ academic performance in economics?
How does teachers’ subject mastery does relates with students’ academic performance in economics?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The solution to the problem of the study will be sought through testing the following research hypothesis:

There is no significant relationship between teachers’ years of teaching experience and students academic performance in economics
There is no significant relationship between teachers’ teaching skills and students academic performance in economics.
There is no significant relationship between teachers’ subject mastery and students’ academic performance in economics.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study of teachers’ experience and Academic Achievement of Performance of students in Economics will provide adequate information on the relevance of positive teachers attitude. It will help the teachers in the classroom instruction on meaningful ways of relating with the students while teaching. It is hoped that this will be helpful to our teachers to impact on students with some motivated skills.

Teachers in secondary school will employ good manners, attitude, teaching qualification and good teaching methods in their lessons. This study will also be helpful to government policy makers, teachers and students in particular. In the sense that this study might go a long way to bring innovation in teaching techniques and create and atmosphere conducive for the students to have and improve on their performance in economics.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on investigate “teachers Experiences and Academic Achievement in Economics in Nist Ibom Local Government Area.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Teachers Experiences: this is full-time employment which included full responsibility for the planning and delivery of instruction and evaluation of student learning.

Academic Achievement: it represent performance outcomes that indicates the extent to which students accomplished specific goals that were the focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in schools.

Students: these are children attending secondary schools and grouped in different classes in a formal school setting for the purpose of receiving lessons.

Teachers Variables and Students Performance in Economics

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the review of relevant and theories propounded by past authors in area of teachers experience. The literature review shall be reviewed under the following subheadings:

– Conceptual Framework

-Theoretical framework

– Empirical framework

-Summary of the Related Literature

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

A sample size of 10 Economics teachers and 100 students who registered Economics in the 2021/2022 academic session was used for the study. The researcher developed two research instrument Checklists on Teachers’ Experience (CET) and Economics Achievement Test (EAT)”. The data collected for this study were analyzed using the mean and standard deviation for research questions and Pearson Product moment correlation (PPMC) for the testing of the research hypotheses.

The following findings were made: there is a significant relationship between teachers’ years of teaching experience and students’ academic performance in economics in secondary school students; there is a significant relationship between teachers’ teaching skills and students’ academic performance in economics in secondary school students and that there is a significant relationship between teachers’ subject mastery and students’ academic performance in economics in secondary school students in Etinan Local Government Area.

5.2 Recommendations

The following are recommendations made from the findings in this study;

Government should employ qualified teachers to teach in the public secondary schools for effective formation of the students.
The highly experienced teachers with long years of experience should be encouraged by better condition of service in order to sustain high productivity in school.
Teachers should develop their communication skills through continuous participation in seminars and workshop on educational technology.
The young and inexperienced teachers should be exposed to on the job trainings to equip them with the basic of teaching.
Government should organize in-service trainings, seminars and workshop for teacher to help inculcate the right and positive attitude to work in them.

5.3 Conclusion

On the basis of the findings of this research, it can be concluded that although teachers’ educational qualification was found to have no relationship with students’ academic performance, the other experience, namely: teachers’ years of experience, teachers’ teaching skills and teachers’ subject mastery were found to significantly related to students’ academic performance.

5.4 Suggestion for further Studies

Based on the findings, the following suggestions were made:

Further study on the effects of teachers’ characteristics on teaching effectiveness in Economics should be conducted.
Since the research was restricted to only one Local Government area in Akwa Ibom State. The same study should be conducted in Economics in other Local Government Areas in Akwa Ibom State.

5.5 Limitation of the Study

The researcher encountered some limitations to the scope of the study