ABSTRACT
This study focused on the effect of teacher qualification on the academic performance of Junior Secondary Schools Student in Lagos State. Teacher qualification here implies teacher qualification, teacher experience and workshop, seminar and conferences attendance. Three objectives, research questions and hypotheses each were established, raised and formulated. The study adopted surveying method and a total of seventy teachers and three-hundred fifty students were involved. Two instruments were structural questionnaire and achievement test administered for the teacher and students respectively. The finding of the study revealed that, teacher experience, qualification, workshop, seminar and conference attendance significantly affected students‟ performance in english language leading to the rejection of all the three null hypotheses. Based on the finding, the study revealed that teacher’s qualification significantly affected students‟ academic performance. It is recommended that experience teacher with requisite qualification and regular attendance of workshops, seminars and conferences be given priority. The study recommended that workshops, seminars be organized on regular basis to enable english language teachers keep abreast with contemporary happening in their areas of specialization. In addition, in-service training should be provided for english languageteachers.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Teachers have a direct responsibility to shape a student’s academic performance, and are the most important school based factor in their education (Rockoff, 2004; Rivkin, HanushekKain 2005; Aaronson, Barrow & Sander, 2007). This is why it is important to examine which teacher characteristics may be related to student academic performance.
Considering which teacher characteristics produce the best student academic performance at the Senior Secondary School level can help the school in identifying unique ways to increase student performance with the teacher resources available to them.
Excellence in academic life demands high level of intelligence; but in addition to intelligence, recent studies have indicated that there are other factors that can be useful predictors of academic performance (Busato, Prins, Elshout, &Hamaker, 1999, 2000; Chamorro Premuzic&Furnham, 2003). One of the factors is teachers’ characteristics.
Teachers cannot be undermined in the discussion of knowledge transfer or education in every way. Teachers are very instrumental to the transfer of knowledge. Ali (2009) observes that there is a statistically significant relationship between teachers’ characteristics and student academic performance.
According to Thompson, Greer, & Greer (2005) there are twelve characteristics that are central to what students conceptualize as good teaching which connect to the caring for students, both academically and personally and strengthen recent indicators for academic performance.
These characteristics are: displaying fairness, having a positive outlook being prepared, using a personal touch, respecting students, maintaining high expectations. Possessing a sense of humor, possessing creativity, admitting mistakes, and being forgiving, showing compassion and developing sense of belonging for students.
As humans, we possess an ingrained sense of fair play. We react negatively whenever we are dealt with by someone in a manner that violates what we think constitutes fairness in a situation. Any sign of favoritism, or lack of fairness, can leave scars that last a lifetime.
Borich (2000) suggests that effective teachers are those who use meaningful verbal praise to get and keep students actively participating in the learning process.
Effective teachers are generally positive minded individuals who believe in the success of their students as well as their own ability to help students achieve.
Competence and knowledge of the content area being taught is something that makes a well-prepared teacher more likely to take time during lessons to notice and attend to behavioral matters, effective use of instructional time, student participation and thereby, academic success.
