THE IMPACT OF STUDENT-TEACHER RATIO ON SECONDARY SCHOOLS STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY In most nations, the pride of educational institutions is based not only on the number, but also on the quality of the output at all levels. However, the majority of governments throughout the globe spend a large portion of their budget on educational resources. They make judgments on how to provide resource inputs to help students attain higher levels of success and performance. Furthermore, not all of these judgments are easy to make, particularly in third-world nations where mismanagement exacerbates the situation. According to Kemerer (2009), resources are precious, especially in low-income nations, and policymakers cannot afford to make mistakes when allocating them. The correct picture of the factors of educational achievement is desirable to decrease the opportunity for errors. Surprisingly, in most third-world nations, inadequate education financing prevents schools from having manageable class sizes, enough student classroom space, and reasonable class usage rates. Despite the fact that these factors influence teacher productivity and student academic achievement, governments do not appear to be concerned enough about the decline in educational standards in their country (Flanders, 2007). The quality of education is influenced by a variety of factors. Teacher educational quality, pupil intellectual quotient, pupil health, quality teaching in the school, school location, social and environmental factors, curriculum, the type of instruction i.e. teacher-centered (e.g. pupils listen, answer questions, practice, etc.) or pupil-centered (e.g. problem solving, creative projects, etc.) as well as students-teacher ratio are just some of the factors to consider (Withal, 2009). Over time, Nigeria’s education status has deteriorated due to the persistent problem of classroom congestion, poverty, and poor classroom utilization rates. Because education in the country is underfunded, most public schools endure classroom overcrowding, low student-to-classroom-space ratios, and low classroom utilization rates; as a result, these conditions are likely to have a negative impact on students’ academic achievement. In Nigeria, the enormous number of pupils traveling through the system is a severe issue, especially given the state government’s failure to supply appropriate provided equipment. For example, 1,644,110 individuals appeared for the 2013 Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Examination, with just 10 candidates receiving 300 or higher marks and 127,017 receiving less than 159. (JAMB, 2013). This means that the condition of education in Nigeria is in dire straits, requiring immediate attention from all stakeholders in the educational system to correct the situation. Although the National Policy on Education stipulates that a class size of no more than 30 pupils be maintained, the average class size in most institutions in the country surpasses 50. The scenario has an adverse effect on the average amount of classroom space available per student. These pupils, on the other hand, require a comfortable environment in which to learn. The classroom utilization rate in most public schools in the country is always high; this is due to the fact that most schools have more pupils than they can accommodate. Because of insufficient supervision, the few schools that have enough teachers have low classroom usage rates at times. This environment is not conducive to academic study (Dave, 2008). Academic accomplishment is one of the most important goals and a significant challenge for every school system. Class size and the student-teacher ratio, according to Cuban (2004), have a significant influence on the quality of education and students’ academic progress. Pupil-teacher ratios and per-student expenditures are undeniably essential resource inputs for every academic institution. The lower the student-to-teacher ratio in a class, the more likely it is that the quality of education will improve and the institution’s academic goals will be met. Education quality is critical for strategic planning of academic goals and keeping up with the developed world’s pace. However, the question at hand is whether the student-teacher ratio has any bearing on educational quality. 1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM As the number of students in a classroom grows, so does the size of the class, and the student-to-teacher ratio becomes a concern. Many people confuse student teacher ratio with class size; while they are close, they are not the same thing. The number of pupils in a class, or the average number of students in a classroom, is referred to as class size. The number of pupils per instructor, or the average number of students a teacher educates in a school, is referred to as the student teacher ratio (Graue & Rauscher, 2009). As a result, a country, city, or school with small class sizes may or may not have a low student teacher ratio, or vice versa. For example, a teacher may teach in small classes but be assigned to a large number of them; in this scenario, the class size may be small but the student teacher ratio may be high, and there may also be circumstances when the converse is true. Teachers at schools with a lower student-to-teacher ratio have more time to spend with each student and check on the development of each student for whom they are responsible, allowing them to give more personalized instruction that is more appropriate for each kid (Johnson, 2011). There are several research on class size, but few on student teacher ratio, despite the fact that the ratio is as least as essential as the class size. Although many factors influence student accomplishment, the goal of this research is to look at the impact of student-teacher ratio on secondary school students’ academic achievement. Although there are many factors that affect student achievement, but the purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of student-teacher ratio on secondary schools students academic achievement.

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