1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Primary education is the initial level of compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education, and it is followed by secondary education. Basic education is necessary for children in most countries, and it is lawful for parents to provide it. Primary education’s major goals are to guarantee that all pupils have a basic grasp of reading and math, as well as to provide a foundation in science, mathematics, geography, history, and other social sciences. All nations have a responsibility and a duty to provide high-quality education. This is due to rapidly changing technology and labor market demands, which have shifted the educational focus. Primary education is frequently provided in a school environment, with students enrolling in progressively difficult courses until they complete it and move to high school or secondary school.  It is both an investment and a tool that can be utilized to accelerate the country’s economic, social, political, technical, scientific, and cultural growth. This investment is instilled in students from primary to secondary school through the subjects they are exposed to.
In most schools, mathematics is taught by people who have merely a secondary education in mathematics, such as physics, chemistry, biology, and even economics graduates. Mathematics is described as a method of thinking that encourages the use of precision, logic, and systematic organization. Mathematics also offers us with strong theoretical and computational approaches for improving our knowledge of the global and social challenges, as well as developing and managing the technological sectors that support our economy. Children are usually placed in classrooms with a single teacher who will be responsible for their education and well-being during the school year. A notable feature of the primary school system is the chance to create a personal relationship with a single teacher and the prospect of developing a close relationship with the class.
A teaching qualification is one of various academic and professional degrees that permits someone to work as a qualified primary or secondary school teacher. Such degrees include the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), the Professional Graduates Diploma in Education (PGDE), the Bachelor of Education, and the National Certificate of Education (NCE). Educators and academics have been debating for years which school characteristics influence student success (Darling 2000). Ferguson (1991) discovered from his research in Texas that “good teachers had demonstrable impact on pupils examination scores” (p.465). According to Sander, “variations in the competency of individual classroom teachers” are the “single variable affecting scholastic development of populations of children” (1998). (p.27). Examining the relationships between teacher certification, college/graduate school year, years of experience, and student success in mathematics may be beneficial to teachers and school leaders. According to the Alabama teacher equity plan, a well-prepared teacher is a critical determinant in student learning (2006).
According to the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). All instructors in essential academic disciplines must be highly qualified. Hence to be regarded highly qualified, instructors must show that they have adequate subject-matter knowledge and teaching abilities to be successful teachers, according to the NLCB. Highly qualified instructors must, in particular: –
i.         Hold a teaching license after obtaining complete state certification as a teacher and passing the state teacher licensing examination.
ii.       Demonstrate subject matter expertise in each of the academic disciplines he or she instructs, and
iii.     You must have a bachelor’s degree at the very least. Jante Ecker, Ontario’s Education Minister, stated in 1999 that in order to retain teacher certifications and deliver the greatest level of education to pupils, governments must require teachers to have necessary skills and knowledge.
From the above it becomes pertinent to observes how teachers qualification affect student academic performance in mathematics.
