TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ECONOMICS IN IKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

In formal setting, especially in the classroom, education is operationalized by teaching and it is the teacher who has the most direct, close and determining influence on the learner. The teacher is so vital to the teaching-learning process that Newty (2000) simply describes him as the single most important player in educational process. This fact is collaborated by the National Policy on Education (2004) which states that the quality of the product of any educational level cannot rise above the quality of its teachers. This is because a teacher is regarded as a catalyst of the changes observed in any educational system. The point to note from the above is that the teacher is so important in the process of education that the quality of learners and educational system procures is dependent and is greatly determined by the teacher who operates it.

Moreover, the quality of education provided in any society and the nature of the change affected by that education is said to be dependent on the quality, attitude and the effectiveness of their teaching in schools. This underscores Udoh’s (2006) observation that despite innovations in the educational system, the teacher cannot be brushed aside in the process of education. According to the author, the teacher is at the centre of the educative process as he occupies a position that is pivotal in ensuring a smooth running of the system. It is upon their professional competence, commitment and sense of duty that what the school achieve is possible.

However, teaching like every other profession has a code of ethics which prescribes the values by which teachers should live and operate. 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 ethics (FRN, 1990). The teaching ethics or code of conduct although it emphasizes on the nature of the relationship between the practitioner and employers, it is more emphatic on the nature of relationship between the teachers and their students, parents, the community and professional colleagues. In a general analysis, the code determines the commitment of the teacher to the teaching profession (Mkpa, 2000). The author further opined that the school as an institution of the society cannot function effectively without individuals imbued with the pre-requisite social responsibilities and attitude needed to lubricate the system. Newty (2000) maintained that teachers who have to be trained and exposed to the principles that would guide their future actions. This is so because the way an individual behaves tends to be consistent with his/her own believes. It is essential that would be educators purge themselves of all negative attitude as they get into the school system to enable them work with colleagues and learners in the school. This must be given serious attention if high academic achievement by the students is to be fully achieved with this mind, it has therefore become necessary to examine teachers’ attitude and students’ academic achievement in Economics in Ika Local Government Area.

1.2   Statement of the Problem

For sometimes now, many patriotic citizens of our society have been viewing with serious concern about the academic achievement of our students in Economics. However, students’ academic achievement in this subject have been faced with series of challenges such as lack of interest by students, teachers’ irregularity in class, failure to prepare lesson note and examination dishonesty. These have a negative effect on students’ ach in schools.

It is against this background that the researcher is motivated to undertake a study on teachers’ attitude and students’ academic achievement in Economics in Ika Local Government Area which is one of the major challenges confronting the success of students in Economics.

TEACHERS’ ATTITUDE AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ECONOMICS IN IKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA