THE EFFECT OF TEACHER QUALIFICATION ON STUDENT PHYSICS ACHIEVEMENT
ABSTRACT
This study looked at the impact of teacher qualifications on students’ physics achievement. The study’s overall population is 200 staff members from chosen secondary schools in Lagos state. The researcher collected data using questionnaires as the instrument. Descriptive This study used a survey research design.
The survey included 133 respondents who were made principals, vice principals, administration, senior staff, and junior employees. The acquired data was organized into tables and evaluated using simple percentages and frequencies.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The study’s context
The performance of pupils in a subject in a set examination determines mastery of that subject. Any interaction between a teacher and students is intended to result in learning outcomes in the pupils. There is an issue when such an activity fails to induce a change in behavior (learning) in the learners. Students’ success in science is an important concern for science instructors in general.
According to Aghyeneku in Sakiyo and Sofeme (2008), pupils’ performance in science disciplines is low in both national and state exams. A variety of factors might be recognized as being responsible for pupils’ low performance in science. These include science curricula, teachers’ teaching methods, parents, the government, a shortage of science facilities, and others (Ahiakwo, 2003).
According to a school survey (Ajayi, 2007), the lack of adequate instructional materials, equipment, and laboratory facilities in schools has a detrimental impact on the effective learning of Physics in schools. One of the goals of education is to build a learner’s competences and knowledge, as well as to provide him or her with abilities that may be applied to issues outside of the classroom setting.
The teacher, who actively engages learners as essential co-investigators in the teaching and learning processes, is central to the acquisition of knowledge and skills (Gultig, Haodley & Jansen, 2002:56). As a result, the teacher and students develop a more democratic connection. Learners’ knowledge and skills are incorporated in the disciplines in which they specialize as they go through their schooling.
Some of these disciplines are seen as’sacred’ or vulnerable strategic subjects (Murphy & Whitelegg, 2006:282) since their numbers gradually fall as learners go through their learning, resulting in the pyramid pattern enrolments (Government of Swaziland, 2011:6). The natural sciences are among the subjects with a reduction in the number of students pursuing them at the tertiary level.
According to the researcher, it is critical that educators investigate the causes of the fall in the number of learners who specialize in the sciences, particularly at the tertiary level, because this impacts the availability of science specialists, such as specialized Physics teachers. The global scarcity of professional Physics teachers is one of the most persistent concerns for governments and educators alike (Rundquist, 2009:1; Boutelle, 2010:1; Mathews, 2011:1; Woolhouse & Cochrane, 2010:607; the Government of Swaziland, 2011:25).
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) of Swaziland repeated this deficit (Government of Swaziland, 2011:25; Ministry of Education, 2004:43). Similarly, the science panel members expressed worry about challenges arising from Physics teaching and learning, as well as examination findings on learner performance in the discipline. Members of the scientific panel saw that students did poorly in Physics, which they attributed to a shortage of specialized Physics teachers.
As a result, the council approved study into the causes of the shortage of professional Physics teachers. The rationale for approving this research was that, among the natural disciplines, Physics had been the hardest damaged, because it was taught by professors who had not specialized in Physics (e.g. Agriculture, Chemistry and Biology specialists). The employment of expert non-Physics instructors appears to be owing in part to ineffective attempts aimed at alleviating the continuous lack of Science and physics teachers in senior secondary schools.
‘Qualification,’ according to Merriam-Webster, is a special talent or sort of experience or information that qualifies someone to accomplish a specific profession or activity. As a result, a teacher’s qualification is a certain skill or type of experience or information that someone possesses that qualifies him or her to teach.
Teachers’ qualifications could thus refer to all of the talents required for a good teacher. Formal education, experience, subject area knowledge, pedagogy studies, training duration, certificate/licensing, and professional development are examples of such talents. Someone may hold a teaching certificate, but without adequate topic understanding, this individual has no teaching qualifications.
Similarly, someone who lacks sufficient pedagogical expertise or who spent a few years in training without finishing the requisite years does not have teacher qualifications. Professional development and experience are also considered qualifications for teachers because several studies have revealed that qualification is one of the critical factors that drive students’ academic performance.
It has been observed that one of the most important factors in the teaching process is the teacher’s qualification. According to, instructors’ qualifications can go a long way toward increasing pupils’ academic progress.
Teachers’ profession is related to their ability to instruct and manage pupils and supplies in the classroom.
Several studies have demonstrated that Nigerian pupils’ performance in secondary school physics has been persistently dismal over the years (Omosewo, 1999, Akanbi, 1983; Omebe, 2009). Poor physics achievement could be attributed to a variety of factors, including students’ attitudes toward the subject, methods of teaching the subject, teachers’ lack of motivation, a lack of basic sciences background in primary school, and the teacher’s strategy, which was deemed an important factor.
This suggests that without the utilization of instructional tools, knowledge of physics topics may not be fully realized. Physics instruction without instructional tools will almost probably result in low academic results. As a result, this study looks into the effects of trained Physics instructors in Nigerian senior secondary schools, how they may be retained, and how their numbers can be raised.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
The national policy on education (1998:l3) established specific secondary education goals. Among these objectives are the following:
To give all primary school leavers with the chance for higher education, regardless of gender, social status, religious or ethnic background.
To provide a diverse curriculum to accommodate variances in abilities, opportunities, and future roles. In Nigeria, for example, the majority of public secondary school students perform poorly in West African school certificate tests.
This circumstance makes achieving the aforementioned national policy goals impossible.
For example, there are many secondary school dropouts today who will never be able to enter postsecondary schools or fit in anywhere in society. Furthermore, tertiary institutions built up preliminary programs to allow underperforming candidates to achieve entrance. All of the aforementioned issues are the result of low student performance, which appears to be deeply founded in the inadequacy and/or lack of facilities present in today’s secondary schools.
Several studies have demonstrated that Nigerian pupils’ performance in secondary school physics has been persistently dismal over the years (Omosewo, 1999, Akanbi, 1983; Omebe, 2009). Poor physics achievement could be attributed to a variety of factors, including students’ attitudes toward the subject, methods of teaching the subject, teachers’ lack of motivation, a lack of basic sciences background in primary school, and the teacher’s strategy, which was deemed an important factor.
This suggests that without the utilization of instructional tools, knowledge of physics topics may not be fully realized. Physics instruction without instructional tools will almost probably result in low academic results. As a result, this study looks into the effects of trained Physics instructors in Nigerian senior secondary schools, how they may be retained, and how their numbers can be raised.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
The following are the declared objectives:
To determine whether there is a link between teachers’ qualifications and pupils’ academic success.
To determine how well teachers’ attitudes, students’ attitudes, teachers’ workload, teachers’ experience, and teachers’ qualifications predict students’ academic achievement at the SSCE level when taken collectively.
To investigate the causes of the high rate of increase in non-qualified physics professors.
To solicit suggestions and propose measures that will assist physics teachers in improving.
HYPOTHESES FOR RESEARCH
The researcher developed the following research hypotheses in order to successfully complete the study:
H0: There is no association between instructor qualifications and academic performance of students.
H1: There is a link between teachers’ credentials and pupils’ academic success.
H02: There are no explanations for the high rate of increase in non-qualified physics professors.
H2: There are explanations for the high rate of non-qualified physics teachers.
THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
This discovery is likely to:
present causes for the scarcity of expert Physics teachers in schools to education stakeholders; make ideas on how specialist Physics instructors can be retained in schools
provide some approaches for increasing the number of specialized Physics instructors in schools; and enlighten stakeholders on the actual calibre of teachers who already teach in schools.
It is also expected that the Nigerian government will provide the anticipated and necessary mechanisms and support required by schools or teachers to address the factors that cause teachers to leave the teaching profession; following some recommendations, the government will put measures in place for the services of specialist Physics teachers to be employed in schools in order to help the schools achieve the desired outcomes; the pre-service and in-service teachers will be employed in schools in order to help the schools achieve the desired outcomes;
THE STUDY’S SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
The study’s scope includes the effect of teacher qualification on students’ physics achievement. The researcher comes upon a constraint that limits the scope of the investigation;
a) RESEARCH MATERIAL AVAILABILITY: The researcher’s research material is insufficient, restricting the scope of the investigation.
b) TIME: The study’s time frame does not allow for broader coverage because the researcher must balance other academic activities and examinations with the study.
Financial constraint- Inadequate funding tends to hamper the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data gathering procedure (internet, questionnaire and interview).
TERMS DEFINITION
Qualification of a teacher Teachers’ qualifications include their test and examination scores, years of experience, level of preparation in subject matter and pedagogy, qualifications in their area of specialization, and ongoing professional development.
student achievement: Student achievement is the quantity of academic content learned by a student in a particular time frame. Each instructional level has its own set of criteria or goals that educators must instill in their students.
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THE EFFECT OF TEACHER QUALIFICATION ON STUDENT PHYSICS ACHIEVEMENT