AN EXAMINATION OF ACADEMIC EXPOSURE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON TEACHERS PERFORMANCE (A CASE STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS IN BORNO STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education's importance as a basis for economic, industrial, political, scientific, and technological growth, as well as religious development, cannot be emphasized (Fajonyomi, 2007). According to Ajayi, (2007), Education is crucial for all aspects of development. Every educational system, regardless of level, relies heavily on instructors to carry out its plans. Teachers are therefore crucial to the efficient running of the educational system and valuable tools for educational advancement. It is a well-known fact that the teacher is the most important part of the educational process, and that teachers are vital to the success of any government-sponsored educational program. This is because, in addition to being at the implementation level of any educational policy, the execution of these programs is also dependent on instructors.

Education helps citizens to question authorities about their carelessness or disparities, to exercise their civic rights, and to seek improvements in the structural functioning of governance and the economy (Onyedeji, 1986). Only when citizens are informed of their governments' policies can they support or oppose change. People can only bring about growth when they understand where improvements are needed for the better welfare of humanity.

What students learn, remember, and practice after leaving school, according to Fajonyomi, (2007), has a direct influence on the nation's competences and abilities. What an individual learns, both officially and informally, influences his or her potential to contribute to national progress. Human resources that have been educated serve as the manpower and employees that drive national growth (Ajayi, 2007). As a result, the level of growth of each nation is determined by the quality of education obtained by its population. The degree of performance in the school system is determined by a variety of elements, including the quality of the input and school process variables (Ochuba, 2008). Education goals can only be met with a well-organized school system that ensures all parts of school life are adequately stated and successfully coordinated.

The influence of teachers on students academic performance is significant. Teachers serve as facilitators, instilling in students the principles that are anticipated to be learned. However, Ochuba, (2008) believed that teachers' ignorance or disregard of activity-oriented strategies contributed significantly to students' performance. According to (Okorie, 1979), the quality of any educational system is determined by the quality of its teaching staff, and without competent instructors, a school may be unable to attain its aims and objectives. According to the National Policy on Education, no educational system can advance above the quality and exposure of its instructors. The amount of experience has a significant impact on the student-teacher interaction. A well-educated and exposed teacher recognizes the behavioral patterns of almost all of their students and this better done than the less exposed teachers. Because of the high quality of its teachers, the most costly schools do far better than the smaller ones in terms of teachers performance and students academic achievement. A financially well-equipped school will be able to pay for higher grade teachers with extensive academic expertise (Fajonyomi, 2007).

Teachers play a critical role in ensuring that students receive a high-quality education. They are most renowned for their role in educating kids under their supervision. The most frequent duty that instructors do in the classroom is to disseminate relevant knowledge to pupils while adhering to the curriculum. Teachers disseminate knowledge to students through numerous ways such as lecture, small group activities, and hands-on learning activities. Aside from that, they play a variety of different functions in the classroom. Teachers set the tone in their classes, create a welcoming environment, mentor and develop kids, serve as role models, listen and search for warning indications of problems, and so on (Ajayi, 2007). They are thus accountable for promoting the schools' mission and ethos through structured classroom prayer, involvement in the school's liturgical life, and modeling suitable norms of behavior.

Teachers exposure and their performance in class and on students academic performance, cannot be ignored. The level of teachers academic exposure greatly shows and plays a great influence on everything example, the choices of topic, the way they teach, interaction with students, teaching method. This greatly affects the output of their efforts in terms of students understanding level, academic performance of students and the term results.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Onyedeji, (1986) observed that students' performance in most secondary schools is often low, owing to a lack of skilled and academic exposure of teachers in the institutions. Most schools want an experienced teacher, but because they can't spend more than they make, they can't hire instructors with more experience and academic qualifications; instead, they hire a group of teachers for whom they can pay little. Most parents want the best for their children, but due to financial constraints, they are unable to send their children to large schools with highly qualified teachers. Professionalism and exposure in education has been a topic of discussion for several decades. Scholars emphasized that successful learning requires experienced teachers. According to Ngada in Fajonyomi (2007), the success or failure of any educational program is largely determined by the availability of qualified and academically exposed (professional), competent, and devoted instructors. According to Okorie (1979), a teacher's capacity to teach is derived not just from one's academic background, but also from exceptional pedagogical competence developed. The need for teachers to be academically exposed is highly important but will it be cost effective, will school owners be able to pay highly academically exposed teachers, can schools sponsor their teachers in their quest for higher qualifications.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary objectives of the of this study is to examine academic exposure and its Influence on teachers performance. Other aims of this study are:

i.          To examine the academic exposure of teachers and their effects on students academic performance.

ii.        To examine academic exposure of teachers and its influence on teachers teaching methods

iii.      To examine the influence of academic exposure of teachers on teachers interaction with students.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i.          What are the effects of academic exposure of teachers on students academic performance?

ii.        What is the influence of teachers academic exposure on teachers teaching methods?

iii.      What is the influence of academic exposure of teachers on teachers interaction with students?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of great benefit to the education sector as the findings of the study will show how important academic exposure of teachers are. This research effort will describe the influence of teachers exposure on students' academic success in secondary schools, as well as how teachers' degree of exposure helps to enhance students' academic performance. This study will also be of great benefit to teachers as the importance of academic exposure in their career.

Finally, this study will serve as an existing material for further research anf further reference.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be focused on examining of academic exposure and its Influence on teachers performance. It will also be focused on academic exposure of teachers and the impacts on students academic performance. It will also focus on the relationship between academic experience of teachers and their teaching methods.

This study will be using teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Maiduguri as enrolled participants for this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to the examination of academic exposure and its Influence on teachers performance. It will also be to the academic exposure of teachers and the impacts on students academic performance. This study will be limited to Government Day Secondary School and as such the findings of this study cannot be used anywhere else until further research is carried out.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Examination: a detailed inspection or study

Influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.

Academic exposure: being exposed academically

Performance: the action or process of performing a task or function.