AN EXAMINATION OF TEACHERS CHARACTERISTICS AND ITS EFFECT ON CHILDRENS EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN GHANA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the study

understanding the educational attainment of school pupils and the role that instructors can play Learning assessments in low- and middle-income countries show that a considerable number of pupils exit primary school without obtaining the most fundamental literacy and numeracy skills (Hungi, 2011; Bashir et al., 2018; World Bank, 2018).

(Bank of America, 2018). According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (2018), 268 million children worldwide are functionally illiterate and innumerate, despite the fact that half of them have attended school for at least four years. Students' learning and academic success are influenced by student traits, family and home environment, teacher qualities, and school factors, according to existing research (Hattie, 2009; Meyer and Benavot, 2013; Nilson and Gustafsson, 2016). It is considered that among school-related factors, teacher qualities have the biggest impact on students' learning (Barber and Mourshed, 2007; Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2012; World Bank, 2018). Academic and professional qualifications, teaching experience, and instructors' classroom techniques have all been found to be connected with children's learning in various circumstances (Glewwe and Kremer, 2006; Kingdon and Aslam, 2011; Azigwe et al., 2016). However, there is ongoing debate about which teacher characteristics, alone or in combination, contribute the most to students' educational attainment. Overall, research on teacher characteristics and students' educational attainment is an emerging area of policy interest in low and middle-income countries in light of the desire to achieve quality education for all (UN, 2015; World Bank, 2018). (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2012). Teachers are perhaps the most immediately available significant individuals in the educational development of these children because they have less access to educational resources and are less likely to have someone with educational expertise to adequately support and mentor them at home. However, it's unclear which teacher attributes can help children from low-income families improve their educational outcomes.

1.2  Statement of research problem

Teachers' traits are qualities that a person must exhibit before being labeled as a teacher. These qualities include, but are not limited to, communication, listening, teamwork, adaptability, empathy, and patience. An engaging classroom presence, value in real-world learning, exchange of best practices, and a lifelong love of learning are also characteristics of effective teaching.However, most schools, especially private schools, do not really check for these characteristics before hiring a person as a teacher because they do not want to pay a large salary to the teacher,  and this in turn shows its effect on the student who have been taught by an unqualified teacher thereby having a huge effect on their educational attainment.

1.3  Objectives of the study

The primary objective of the study is as follows

1.        To find out if teachers actually possess the characteristics to teach in other to boost the educational attainment of student in Ghana

2.        To examine if teachers characteristics affect the educational attainment of student in Ghana

3.        To find out if school authority actually look out for these characteristics before employing a teacher

4.        To examine how to improve teachers characteristics in other to improve the the educational attainment of student in Ghana.

1.4  Research hypothesis

H01: school authority do not look out for teachers characteristics before employing a teacher

H02:  teachers characteristics  do not affect the educational attainment of student in Ghana

1.5  Significance of the study

The significance of this study cannot be underestimated as:

l  This study will examine an examination of teachers characteristics and its effect on childrens educational attainment in Ghana

l  The findings of this research work will undoubtedly provide the much needed information to government organizations, radio stations, ministry of education and academia.

1.6  Scope of the study

This study will examine  an examination of teachers characteristics and its effect on children educational attainment in Ghana. Hence will be delimited to selected secondary schools in Ghana.

1.7  Limitations of the study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

 just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data

Financial constraint , was faced by  the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires

Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher

1.8  Operational definition of terms

Teacher : a person who teaches, especially in a school.

Characteristics: a feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify them.

Educational attainment: the highest level of education that a person has successfully completed