AN INVESTIGATION OF TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS IN THE TEACHING OF SECONDARY SCHOOL  STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Teacher, student, and curriculum are all important components in the educational process. The role of the teacher is critical in the process of teaching and learning. Learning cannot take place, no suitable information can be imparted, and no correct growth of each individual learner can take place without the teacher's guidance. In every educational institution, the teacher is the most important person. All of the educational efforts of the society are dependent on him or her. Teachers are often regarded as the beating heart of educational institutions. The finest instructors produce the best pupils, resulting in a lean body mass index. Education has evolved into a highly competitive and financially rewarding industry in recent years. If all of the stakeholders are dissatisfied, it is difficult to keep them on the same page with the school. As a result, it is critical for schools to develop instructors who are inventive, competitive, passionate, and productive in their work. It is reasonable to assume that everyone, every parent, grandparent, and young person, wants to know that all of our children are being educated and prepared for school, for future employment, and for life in the twenty-first century. The most important step in achieving this goal is to guarantee that people who educate our children incorporate excellent teaching practices into their professional lives. In essence, we need every teacher in our schools to be an effective teacher in order for them to be successful. Effectiveness of a teacher can be defined as the level of efficiency demonstrated by a teacher in instructional strategies classroom management personal disposition evaluation interpersonal relations participation in the job job involvement initiative and enthusiasm professional values, and innovativeness in the everyday teaching learning situation. The efficacy of teachers has been defined in a variety of ways by scholars. Effective teaching is identical with effectiveness in the classroom, and it has been described in three fundamental ways. These include definitions in terms of: teacher personalities, teacher-student interaction, and the impact of teachers on students' behavior, among other things (Evan, 2006). Teachers' wages are nearly generally decided by their educational background, training, or years of experience, rather than by their performance in the classroom across the globe. However, a growing body of research indicates that these measurements are poor predictors of a teacher's real success in the classroom, and that these assessments should be avoided. They have a surprisingly little relationship with instructors' abilities to improve the learning outcomes of their pupils.

The efficacy of a teacher has an influence on student learning as well as the happiness of parents. It is only via an effective teacher that students will learn successfully, and it is only through good teaching that parents will be happy with their child's accomplishments.

The study's need and rationale are discussed in detail.

Teacher effectiveness has an impact on student performance in the classroom because of the influence that elements such as teaching techniques, teaching expectations, classroom organization, and the utilization of classroom resources have on the students' performance. Teachers have a crucial role in the development of the educational framework of a society. The teacher has the ability to make a difference in the lives of students in educational environments. In order to compete in today's competitive world, students must not only be academically lively, but they must also be skillful and intellectually enlightened in their studies. This can only be accomplished via the efficacy of the teacher's efforts. To meet the expanding expectations of the learning community, it is critical for teachers to be successful in all parts of their work. It is critical for prospective secondary school teachers to be versatile in their interpersonal relationships, classroom management techniques, content proficiency, and use of audio-visual aids in order to increase the effectiveness of secondary school teachers and make their learning environment more conducive to learning. Teachers should be given opportunities for professional development in order to develop elements that are acceptable and have an impact on the quality of education. The working conditions of teachers should be favorable, resulting in improved opportunities for professional growth for the instructors in question.

When it comes to transforming students into pragmatic approaches that cater to the rapidly changing social order and economic life pattern of individuals and families, the teacher's central role is to act effectively in the classroom. This places heavier responsibilities on the shoulders of teachers to the multifaceted faculty. In order to do this, teachers must keep up with changes in information exposure and dynamism, so that they can stay one or two steps ahead of these highly educated students. It is widely acknowledged that the efficiency of a school's educational system is highly contingent on the quality of the instructors who work in it. It is possible for a college to have good material resources and equipment, as well as a curriculum that is tailored to the requirements of the community; yet, if the teachers are unqualified or uninterested in their responsibilities, the whole program is likely to be unproductive and squandered. As a result, the efficacy of the instructor is more critical in achieving the desired educational outcome. The only way to develop productive pupils in today's culture is for a teacher to be effective herself. This study subject has been selected with this consideration in mind.

1.2       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Academic performance among pupils in Nigeria, especially among those from the study region, has been steadily declining in recent years, according to national statistics. Ozordi (2010), in his reflections on the condition of education in the nation, bemoaned that, on average, secondary school students now are unable to perform academically at the level of primary school students in the country's earlier years, as they did in the past. Poor student performance may be linked to a variety of issues, one of which is ineffectiveness of instructors. As a result, it is necessary to evaluate teacher efficacy un the context of secondary school pupils.

1.3       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study is to investigate teacher effectiveness in the teaching of secondary school  students. Specifically, the study will be guided under the following:

i.          To examine the teaching effectiveness level of secondary school teachers.

ii.        To find out the difference in teaching effectiveness of male and female secondary school teachers.

iii.      To evaluate the benefit of an effective teacher on the academic achievement of students.

iv.      To recommend ways of improving secondary school teachers effectiveness.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions have been prepared for the study

i.          What is the level of teaching effectiveness of secondary school teachers?

ii.        Is there a difference in teaching effectiveness of male and female secondary school teachers?

iii.      What are the benefit of an effective teacher on the academic achievement of students?

iv.      What are the recommended ways of improving secondary school teachers effectiveness?

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be significant to the ministry of education as it will be exposed to the challenges mitigating against the effectiveness of teachers and recommendations on how to improve teachers well being will be made.

The study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will be examine the teaching effectiveness level of secondary school teachers. The study will also find out the difference in teaching effectiveness of male and female secondary school teachers. The study will also evaluate the benefit of an effective teacher on the academic achievement of students. Lastly, the study will recommend ways of improving secondary school teachers effectiveness. Hence the study will be significant to Edo State.

1.7       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Teacher effectiveness: the collection of characteristics, competencies, and behaviours of teachers at all educational levels that enable students to reach desired outcomes, which may include the attainment of specific learning objectives as well as broader goals

Students: a person who is studying at a university or other place of higher education.

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