Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine teaching experience and students’ academic performance in Economics in secondary schools in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Three research questions and three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprises of one thousand eight hundred (1800) SS1 – SS3 Economics students from all the six (6) public secondary schools in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.

Simple random sampling technique was used to select two hundred (200) students from five (5) secondary schools in the study area. The main instrument used for data collection was a structure questionnaire tagged “Teaching Experience and Students’ Academic Performance Questionnaire (TESAPQ)”. The data generated from the instrument was analysed using independent t-test statistical tool. The results of the study revealed that teachers qualification, teachers knowledge of subject matter and teachers teaching strategy significant influence students academic performance in Economics in secondary schools.

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

Education is a vital activity and quality education has traditionally been associated with strong teachers having high degree of teaching experience. The significance of education, with particular reference to teaching experience has increased because of the need to catch up with the developed world in educational sectors particularly in global competitiveness and best practices. However, as the world grows more towards educating it citizenry, there is need to innovate in teaching practices with particular reference to teaching experience of the teachers and how it affect students’ academic performance (Comb, (2016).

The importance of teaching experience in the educational system cannot be overemphasized because of it benefit to the learners/teachers in the course of teaching/learning process which inversely affect students’ academic performance. (Commeyras, 2013).

By definition, teaching experience is the time spent by a teacher in the teaching profession. Teaching experience is one of the teachers’ characteristics indicators that is believed to be a significant determinant of teaching of Economics in secondary schools. Greater teaching experience will produce students with higher achievement. Furthermore, studies have shown that inexperienced teachers are typically less efficient than the experienced teachers (Umoh, 2017).

Many teachers may have been in the teaching profession for over twenty years without properly developing themselves. This category of teachers may not be able to cope with the new trends in education. The subject curriculum is changing almost every year as the whole world is changing with technology. Therefore, it is better to say there is a positive relationship between experience and student achievement when there is adequate teacher professional and academic development (Boe, 2015).

According to Comb (2016), teacher teaching experience has a significant effect on the teaching of Economics in secondary schools. Experienced teachers have a richer background of experience to draw from and can contribute insight and ideas to the course of teaching and learning open for correction and are less dictatorial in classroom.

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

The importance of experienced teachers in schools has been highlighted by many researchers. Researchers have given different opinions about teaching experience and students’ learning outcomes in schools which their arguments centred on the fact that experience improves teaching skills while students learn better at the hands of teachers who have taught them continuously over a period of years (Akinleye, 2014). Furthermore, more experienced teachers are considered to be more able to concentrate on the most appropriate way to teach particular topics to students who differ in their abilities, prior knowledge and backgrounds.

Also, studies from Murnane & Phillips (2011) state that teachers’ teaching experience had a significant positive effect on teachers during their first seven years of teaching. He concluded that, students taught by teachers with more than nine years of experience had significantly higher test scores than students whose teachers had five to nine years of experience.

On this opinion, Commeyras (2013) affirmed that teachers with years of experience in the profession turned out students with higher academic performance. This is due to the fact that these teachers are able to harmonize the minds and emotions of their students in class and this produces better academic performance among students in Economics.

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

1.2   Statement of the Problem      

Over the years, students’ academic performance in Economics has prompted educational researchers to continuously make relentless efforts at identifying mitigating factors that might account for the observed poor performance.

Some research studies suggest that factors inside and outside the classroom affect students’ performance and interest. Among other variables identified are: Students’ poor study habit, low self-esteem, teacher factors (teacher quality), shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate teaching facilities in Schools, home factor, school environmental factors and many others. Despite their efforts, students continue to exhibit poor performance in the subject.

In this vein, teaching experience has been linked to be one of the causes of students’ poor performance, in this sense there is need to look into the quality of teachers in our secondary schools because effective teaching elicit effective learning.

Thus, this study will aimed at examining the influence of teaching experience and students’ academic performance in Economics in secondary schools in Ikot Abasi L.G.A.

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

 1.3   Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine teaching experience and students’ academic performance in Economics in secondary schools in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.  Specifically, the study sought to:

(i) examine the influence of teachers qualification on academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools.

(ii) investigate the influence of  teachers knowledge of subject matter on academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools.

(iii) examine the influence of  teaching strategies on academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools.

1.4   Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

• How does teacher’s qualification influence academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools?
• To what extent does teachers’ knowledge of subject matter influence academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools?
• To what extent does teaching strategies influence academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools?

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

1.5   Research Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study

(i)  There is no significant difference on academic performance of students taught by qualified teachers and those taught by non qualified teachers in Economics in senior secondary schools.

(ii) There is no significant difference on academic performance of students taught by teachers with good knowledge of subject matter and those taught without.

(iii) There is no significant difference on academic performance of students taught with discussion teaching strategy and those taught with lecture teaching strategy.

1.6   Significance of the Study

The study will be significance in the following ways:

(i)   The study is geared towards helping the teachers to improve in their teaching profession.

(ii)  It will also help the policy makers and planners of education on their policy formulation in ascertaining how the teachers should sound well for effective supervision which will take cognizance of the effect of teacher’s mastery of their subject.

(iii)  The study would provide empirical information on the teacher-related factors that could predict students’ academic performance in Economics.

(iv) The study would also contribute to research efforts geared towards finding a permanent solution to the problem of poor performance of students in Economics.

(v) It will also serve as an eye opener to teachers and other stakeholders on how teacher related factors could predict students’ learning outcomes in Economics.

(vi) It would serve as a reference materials to other researcher who may want to carry out a research work similar to this topic.

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

1.7   Delimitation of the Study

The study is delimited to teaching experience and students academic performance in Economics in secondary schools in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area. The sub-variables considered in this study were; teachers’ qualification, teachers knowledge of subject matter and teaching strategies of teachers.

1.9   Limitation of the Study

The following challenges were confronted by the researcher in the course of this study;

• Financial constraint: High cost of transportation to visit all the selected schools for this study posed serious problem to the researcher.
• Time constraint: The period of time given for the completion of this study was not enough.
• School Location: The long distance between the schools visited by the researcher also posed some problems to the researcher because some schools demanded additional cost of transportation before getting to the schools.

1.10 Definition of Terms

• Teaching experience: Teaching experience is the time spent by a teacher in the teaching profession.
• Teachers’ Qualification: Academic and professional credentials that enable a teacher to become a registered teacher in secondary schools.
• Mastery of the Subject matter: It is the extent to which teacher of Economics have acquire an indept knowledge of Economics subject before going to teach the subject. It can be the extent to which a teacher attain in teaching through learning or long term training.
• Economics: it is a subject taught at senior secondary school from SS1-SS3.
• Performance: It is the outstanding action or achievement shown in the course of learning the subject measured by the result obtained by the student through test or examination.
• Students: This refers to a person who is studying or learning at a place of secondary school.
• Teaching Strategy: This is defined as the method or technique adopted by the teacher to impart knowledge to the learners during the course of teaching.

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Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools

Teachers Teaching Experience and Students Academic Performance in Economics in Secondary Schools