Project – IMPACT OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES OF PUPILS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

This chapter discusses teachers’ professional developments and pupils’ performance. Professional developments concerns ‘those norms, values, and principles that should govern the professional conduct. There is a wide and a narrow sense of professional developments. In the wide sense the professions are guided by general ethical rules and values; in the narrow, have specific tasks and thus values. The quality of education and performance of pupils depends on the teachers as reflected in the discharge of their duties. Teaching should be regarded as a profession: it is a form of public service which requires of teachers expert knowledge and specialized skills, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing study; it calls also for a sense of personal and corporate responsibility for the education and welfare of the pupils in their charge. Over time pupils’ academic performance in both internal and external examinations had been used to determine the effectiveness of teachers’ professional developments (Ajao, 2001).

Teachers’ professional developments have been known to have important influence on pupils’ academic achievement and they also play a crucial role in educational attainment because the teacher is ultimately responsible for translating educational policies and principles into actions based on practice during interaction with the pupils (Afe, 2001). Both teaching and learning depend on teachers: no wonder an effective teacher has been conceptualized as one who produces desired results in the course of his duty as a teacher (Uchefuna, 2001).

Considering governments’ huge investment in public education, its performance in terms of quality of pupils has been observed to be unequal with government expenditure. Consequent upon the observed deterioration in the academic achievement, attitude and values of Primary School pupils in public Primary Schools, one wonders if the high failure rates and the failure of the pupils especially in external examinations is not a reflection of the instructional quality in the schools. Therefore, the ineffectiveness of teachers in professional interaction with the pupils could be responsible for the observed poor performance of pupils and the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Nigeria.

Bangbade (2004) found that out that teachers’ professional developments have significant relationship with pupils’ academic performance. Such professional developments according to Bangbade (2004) include teachers’ knowledge of the subject matter, communication ability, emotional stability, good human relationship and interest in the job. Rena (2000) explained that for pupils to perform well in any examination one of the prerequisites is that their teachers must know them and have profound knowledge of their state of physical, intellectual and psychological readiness.

In many countries, teachers’ professional developments that are considered to be related to pupil learning have become desirable targets of teacher education reform. Some of these reforms call for the professionalization of teacher education by making it longer, upgrading it to graduate programs, and regulating it through mechanisms of licensure, certification, and promotion align with standards (Bangbade, 2004).

Since pupils’ academic scores are not the only predictors of teachers’ professional developments, researches have sought other fairer ways of evaluating teachers’ education. Pupils, administrators, colleagues and the teachers’ self evaluation have been used to evaluate teachers’ effectiveness. Pupils’ competence in the evaluation of the effectiveness of their teachers has been of great concern to researchers in education. However, studies have shown that pupils’ ratings are valuable indicators of teachers’ effectiveness (Awoyemi, 1996).

Despite the fact that there are researches reports in support of pupils’ rating of their teachers’ education, Balogun (1994) warned that pupils rating should be one of a comprehensive evaluation system and should not be the only measure of teachers’ effectiveness.

Teachers’ professional developments requires among other things basic management skills including understanding of the nature of professionals. Fanfunwa (1991) maintained that different professional sessions (lecture sessions, discussion sessions, etc.) required various teacher managerial competences in designing and conducting appropriate engaging learning activities. This is particularly obvious in the field of science. The characteristic/nature of science, science professional, and teaching styles in science bear great implication to management and teacher effectiveness. Nancy (2001) however, opined that pupils’ success depends on the amount of learning that takes place in the professional.

1.2  Statement of the Problem

The issue of declining academic performance of pupils in Nigeria Primary Schools has generated much interest among stakeholders in the education sector.  The quality of secondary education has not kept abreast of the expansion in enrolment. Although, this according to UNESCO (2001) continues to be a global concern, it is the general belief that teachers professional developments affect pupils performance. In a way therefore, what constitutes competence in teaching is intimately connected with the type of teacher education programmes available for preparing Primary School teachers.

The Central problem of this study therefore is to investigate the effects of teachers’ professional developments on pupils’ performance especially in Abia Primary Schools.

 

• Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study are:

1. To investigate the effect of teachers’ professional developments on pupils’ academic performance.
2. To identify how teachers interest on the job affects pupil performance.
3. To highlight the professional relevance of teachers competence on pupils performance.
4. To evaluate factors responsible for pupils rate of academic performance in higher institution.

• Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions

1. How does teachers’ professional development affect pupils’ academic performance?
2. How does teachers’ interest on the job affects pupil performance?
3. What effect does teachers’ professional development have on pupils performance?
4. What are the factors responsible for pupils’ poor academic performance in higher institution?

 

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The study will test the following null hypotheses:

H_o1: There is no significant relationship between teachers’ professional development and pupils’ academic performance.

H_o2: There is no significant relationship between rate of interest on the job and pupils’ academic performance.

 

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study is significant because it will provide insight into the psychological needs of teachers in Abia State.

 

It will serve as reference point for researchers because it would broadening their knowledge about the effect of teachers’ educational background on their academic performance.

 

It will also be useful to educational planners, NGOs and other stakeholders in the field of education on how to motivate teachers in their job for better academic output from the pupils.

 

• Scope and delimitation of the Study

The study examines Impact of Teacher professional development on the academic performances of pupils. The research is limited to selected schools in Local Government area of Abia State owing to financial and time constraint. The research is confined to five selected schools in Isiukwuato, Abia.

 

1.8 Definition of Terms

Professional development: Professional competencies are skills, knowledge and attributes that are specifically valued by the professional associations, organizations and bodies connected to your future career.

Teacher: A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and pupils (adults).

Professional: A room or place especially in a school in which classes are conducted.

Pupil Performance: This shows the result of pupils’ assessment, test and examination. It can be said to be the accomplishment of pupils achievement measured against preset known standards of accuracy, completeness, etc

 

 

Project – IMPACT OF TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES OF PUPILS