TEACHER PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
This chapter discusses teachers’ professional ethics and students’ performance. Professional ethics concerns those norms, values, and principles that should govern the professional conduct. There is a wide and a narrow sense of professional ethics. 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 students 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 ethics (Ajao, 2001).
Teachers’ professional ethics have been known to have important influence on students’ 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 students (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 students has been observed to be unequal with government expenditure. Consequent upon the observed deterioration in the academic achievement, attitude and values of secondary school students in public secondary schools, one wonders if the high failure rates and the failure of the students 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 students could be responsible for the observed poor performance of students and the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Nigeria.
Bangbade (2004) found that out that teachers’ professional ethics have significant relationship with students’ academic performance. Such professional ethics 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 students 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 ethics that are considered to be related to student 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 students’ academic scores are not the only predictors of teachers’ professional ethics, researches have sought other fairer ways of evaluating teachers’ education. Students, administrators, colleagues and the teachers’ self evaluation have been used to evaluate teachers’ effectiveness. Students’ competence in the evaluation of the effectiveness of their teachers has been of great concern to researchers in education. However, studies have shown that students’ ratings are valuable indicators of teachers’ effectiveness (Awoyemi, 1986).
Despite the fact that there are researches reports in support of students’ rating of their teachers’ education, Balogun (1994)warned that students rating should be one of a comprehensive evaluation system and should not be the only measure of teachers’ effectiveness.
Teachers’ professional ethics 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 students’ 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 students in Nigeria secondary 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 ethics affect students performance. In a way therefore, what constitutes competence in teaching is intimately connected with the type of teacher education programmes available for preparing secondary school teachers.
The Central problem of this study therefore is to investigate the effects of teachers’ professional ethics on students’ performance especially in Lagos Secondary Schools.
1.3 Purpose of The Study
The purpose of the study are:
- To investigate the effect of teachers’ professional ethics on students’ academic performance.
- To identify how teachers interest on the job affects student performance.
- To highlight the professional relevance of teachers ethics on students performance.
- To evaluate factors responsible for students rate of academic performance in higher institution.
Relevant Research Questions
The study will be guided by the following research questions
- How does teachers’ professional ethic affect students’ academic performance?
- How does teachers interest on the job affects student performance?
- What effect does teachers’ professional ethic have on students performance?
- What are the factors responsible for students’ poor academic performance in higher institution?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The study will test the following null hypotheses:
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between teachers’ professional ethic and students’ academic performance.
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between rate of interest on the job and students’ academic performance.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is significant because it will provide insight into the psychological needs of teachers in Lagos 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 students.
1.7 Scope and delimitation of the Study
The research is limited to the Local Government area of Lagos State owing to financial and time constraint. The research is confined to five selected institution in Local Education District IV, Yaba, Lagos.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Ethics: The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession.
Teacher: A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and students (adults).
Professional: A room or place especially in a school in which classes are conducted.
Student Performance: This shows the result of students’ assessment, test and examination. It can be said to be the accomplishment of students achievement measured against preset known standards of accuracy, completeness, etc
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