TEACHERS’ IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND JOB PERFORMANCE IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SHOMOLU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF LAGOS STATE

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education is extremely important not only for the success of an individual but for the nation as well. Education is defined as to develop knowledge, skills and character of the students. Its major objective is to make an individual learn about how to level with the society by developing intellect, equipping one’s self to deal with the reality of life and by facilitating realization of self-potential and latent talents of an individual. Education encompasses teaching and learning specific skills, positive judgment, well developed wisdom and profoundness (Duquette, 1993 in Nakpodia, 2011). A successful teacher is required to be equipped with the characteristics like rnastery of subject matter, professional training, sound physical and mental health, devotion and dedication to his profession.

The teacher of today is an individual who is not only interested in children’s acquired knowledge and skills but also equally involved in his total development. The thinking pattern of a teacher often affects the level of commitment and achievements. It is an important indication of the quality teaching and has great impact on teachers and students performance. In an ideal teacher, the perception regarding strengths and characteristics deem necessary which directly indicates the power of one’s own teaching and self efficacy. It is therefore, a prerequisite of successful teaching. Hence, improvement in the perception of a teacher regarding teacher’s role enhances the quality of, teaching. The level at which one evaluates the job requirements also influences one’s teaching abilities, organizational efficiency and teaching effectiveness (Haycock in Sloman 2009). The in- service training program for the teachers of the post graduate level tends to increase the qualities possessed by u good teacher which positively affect the performance of a teacher.

In the modern world, in-service training plays a crucial and pivotal role in improvement of education. To provide quality education, awareness about the role of a teacher is critical and is likely to be measured through different techniques. The number of indications defining good teacher can serve as an indirect measure for evaluating the effects of training program. To meet the institutional needs in terms of skills and knowledge, the roles and capacities of the trainees can be improved through in-service training. Only the trained teachers can set goals for teaching and can organize plans for reaching those goals (Pintrich and Schunk, 2002 in Kihongo, 2011).

Effective teachers have good strategies for helping students. Training works as a catalyst which provokes a significant change in a teacher, redefines roles, broadens vision and enhances the attributes of a teacher. The in-service teacher training enables the teachers to be more systematic and logical in their teaching style. It is frequently expressed that job performance is a function of ability and motivation (Campbell and Pritchard, 1976 in Obisi, 20ll). Performance can be regarded as almost any behaviour, which is directly toward task or goal accomplishment. Good performance among employees in an organization has many implications such as high motivation among employees, outstanding ability, good organizational climate and infrastructure, excellent leadership that can sustain rapport and productivity and good relationship among staff. This refers the positive quality of producing good products and in case, good students’ performance. Noe (2002) in Sahimids, (2008) defines training as planned activities on the part of the organization targeted towards increasing the job knowledge and skills or to modify the attitudes and behaviours of employees in an organization.

Noran and Habibah (1999) in Chiaburu and Teklaeb (2005) studied job motivation and job performance of recipients for excellent service from one of the institution of higher learning. The objective of their studies was to determine in-service training and job performance of the recipients and also to compare in-service training according to gender and work category. The results showed that the overall job motivation was moderate, while job performance was high.

The larger the skills required and those posed by the employees the greater the lack of job satisfaction of the employees and the turnover intention. Although there has been no direct link in the literature between training and job performance. Rowden and Conine (2005) argues that trained employees will better satisfy the needs of their customers. Teachers committed to learning shows a higher level of job satisfaction with a positive effect on their performance. The selection of an evaluation model is very important in relation to what the training provider aims to get out of it. While it is clean that certain teachers are more effective than others at increasing student performance, there is considerably less consensus on whether specific observable teacher characteristics such as education or experience produce higher performance. While most research has focused on general skills, school districts and states often rely on in-service staff development as a way to improve student learning. This on-the-job training seeks to instinct teachers in content as well as pedagogy.

During the last couple of decades, the world of education has undergone quite considerable change. Enormous production in knowledge and information and fast changing and developing technology made societies to be on the meeting the rapidly changing needs of individuals and society in the twenty-first century. In this turbulent times the nature of teaching demands teachers engage utilizing this knowledge effectively and it needs continuing career-long professional development in order to fulfill the professional role of the teacher in the changing contexts in which teachers work and learning takes place.

With the recognition of these facts, today, many countries around the world are attempting to improve the quality of education provided for their children. In today’s schools the need to cope with change can be seen to be necessary at various levels: the global, the institutional and the individual. Ainscow (1994) in Adebile (2009) explains that developing countries are more focused on increasing the participation levels, whilst in more developed countries the concern is with raising standards of achievement. In this sense, supporting teachers in schools is crucial. As world changes and evolves, upgrading the quality of pre-service and in-service teacher education is one of the central concerns for educational systems of many countries. In early 1970s James (1973) in Bunch (2007) noted that firstly knowledge changes, then techniques of teaching change because of the new developments in the world James asserted that*it is only through the growth of in-service training that this gulf between advancing knowledge and practice can be bridged. (P: 15). Hence, during a time of such rapid changes particularly last two decades, training teachers’ on the job has gained more attention. This sort of training aimed educating today’s teachers for changing times in order to ensure that arty changes introduced prove of benefits to learners and that schools are able to face uncertainty with confidence.

Due to strong challenges and complexity of teaching, teachers need to keep on developing their knowledge skills and craft. Referring to secondary teachers, Southworth (1996) in Adebile (2009) emphasizes on the value of on-going support for teachers. He states secondary school teachers do not come ready-made from universities or other initial training routes. Teachers training can only, at best, provide an initial introduction to the skills and demands of class teaching. Yet, beyond the early years of teaching more needs to be done to sustain teachers’ professional development G,.270).In this process, in-service teachers training activities aim to offer teachers to add to their professional knowledge and improve their professional skills in order to educate students more effectively. According to Spence (1996) in Nakpodia (2011), in-service training can take difficult forms in attempting to achieve different objectives in order to bring change in education. In this vein in-service training programme can be classified into three groups: Professional Education: By which in meant a widening and deepening of a teacher’s theoretical perspectives by means of advanced study, Professional Training: the development of knowledge and skills which are of direct applicability to daily work and Professional Support: Activities aimed at developing on-the-job experience and performance.

In this sense any kind of in-service education and training activity may offer practicing teachers to learn about their learning process, improve their understanding of children’s learning, as well as developing a reflective teaching methods and repertoire of the effective strategies to transmit their skills and knowledge into the classrooms. The in-service training program can also facilitate teachers by keep up with new developments in the professional field, put new developments and insights into practice, reflect on one’s own performance, co-operate in policy and practical matters, anticipate and prepare for change, improve the job performance skills (Nakpodia,2011).

Statement of the Problem

Due to growing need of public education throughout the world, there has been a great emphasis on the students’ academic achievement and teacher’s pedagogical skills. One important problem related to this issue is teacher training to bring a positive change in perception of the teachers regarding qualities of a good teacher.

Research has revealed that the major causes of the falling standard of education and teaching effectiveness centres on inadequate effective and efficient training of the teachers. There is a decline in the level of teaching effectiveness due to inadequate in- service teacher training. Also, there is no constant review of training syllabus as most training programs were not tailored to the achievement of educational development and growth of teachers. There is also the problem of poor funding of training programs which have failed to achieve the desired objectives and goals as budgetary allocations for training were insufficient. There are inadequate personnel to impact knowledge to the trainees. In-service training is no longer required as a basis of promotion for teachers hence the decline in teaching effectiveness.

This study was prompted by rising scope of training which has found its way to nearly all spheres of human lives. It has become part and parcel of all good and dynamic organizations/schools as discovered in research. To this background, the study is justified in that, it will explore the benefits of training (if any) in the area of teaching effectiveness. Labour controls and combines other factors of production into useful form. In order to be effective, it must be highly skillful. Teachers must be adequately and continuously trained to achieve teaching effectiveness.

Keeping in view this issue, the present study was design to examine the effects of in-service teacher training programme on perception of the trainees regarding qualities of a good teacher.

Purpose of the Study

The major purpose of this study will be to assess teachers’ in-service training and job performance in selected secondary schools in Shomolu local government area of Lagos state. Specifically, the study sets out to:

1. Examine the influence of in service training on teaching performance.
2. Investigate the significant relationship between in-service training and work relationship
3. Determine the significant relationship between the performances of in-service trained teacher and non in-service trained in terms of methodology.
4. Examine the influence of in-service training on employees’ commitment?

 Research Questions

The following will be the research questions for the study:

1. Does in-service training influence teaching performance?
2. Is there any significant relationship between in-service and work relationship?
3. Is there any significant relationship between the performances of in-service trained teacher and non in-service trained in terms of methodology?
4. Does in service training influences employees, commitment?

Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses will be formulated:

H_o1:      There is no significant relationship between in service training and teaching performance.

H_o2:      There is no significant relationship between in service training and work relationship.

H_o3:     There is no significant relationship between the performances of in-service trained teacher and non in-service trained in terms of methodology.

H_o4:     There is no significant relationship between in-service training and employees’ commitment.

Significance of the Study

The beneficiaries of the outcomes of the study include:

Teachers would be one of the beneficiaries of this study as the findings and recommendations of the study will enable them to appreciate the importance of in-service training program in teaching and learning at the secondary school level of the country’s educational system. Also, teachers, will see this study as an eye opener, in the sense that, it will give them an insight into the appropriate in-service training in the teaching and learning processes at the secondary school.

Head of schools like principals, vice principals etc would benefit from this study, as the findings and recommendations of the study will enable them to understand the importance of in-service training on job performance and the role it plays in the teaching/ learning outcomes.

Parents would benefit from this study because it will enlighten them to know the importance of the in-service training on job performance by their children’s teachers and its effect on their children’s learning outcomes. Also, with the effective application of in-service training’ parents would notice a difference in the performance of their children at the secondary stages of their educational careers.

The society will also benefit from the outcomes of this study because the recommendations of this study will enable the members of the society to understand the effect of in-service training on job performance on teaching and learning at the secondary school level of Nigerian educational system.

Researchers’ both old and new, including students, will see this study as a contact or reference material for their further studies and academic work.

Finally’ the study will help to qualify the researcher as a graduate of Masters in Educational Administration.

Scope of the Study

The study covers the effect of in-service training and job performance in selected secondary schools in Somolu Local Government in Lagos State.

Definition of Terms

The following words were defined as used in the passage:

Training: The process of learning or strengthening a skill.

In-Service: It is a program intended to improve the skills of teachers for better performance.

Teacher: It is a professionally trained person for the purpose of imparting knowledge to a learner.

Empowerment: This is giving of power to workforce (teacher) to carry out duties.

Performance: It is how effective the teachers discharge their duties.

Job: This is an activity engaged in by someone to earn money.

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