CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background to the study
Over the years, teaching quality in Nigerian public secondary schools has been consistently
inadequate and disheartening. Individuals, the general public, the government, and other
stakeholders have expressed concern over this (Akanbi & Romina,2014). This is frequently
due to reasons such as insufficient lesson preparation, poor lesson delivery, the use of
improper educational materials, bad classroom management, and poor lesson assessment.
Akanbi (2014) & Romina (2014) agree that the quality of education in Nigeria today is
critical and cannot be compared to that acquired in the West. Alamirew (2018) goes on to
claim that the quality of education is critical to the school's and students' success.
Recognizing that teachers' behavior can be modified to limit negative effects on instructional
quality delivered in the classroom, quality instruction has evolved to include more than just
recycling the same material over the years, but also how students and communities behave
and interact in larger society. This has prompted concerns about the qualities of instructors in
Nigerian public secondary schools. Teachers have a significant and practical role in the
delivery of excellent teaching, not only for increased academic achievement, but also for the
development of productive persons who can live peacefully with members of society
Clugston & Callder (2015).
These attributes provide the foundation for excellent education. Because students are
considered the future leaders and decision makers, as well as the future developers of societal
institutions, investing in quality instruction at the secondary school level is therefore critical
to producing the complete and quality students required to solve industrial and societal
problems. It is worth mentioning that most prior research employed factors such as
instructors (Ajaja & Eravwoke, 2013), schools (Akanbi, 2014), and students (Humphreys &
Crawfurd, 2015) individually or jointly to establish students' academic performance as a
measure of instruction delivery. However, UNICEF (1998) & Adisa, (2013) studies revealed
that analyzing solely student performance as a measure of teaching quality is insufficient.
Various metrics of instruction delivery have also been constructed in studies (Eric, Rich, &
Shalli, 2010; Adesina, 2012), but none have been compared to instructors' attributes. As a
result, this research looks into the qualities of instructors as a predictor of instruction delivery
in lagos state public secondary schools.
Teachers play an important role in the educational system and have a considerable influence
on their pupils' learning and development. Here are some significant attributes and abilities
that contribute to good instruction delivery:
(1) Subject Knowledge: A competent teacher should have a thorough grasp of the subject
they are teaching. Solid topic knowledge helps them to explain complicated concepts, answer
questions, and offer relevant examples to aid learning.
(2) Communication Skills: Effective communication is essential for instructors. They should
be able to deliver information clearly and simply, using language suited to the pupils' age and
cognitive level. Active listening is also required for effective communication in order to
comprehend students' wants and concerns.
(3) Classroom Management: A good teacher understands how to keep a happy and structured
learning environment. Establishing routines, having clear expectations, and dealing with
disruptive conduct productively are all part of classroom management.
(4) Adaptability: Because each student is unique, teachers must be adaptable in their
educational method to suit diverse learning styles and abilities. They must be willing to
modify their tactics in response to the demands of individual or varied groups of pupils.
(5) Empathy and Patience: Successful instructors exhibit empathy for their pupils and
patience while answering their inquiries and concerns. They recognize that not all students
learn ideas at the same rate and are eager to give further assistance when necessary.
(6) Passion for Teaching: Passionate teachers inspire students by displaying excitement for
their topic and a genuine desire in assisting them in succeeding. Their passion may be
contagious and inspire pupils to participate fully in the learning process.
(7) Use of Technology: Modern teaching approaches frequently include the use of technology
to improve educational delivery. Teachers that are conversant with educational technology
can construct interactive classes, provide multimedia materials, and provide online
collaboration and evaluation platforms.
(8) Assessment and Feedback: Effective instructors routinely examine their pupils'
development in order to discover areas of strength and weakness. They give timely and
constructive comments to assist students understand their performance and steer them toward
progress.
(9) Continuing Professional growth: Good teachers recognize the need of continual learning
and growth. They remain current on the newest research, teaching approaches, and
educational trends in order to continuously improve their instructional skills.
(10) Positive Relationships: Building positive relationships with students fosters a supportive
and respectful learning environment. Teachers who show care, respect, and trust towards
their students often see improved engagement and achievement in the classroom. Overall,
teachers who possess these characteristics and qualities are more likely to create a positive
and effective learning environment that nurtures the intellectual, emotional, and social growth
of their students.
1.2. Statement of the problem
The problem of instruction delivery in Nigeria seems to be appropriately associated with
teachers’ characteristics (qualification, experience, and professionalism). Although research
abounds on factors affecting instruction delivery; available studies have ignored the relative
and combined effects of teacher characteristics. The search for a possible relationship
between instruction delivery and teachers’ characteristics has therefore become imperative
considering the quality of education in Nigerian secondary schools. This challenge perseveres
because previous studies have not attained adequate details on the progress of issues
regarding the instruction delivery in the school system. Teachers may experience difficulties
in keeping pupils involved and motivated throughout classes, resulting in worse learning
results (Brophy 2019).
Teachers may face challenges in maintaining student engagement, integrating technology
effectively, addressing diverse learning needs, providing timely feedback, relying heavily on
lecture-based teaching, addressing classroom management issues, and lacking professional
development. As inadequate use of technology is increasing some instructors may fail to
properly incorporate technology into their teaching, limiting the use of new instructional
approaches. Byker, E. J., Michael Putman, S., Polly, D., & Handler, L. (2018). These factors
can lead to reduced learning outcomes, limited differentiation, insufficient feedback,
overreliance on lecture-based teaching, classroom management issues, and a lack of
professional development opportunities. Addressing these issues can help teachers develop
innovative instruction methods and improve the learning experience for their students. By
addressing these issues, teachers can create a more engaging and effective learning
environment for their students and a lack of chances for teacher professional development
may impede the adoption of new teaching methodologies and best practices (Guskey, 2019).
As teachers play a crucial role in shaping students' educational experiences, and their
characteristics can significantly impact the learning environment. Some potential problems
associated with teachers' characteristics include lack of subject knowledge, ineffective
communication skills, lack of enthusiasm and passion, overemphasis on discipline, biases and
favouritism , resistance to change, inadequate adaptability, lack of empathy and
understanding, inconsistent grading and evaluation, and inadequate classroom management
skills and addressing the unique learning requirements of children in a classroom can be
difficult for teachers, resulting in inadequate diversification of instruction (Tomlinson, 2017).
These issues can lead to gaps in students' understanding, confusion, and difficulty engaging
them in the learning process. Discipline and classroom management issues can disrupt the
learning environment and negatively impact instruction delivery (Marzano & Marzano,
2017). While most teachers possess positive traits that benefit students, some may pose
challenges. For example, teachers with lack of subject knowledge may struggle to effectively
convey information and answer students' questions, leading to gaps in understanding.
Ineffective communication skills can hinder teachers from conveying ideas clearly, leading to
confusion and difficulty engaging students in the learning process. Lack of enthusiasm and
passion can also lead to disinterest and a negative impact on academic performance. Teachers
may fail to offer timely and constructive feedback, which can hamper students' development
and negatively impact their learning experience (Hattie & Timperley, 2017).
Overall, teachers play a vital role in shaping students' educational experiences, and their
characteristics can impact the learning environment. Professional development, training, and
ongoing support can help teachers address and overcome these challenges. Teachers may fail
to offer timely and constructive feedback, which can hamper students' development and
negatively impact their learning experience (Hattie & Timperley, 2017).
1.3. Purpose of the Study
The broad objective of this study is to impact teachers characteristics and quality of
instruction delivery in Public/ Private senior secondary school in Lagos State Education
district V. However, the specific objectives are to:
i. Examine the impact between Teacher Experience and Expertise on student performance
in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
ii. Assess the effectiveness of instruction delivery on student performance in public /
private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
iii. Assess the impact of professional development on teachers effectiveness in public /
private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
1.4. Research Questions
i. How does Teacher Experience and Expertise have significant effect on student
performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V ?
ii. Does effectiveness of instruction delivery have significant effect on student
performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
iii. How does professional development on teachers effectiveness have significant on
student performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district
V.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
For the purpose of this research work, three hypotheses are proposed:
Hypothesis One
Ho: Teacher Experience and Expertise does not have a significant effect on student
performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
H1: Teacher Experience and Expertise has a significant effect on student performance in
public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
Hypothesis Two
Ho: Effectiveness of instruction delivery does not have a significant effect on student
performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
H1: Effectiveness of instruction delivery has a significant effect on student performance in
public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
Hypothesis Three
Ho: Professional development on teachers effectiveness does not have a significant effect on
student performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
H1: Professional development on teachers effectiveness has a significant effect on student
performance in public / private senior secondary school in Lagos state district V.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The school management which has the legal obligation to collect check and access the ability
of its teachers is expected to scrutinize and pay close attention to the study's conclusions. The
management whose resources are devoted to teachers and students evaluation will also gain
from it to the wider public as well. The results of this study will assist the government and
school decision-makers in determining whether teachers characteristics has an impact on
student performance or not. However, are not intended to refute previously published related
research works, rather they are intended to be of significant importance to the school
management by supporting the arguments made in those studies and corroborating the
literature already in existence on teaching skills and Students performance Lagos State,
which will act as a reference point for further research.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The focus of this study is to examine the effects of teachers characteristics. Variables of this
study constitutes teacher experience and expertise, effectiveness of instruction delivery and
professional development on teachers effectiveness, all of which are selected in the sample.
The study is based on primary data obtained from schools under Lagos State District V.
1.8 Limitation to the Study
This study is restricted to the issue of senior secondary school as it pertains to growth and
progress, as well as how teacher experience and expertise, technology and teaching aids and
parental involvement can address this issue. Due to the restricted amount of data that was
accessible, this investigation is additionally constrained by time and epileptic power supply.
Additionally, the study was restricted to Lagos State Distict V and only examined one of the
many difficulties facing the development of students in the sample.
1.9 Operational Definition of Term
Teacher experience: Teacher experience refers to the amount of time an educator has
spent teaching or working in the field of education. It is often measured in terms of years
of teaching experience. Experienced teachers have typically been in the profession for a
considerable period and their teaching skills, strategies, and classroom management
techniques tend to improve with time. They become more familiar with different teaching
methodologies, curricula, and the diverse needs of their students.
Teacher expertise: Expertise in teaching goes beyond just the number of years a teacher
has been in the profession. It involves a combination of factors, including subject, matter,
knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, classroom management, student-cantered approach
etc.
Teacher: A teacher is an individual who imparts knowledge, skills, and guidance to
others, typically in a formal setting such as a school or educational institution. The
primary role of a teacher is to facilitate learning and understanding among students,
helping them acquire new information, develop critical thinking abilities, and cultivate
various skills.
Teacher characteristics: The definition of teacher characteristics refers to the essential
qualities, attributes, and skills that make a teacher effective in their role as an educator.
These characteristics play a crucial role in shaping the teaching-learning process,
fostering a positive classroom environment, and promoting student growth and
development. While individual teachers may possess a unique combination of traits, some
common teacher characteristics include passion for teaching, knowledge and expertise,
effective communication skills, adaptability, empathy and caring, classroom management
etc.
Teachers instruction delivery: Teachers' instruction delivery refers to the methods and
techniques they use to present information and facilitate learning in the classroom. It
encompasses a wide range of teaching strategies, communication styles, and classroom
management approaches that aim to engage students and enhance their understanding of
the subject matter. Effective instructional delivery is crucial for creating a positive and
productive learning environment.