FACTORS THAT AFFECT PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS PERFORMANCE IN THEIR TEACHING CAREER

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A teacher is someone who makes a living by instructing others, particularly children. In either a formal or informal setting, a teacher is someone who instructs others or provides activities, tools, and direction that support learning. Teachers, according to Ighohiro (2012), are individuals who shape a student's character, personality, and show them the way to success. According to Ryan and Cooper (1998), a teacher must demonstrate a repertoire of teaching abilities thought to aid students' learning, as well as attitudes that promote learning and genuine human relationships. They stress the need of instructors making several decisions as they plan for instruction, implement teaching tactics, and evaluate the outcomes of their planning and strategies. Teachers are the primary determinants of educational quality, and they must be both effective and committed.

The essence of good education is good teaching. As a result, teacher preparation is critical in assisting pupils in meeting high academic expectations. Despite this, many people enter the job unprepared, having received subpar training (Ighohiro, 2012). Some teachers may never have undergone any training because they are working without a standard teaching license. Teacher quality procedures in schools should be of a high degree to provide quality education for all students, as instructors are the key to quality education.

The cornerstone of formal education is primary education. It is a necessary component of any nation's educational system at the highest level. Primary schools are the foundation upon which all other levels of education and educational successes are constructed; as such, they are an institution upon which all other levels of education and educational achievements are founded. It prepares the child's thinking and prepares him or her for greater and more difficult scholastic endeavors. It teaches young people the essentials of reading, writing, skill acquisition, information, and attitudes that are required for healthy social integration (Utne, 2006).

In Nigeria, the majority of teachers in government schools face a variety of difficulties. One of these difficulties is dealing with payments. When teachers are promoted, they are entitled to pay their salaries, leave allowances, and arrears.

Teachers' payment issues have been an issue in the different regimes. Teachers were paid wages, leave allowances, transportation allowances, rent allowances, and teaching allowances before but not anymore. Reduced public spending on social services, including education at all levels, was one of the precondition ties imposed by the World Bank and IMF (Utne, 2006). Teachers had difficulties as a result of the reduction in state social services, which included the loss of rent allowance, motivation, transportation allowance, and teaching allowances.

Given their responsibility to convey knowledge and skills to students, teacher motivation has become a critical issue. Teachers' performance was good despite their lack of motivation, according to studies. Furthermore, a number of instructors perform activities with high morale, such as arriving at school early, testing and examining students on a regular basis, and having a high turnout of teachers at staff meetings and school events, to name a few. The study suggested that, in order to improve teacher difficulties and performance at work, primary school teachers' salaries be increased to keep up with rising costs of living, teachers be provided with housing, management be strengthened, and instructors be given prizes for good performance.

"Teachers face many and complex problems," according to Sumra (2003). Low pay and low status are among the issues." Teachers believe that their issues go unheard. Teachers are discouraged as a result of these issues, and the quality of education, including pupils' learning, is sure to decline. According to John (2010), government schools do not provide quality education since teachers are demoralized to perform properly due to low compensation, an uncertain promotion system, and poor treatment from the government. Furthermore, the school environment does not encourage kids to learn, and the status of classrooms is unappealing, implying that instructors' willingness to teach successfully is influenced by their remuneration.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Teachers in Nigeria are confronted with a variety of issues. These issues are interfering with good teaching and learning. Due to the information economy and technological innovation, the job description of today's teachers is a far cry from what it was years ago (Egwu, 2009). In Nigerian public schools, there has also been considerable demand from both parents and the government to improve student performance and school leadership.

Omabe (2006), pointed out that teachers in Nigeria have complained about the government's inability to meet their requirements. Teachers are not sufficiently cared for in terms of receiving their salary and other benefits on a regular and timely basis. Teachers in primary schools are, in fact, the least motivated human resources. Their salaries are not paid on time when the month closes, their promotions are delayed, and their financial involvement is not paid from the moment the promotion occurs. Teachers are unable to carry out their responsibilities of curriculum implementation in order to provide quality education to primary school kids. These issues that primary school teachers confront have recently been shown in Akwa Ibom State, when primary school teachers were forced to go on strike. These problems have caused many primary school students to fail to fail in their academic performance thereby halting growth in terms of cognitive abilities (academic achievements), creative, imaginative, and innovative thinking (Adams, 2018).

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to assess the factors that affect public primary school teachers performance in their teaching career. Specifically, other objectives of this study are:

i.          To examine the challenges primary school teachers encounter in their teaching career

ii.        To determine if the challenges affect the performance of teachers in primary schools

iii.      To determine if the challenges affect the performance of primary school pupils

iv.      To examine ways by which these challenges can be addressed.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          What are the challenges primary school teachers encounter in their teaching career?

ii.        Does these challenges affect the performance of teachers in primary schools?

iii.      Does these challenges affect the performance of primary school pupils?

iv.      What are the ways by which these challenges can be addressed?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study will reveal the causes of the issues that primary school teachers confront in their teaching careers. The study further revealed how these challenges affect the performance of both the teachers and pupils. Additionally, the study will identify measures that education authorities might use to enhance the working conditions of primary school teachers in order to provide quality education to primary school students. Furthermore, the study supplied information by providing more reference materials to interested people, stakeholders, and other researchers in order for them to delve deeper into this topic by employing alternative approaches to tackle the challenges.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on assessing the factors that affect public primary school teachers performance in their teaching career. Specifically, the study will focus on examining the challenges primary school teachers encounter in their teaching career, determining if the challenges affect the performance of teachers in primary schools, determining if the challenges affect the performance of primary school pupils and examining ways by which these challenges can be addressed.

Teachers of selected primary schools in Uyo LGA of Akwa Ibom State will serve as participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study will be limited to assessing the factors that affect public primary school teachers performance in their teaching career. Specifically, the study will be limited to examining the challenges primary school teachers encounter in their teaching career, determining if the challenges affect the performance of teachers in primary schools, determining if the challenges affect the performance of primary school pupils and examining ways by which these challenges can be addressed.

Teachers of selected primary schools in Uyo LGA of Akwa Ibom State will serve as participants for the survey of this study, thus the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Factors: a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result.

Primary school: A primary school, junior school, elementary school or grade school is a school for primary education of children who are five to eleven years of age. Primary schooling proceeds pre-school and precedes secondary schooling

Teachers: A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

Performance: the action or process of performing a task or function.

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