THE IMPACT OF TEACHERS AND QUALIFICATION ON STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Primary education is the initial level of compulsory education. It is preceded by pre-school or nursery education, and it is followed by secondary education. Basic education is necessary for children in most countries, and it is lawful for parents to provide it. Primary education's major goals are to guarantee that all pupils have a basic grasp of reading and math, as well as to provide a foundation in science, mathematics, geography, history, and other social sciences. All nations have a responsibility and a duty to provide high-quality education. This is due to rapidly changing technology and labor market demands, which have shifted the educational focus. Primary education is frequently provided in a school environment, with students enrolling in progressively difficult courses until they complete it and move to high school or secondary school.   It is both an investment and a tool that can be utilized to accelerate the country's economic, social, political, technical, scientific, and cultural growth. This investment is instilled in students from primary to secondary school through the subjects they are exposed to.

In most schools, mathematics is taught by people who have merely a secondary education in mathematics, such as physics, chemistry, biology, and even economics graduates. Mathematics is described as a method of thinking that encourages the use of precision, logic, and systematic organization. Mathematics also offers us with strong theoretical and computational approaches for improving our knowledge of the global and social challenges, as well as developing and managing the technological sectors that support our economy. Children are usually placed in classrooms with a single teacher who will be responsible for their education and well-being during the school year. A notable feature of the primary school system is the chance to create a personal relationship with a single teacher and the prospect of developing a close relationship with the class.

A teaching qualification is one of various academic and professional degrees that permits someone to work as a qualified primary or secondary school teacher. Such degrees include the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), the Professional Graduates Diploma in Education (PGDE), the Bachelor of Education, and the National Certificate of Education (NCE).  Educators and academics have been debating for years which school characteristics influence student success (Darling 2000). Ferguson (1991) discovered from his research in Texas that "good teachers had demonstrable impact on pupils examination scores" (p.465). According to Sander, "variations in the competency of individual classroom teachers" are the "single variable affecting scholastic development of populations of children" (1998). (p.27). Examining the relationships between teacher certification, college/graduate school year, years of experience, and student success in mathematics may be beneficial to teachers and school leaders. According to the Alabama teacher equity plan, a well-prepared teacher is a critical determinant in student learning (2006).

According to the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). All instructors in essential academic disciplines must be highly qualified. Hence to be regarded highly qualified, instructors must show that they have adequate subject-matter knowledge and teaching abilities to be successful teachers, according to the NLCB. Highly qualified instructors must, in particular: -

i.          Hold a teaching license after obtaining complete state certification as a teacher and passing the state teacher licensing examination.

ii.        Demonstrate subject matter expertise in each of the academic disciplines he or she instructs, and

iii.      You must have a bachelor's degree at the very least. Jante Ecker, Ontario's Education Minister, stated in 1999 that in order to retain teacher certifications and deliver the greatest level of education to pupils, governments must require teachers to have necessary skills and knowledge.

From the above it becomes pertinent to observes how teachers qualification affect student academic performance in mathematics.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Educational planners, policymakers, and administrators throughout the world have been more worried about the quality of education delivered by the school system in recent decades. They have realized that many significant changes in the quality of education received by schoolchildren are heavily dependent on the quality of educators (Anderson, 1991). Importantly, s tudies have shown that instructors need to be academically qualified in their numerous teaching disciplines. In a study conducted by Etim (1985), he  discovered that teachers learned adequate abilities from a preparation program to teach their topics at any  school level. This emphasizes the need of teachers receiving sufficient subject-matter training so that their classroom instruction is above board. Otuka (1987) linked the misconceptions  of  pupils to be associated with that held by their professors. Therefore t eacher understanding of specific subject matter, particularly at the primary level, is also a good predictor of student progress, according to research. Monk (1994) discovered a strong link between teacher subject matter preparation in mathematics and student success for both low and high-scoring students, while Goldhaber & Brewer (2002) discovered that students perform better in mathematics when they are taught by a teacher who has a bachelor's or master's degree in mathematics. However, the importance of having a basic understanding of mathematics cannot be overstated. The mathematics instructor (teacher) at the lowest level of education (primary school) must be qualified since mathematics is the basis upon which "everything" is built. It will be tough to construct on a shaky basis. Secondary school instructors make every effort, yet it is in vain. Why? It's due to the fact that they're constructing on "nothing" and a shaky basis. Depending on the quality of the instructor who initially exposed the "innocent" pupils to the topic, phobias and bad attitudes about learning mathematics might develop straight away. This concerning situation, as well as the need to improve students' mathematics learning and achievement in Nigeria, necessitates further investigation on the effect of teacher’s qualification on the academics performance of pupils in Mathematics in primary schools.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this study is to examine the effect of teacher’s qualification on the academics performance of students in Mathematics in primary schools. Specifically, the study seeks to:

i.          To ascertain if teacher’s competence impact the teaching-learning  of mathematics in primary school

ii.        To investigate the level teachers qualification which affects pupil’s performance in   mathematics.

iii.      To determine if there is a significant difference in the performance of pupils taught by highly qualified teachers than ones taught by unqualified teachers

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

HO1:  Teacher’s competence does not impact the teaching-learning  of mathematics in primary school.

HO2:  There is no significant effect of teacher’s qualification on the academics performance of students in Mathematics in primary schools.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE THE STUDY

It is envisaged that a careful identification of the teachers’-qualifications will provide the state education board with possible means of improving student’s performance in the subject as it concentrates on the issues of teacher quality. The study will also help Further Mathematics teachers to see the need to improve their knowledge on the subject; by way of seminar and workshops or additional academic qualification so as to appropriately have more positive impact on their students.n. This study has provided the teacher and educational policy makers with information on the need for retraining so as to keep the teacher abreast with the latest and best practices in their area of specialization to give out the best in the dissemination of knowledge to the students.Findings of the study will also contribute to the body of knowledge and serve as a reference material to both scholars and student who wishes to con duct further studies in related field.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study borders on  the effect of teacher’s qualification on the academics performance of students in Mathematics in primary schools. The study will further discuss if teachers competence affect teaching-learning of mathematics. More so the study will consider if there is any difference in the test score of pupils taught by qualified teachers than those taught by unqualified teachers.The study is however delimited to Suleja Local government in Niger State.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only  secondary schools in  Suleja Local government in Niger State.. Thus findings of this study cannot be generalized for other primary schools in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8            DEFINITION OF TERMS

Student academic performance: Refers to the display of knowledge attained or skilled developed in school subject designated by test and examination scores or marks assigned by the subject teacher to the students. This shows a valued judgment placed on various means of evaluation of teaching-learning.

Mathematics: Is a very desirable tool virtually all spheres of human endeavors be it science, engineering, industry, technology, and even the arts it is a key subject in the school curriculum and is considered a knowledge that is indispensable to an educated person

Mathematics Test: This is a criterion test which includes varieties of questions. The questions require pupils to choose out of four options and individual pupils are scored into 4 levels.

Teachers’ qualification: - Research shows that mathematics teachers quality is unevenly distributed in schools and students with the greatest needs tend to have access to the least qualified and least effective teachers (Peske and Haycock 2006)

 Subject Major: - Area of concentration of individual teacher.

Teaching Experience: - Teachers will be categorized according to whether or not they had more than five years of teaching experience mathematics. Peske and Haycock (2006) said that years of experience and educational background are useful indicators for measures of teacher quality. Yet while they are associated with characteristics, they do not guarantee success in student’s academics performance

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