TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL GEO-POLITICAL ZONE, NIGERIA.

Stephen Usman¹, Azan, Baba James², Elisha, Bulus Gidinye³, Yakubu Mikailu Machuwe⁴

¹Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Nasarawa State University, Keffi,

²Department of English and Literary Studies, Nasarawa State University, Keffi

³Dean Student Affairs, Ipere College of Eduction Agyaragu, Nasarawa State,

⁴Department of General Studies, Ipere College of Education, Agyaragu Nasarawa State

Email: usmanstephen.ndo@gmail.com, azanbaba240@gmail.com, elbulusgidinye@gmail.com, Mikailu4real@gmail.com

Abstract

This study examined the teachers’ professional competence and their impact on students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria. Seven (7) research questions and four (4) hypotheses were formulated and tested for the study. Related literatures as well as empirical studies were also reviewed. The ex-post facto design was adopted for the study. The Population of the study was 27,221 and 5,496 Teachers, Principals’ and Students representing 20.2% of the total Population were sampled from 216 Senior Secondary Schools using tetrachoric random sampling. A 8-item instrument was developed for data collection titled ‘’Teacher Competence and Students’ Performance Questionnaire (TCSPQ). The instrument used for the study was a modified four point-Likert type questionnaire of Strongly Agreed (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviations were used to answer the seven research questions, while chi-square (X²) test of goodness of fit was used to test the three hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance and multiple correlations (R) was used to test hypothesis four. The findings revealed that Teacher professional competence below average (2.43) on students’ academic performance in senior secondary Schools in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that stakeholders in education should encourage teachers’ through attending conference, workshops, seminars and in-training service or sandwich programmes to develop professionally in senior secondary schools.

 Keyword: Teacher, Professional Competence, Students, Academics Performance and Secondary School.