THE CHALLENGES OF TEACHERS AND THE EFFECT ON THE ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS IN SECONDARY
SCHOOL
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACK GROUND TO THE STUDY
Traditionally, teachers are encouraged to believe that the learning environment
must be orderly and quiet. For some principals, a quiet classroom means effective
teaching. With the growing movement toward cooperative learning, however, more
teachers are using activities in which students take an active role. Sharing ideas and
information with various activities occurring at the same time can make for noisy
classrooms. But it would be a mistake to conclude that in such classrooms students are
not learning Carr et al. (2000). The classroom management and mastering order inside
the classroom are the most important factors in educational process and basic
requirements. They are considered the basic problems which face the teacher since
teachers complain about mastering the order inside the classroom, and it consumes much
effort and time, and they are considered as sensitive, important and critical factors for the
teacher’s success or failure in his tasks.
The concept “classroom order” point to the learner’s behavior discipline according to the
followed systems and rules which facilitate the process of classroom interaction towards
achieving the planned goals (Marei and Mustafa 2009).
Glavin (2002) states that the behavioral problems may appear as a result of: inappropriate
skills which students learn, choosing inappropriate time for learning, and the restricted
learning opportunities offered to students. Teachers do not generally want to give control
to their students. They are instructed that the mark of a good teacher is the teacher who
controls the class (Taylor 1999). The amount of control that teachers have in the class is
often seen by the administration as a measurement of the quality of a teacher.
Administrators are usually happy if a teacher never sends a student to the office and
interpret this as proof that the teacher is in control and must be doing a good job
(Edwards 2004). The school behavioral problems considered the most dangerous ones,
which face the components of the educational process (teachers, principals, parents, and
supervisors) .The disorder, theft, properties vandalism, violence against teachers and
student, are the matters that may threaten the educational process (Owidat and Hamdi
2007). Students that practice disruptive behavior causes disciplinary problems in the
classroom and have negative efforts on student, it may also lead to low achievement.
There are many academic and behavioral problems regarding students that face teacher in
the classroom and has a direct impact on the teaching - learning process such as:
forgetting school tools, frequent absence, lack of attention, hyperactivity, inappropriate
talk in the classroom vandalism, disobedience, aggressiveness, refused to do tasks and
school works. There is no instruction without any problems, as long the classroom has
different achievement factors, and different personality. The reasons of academic and
behavioral problems could be classified as follows Al-Alga (2006).
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE STUDY
Nowadays, teachers face many challenges such as; the spread of behavioral and
academic problems that threaten the educational system in most of the schools. These
problems have direct influence on the academic performance of a student. The researcher
implements this study to investigation into the challenges of teachers and the effect on the
academic performance senior secondary students in secondary school.
1.3
THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study was aimed to investigation into the challenges of
teachers and the effect on the academic achievement of senior secondary students in
secondary school.
The researcher hopes that this study will help school teachers, headmistress, headmaster,
principals, educationist, and education planners to identify the challenges faced by
teachers and the effect it has on the academic achievement of senior secondary students
in secondary schools in order to find solutions to decrease the effect of these problems on
the level of teacher participation and student achievement. It will also help the
educational administrators to make decision to face the classroom problems through
teacher training programs.
1.4
THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.
Does the challenge of teachers have any effect on the academic achievement of
senior secondary students in secondary school.
2.
What are the challenges facing school teachers?
3.
What are the academic challenges facing secondary school teachers?
4.
What are the proposed solutions that address the behavioral and academic
classroom challenges facing school teachers?
5. Is there any relationship between teachers’ challenges and students’ academic
performance?
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is significant to the extent that findings would assists the Federal and
State Ministry of Education, National Education Agencies and Foreign and International
bodies in implementing its educational policies and compliance with challenges of
teachers and the effect on the academic achievement of senior secondary students in
secondary school.
1.6
SCOPE / DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study is restricted to the challenges of teachers and the effect on the
academic achievement of senior secondary students in secondary school. However, the
scope of this research work would be invited to an assessment of four selected schools
These schools are listed below:
1. Salawu Abiola Comprehensive High School Osiele, Abeokuta
2. Nawairudeen Grammar school Obantoko, Abeokuta
3. Muslim High School Isolu, Abeokuta
4. Orile Keesi Grammar School Olodo, Abeokuta
1.7
DEFINITION OF TERMS
CHALLENGES: This simply means problem that hindered progress, success of an
activities in an environment or in human daily activities.
TEACHERS: This can be define to as a more knowledgeable that impact knowledge to
the lower reasonable learners within the face wall of the classroom.
EFFECT: This can be refers to as the impact that manipulate activities daily lives.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: This can be measures of educational activities which
can be positives or negatives. It is also measure the outcome, success, grade point,
performance of the students in school.
SECONDARY SCHOOL: This is a school which provides secondary education
between the ages of 11 and 16 or 11 and 18, after primary school and before higher
education. It is divided into two parts; the junior and senior secondary education.