EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, TEACHER QUALITY AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS, NORTH CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

Educational services refer to the services available for teachers to improve their quality and promote teacher effectiveness in the school system, while teacher quality is a degree of excellence especially as it relates to high level of competency and worth of teachers. Specifically, the study examined the extent to which provision and utilization of educational services relate to teacher quality and students’ academic performance.

Correlational survey design was adopted and it was conducted ex-post facto. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 3,360 participants out of 8,800 target population, (3080 teachers and 280 principals). The respondents were selected from 280 (35%) Schools out of the 800 Public Senior Secondary Schools in the North Central Zone, of Nigeria as at the time of this study. Three researcher-designed instruments, namely, Availability of Educational Services Questionnaire (AESQ), Teacher Quality Assessment Questionnaire (TQAQ), and Students’ Academic Performance Proforma (SAPP), were used to collect relevant data for the study. The instruments were validated by six experts in Educational Management, Science Education, Measurement and Evaluation and Statistics. The coefficients of reliability of AESQ and TQAQ after a three week test-retest were found to be 0.75 and 0.78 respectively. Six research questions and nine hypotheses were formulated and tested. Means and Percentage were used to answer the research questions raised. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the main hypothesis. In addition, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistical Methods were used to test the operational hypotheses, all at 0.05 significance level.

The findings revealed that provision of library service, computer services and education resource centers services were found to be grossly inadequate (22%, 37% and 38%) as indicated by the teacher responses. The average success rate of students in West African Senior Schools Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) from 2004 to 2008 was 12.0%. The Fitted Multiple Regression Model was significant at α = 0.05, indicating that there was significant relationship among educational services, teacher quality and students’ academic performance (p-value < 0.05, R2 = 0.51). The hypotheses tested indicated that there was significant and positive relationship among the provision of library services, supervision of instruction, teachers’ in-service training and students academic performance (r=0.54, p < 0.05 and r=0.52, p < 0.05 and r = 0.70, p < 0.05) respectively. The results further showed that there was a significant, positive and strong relationship among the use of computer aided instruction, education resource centre services, teacher academic qualification and students’ academic performance (r = 0.54; p < 0.05; r = 0.80, p < 0.05 and r = 0.53, p < 0.05) respectively. The result further indicated that there was a significant, positive and strong relationship among teachers’ professional qualifications, teachers’ experience and students’ academic performance (r = 0.71, p < 0.05 and r = 0.73, p < 0.05) respectively.

The implication of these findings was that students’ academic performance cannot be determined with a single factor of teacher quality alone but may be determined by the extent to which a combination of educational services are concurrently provided for them. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended, among others, that old students’ association, philanthropists and well meaning individuals in the society should assist in the provision of essential educational services like libraries and computer laboratories for effective teaching and learning. Also the acquisition of computer skills should be the basis for promotion for secondary school teachers. Periodic review of remuneration of teachers should be given top priority but it must be based on teachers’ and students’ performance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1

Background to the Study

1.2

Statement of the Problem

1.3

Purpose of the Study

1.4

Significance of the Study

1.5

Scope and Limitation of the Study

1.6

Definition of Major Variables and Terms

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1

Concept of Teacher Quality

2.2

Teacher Quality and Internal Efficiency

1. Teachers’ Qualification and Students’ Academic Performance

in Secondary Schools

1. Teaching Experience and Students’ Academic Performance

in Secondary Schools

1. Teachers’ Attitude to Teaching Profession and Students’

Academic Performance in the Secondary Schools

2.6   Concept of Educational Services

1. Library Services for Promoting Students’ Academic

Performance in Schools

1. Distance Education as a means of Enhancing Teacher

Quality

2.9

Information Technology and Distance Education

2.10

Concept of Educational Supervision

2.11

Theoretical Framework on Educational Services,

Teacher Quality and Students’ Academic Performance

2.12

Appraisal of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD

3.1

Research Design

3.2

Research Questions

3.3

Research Hypotheses

3.4

Sample and Sampling Techniques

3.5

Research Instruments

3.6

Validity and Reliability of Instruments

3.7

Procedure for Data Collection

3.8

Method of Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS OF

DATA AND DISCUSSION

4.1

Descriptive Statistics

4.2

Hypotheses Testing

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1

Summary

5.2

Conclusion

5.3

Recommendations

References

Appendix I (Questionnaire for the Teachers)

Appendix II (Questionnaire for the Principals)

Appendix III (Analysis of WASSCE Result)

Appendix IV (Sampled Public Senior Secondary Schools)

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1

Large Distance System

Table 2

Schools Sample Size

Table 3

Teachers Sample Size

Table 4

Teachers’ Academic Qualifications

Table 5

Teachers’ Academic Qualifications State Cross

Tabulation

Table 6

Percentages of Respondents by Professional

Qualifications

Table 7

Teaching Experience of the Principals sampled

Table 8

Percentage of Respondents who are Computer Literate

Table 9

Library Services

Table 10

In-service Training of Teachers

Table 11

Provision of ICT Laboratory for Teachers

Table 12

Provision of Internal Supervision of Instruction

Table 13

Provision of Education Resource Centre (ERC) Services

Table 14

Students’ Academic Performance in WAEC 2004-2008

Table 15

Correlation Coefficient Matrix Table

Table 16

Regression analysis on the relationship among

educational services, teachers’ quality and students’

academic performance

Table 17

Relationship between provision of functional libraries for