ABSTRACT
The study was set to establish the impact
of in-service teacher training in the academic performance of students in
secondary schools in ayedaade local government area in Osun state. The study was guided by three specific objectives namely;
to establish whether in-service teacher training improves the curriculum in
Ayedaade Local Government Area secondary schools in Osun State; to find out
whether in-service teacher training improves performance of students during
examinations in schools Ayedaade Local Government Area in Osun State and; to
establish whether in-service teacher training improves the degrading quality of
teaching in schools in AYEDAADE Local
Government Area In Osun State. The study used both the quantitative and
qualitative approach. It employed questionnaires and interviews to gather
primary data but also used document review to collect secondary data. Findings
of the study revealed that in service teacher training has a positive influence
on curriculum in secondary schools (p>0.005). It also positively influences
the performance of students during examinations (P<0.005). Importantly also, in-service teacher training
according to the findings improves the degrading quality of teaching in
secondary school (P<0.005). The study recommends that secondary schools
should encourage in-service teacher training for improved performance.
Importantly, teacher training and professional development programs should focus
on core content knowledge, teaching skills, teaching strategies, and assessment
strategies, among others. There should be an alignment of educational programs
content with what teachers teach, need and experience in their classrooms.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The study is about in-service teacher training and academic performance of secondary school students in Nigeria. It focuses on secondary schools in Ayedaade Local Government Area in Osun State, Nigeria. Emphasis is put on schools in Ayedaade Local Government Area (students, teachers, parents) but we also included other key stakeholders in the education sector (e.g. school administrators, the management bodies-school management committees and Parent teachers’ associations, inspector of schools, among others).
In-service teacher training can simply be defined as the relevant courses and activities in which a serving teacher may participate to upgrade his professional knowledge, skills, and competence in the teaching profession. Therefore, it encompasses all forms of education and training given to a teacher who is already on the job of teaching and learning (Osamwonyi, 2016). In-service teacher training allows for such activities that may include seminars, workshops, conferences, classes, exhibitions among others that are designed to develop and improve employees in an organization from the initial employment stage to retirement.
It should be noted that training of teachers on the job (in-service training) is very important in the life of a learner and general performance of the school. Student achievement is linked to numerous factors, but quality teachers are one of the most important components of student success. If school teachers do not have the tools they need to teach students effectively, their students will suffer. To teach effectively, teachers need access to ongoing teacher professional development. This professional development enables teachers to improve their own education through seminars, workshops, and classes among others.
In-service training for teachers has developed mainly in the latest decades; however, there is a long history of actions undertaken for teacher professional development within the Italian school system.
The long, although rather neglected, tradition of in-service teacher training goes back to the Conferenze pedagogiche: they were late 19th century initiatives for improving the knowledge and competence of teachers, mainly in primary schools. At the time the effort to spread literacy was high but the quality of teaching was not considered appropriate, therefore the need to develop teachers’ skills was highly perceived, under the pressures of national reports complaining about the poor performance of teachers and the unacceptable teaching conditions, particularly in the rural areas of the country.
Due to the delay in innovating traditional initial teacher training continuous teacher education has acquired a growing importance during the past 50 years.
In the '50s the concern for quality in primary schools teaching was diffused and many actions were undertaken. However, it was only during the early '70s that in-service training started to be seen as a crucial policy measure within newly adopted education policies: the principle of in-service training as a right and a duty was openly stated in the legislation, under the auspices of long-life learning for everybody. Innovative teacher groups working in schools were strongly demanding new opportunities for professional growth.
In the '80s in-service training developed in some areas and the first national plans were devised and implemented. Language teaching and pupils with special needs were priority areas followed by new technologies. Teacher training became an essential means in supporting school reforms: a five-year plan for all primary school teachers, in connection with the 1990 reform, was designed and implemented. Organizational and institutional bases have developed over the years: from the Centri didattici nationali – national resource centres - set up during the '50s, to the Istituti Regionali di Ricerca, Sperimentazione e Aggiornamenti Educativi – IRRSAE - in the '70s and, more recently, the Piani nazionali e piani provinciali di aggiornamento in the '90s.
Through teacher professional development, teachers learn new teaching strategies to improve the quality of instruction. This allows them to make changes in the way they teach their students, incorporating innovative teaching methods in the classroom. It teaches them how to work with a variety of learning styles, since not all students learn the same way.
Our study focused on some of these rationales thus: improvement of the curriculum, poor performance of students in examinations and the degrading quality of teaching.
Ayedaade Local Government Area has approximately 560 students where 70% are girls. Schools in ayedaade local government area have of late been performing poorly. In the last year (2017) WAEC results, few students obtained a first grade. Although many factors could be responsible for this state of affairs, the poor quality of teachers cannot be under looked. Teachers therefore need continuous in-service training programmes. The available results from ayedaade local Government Area secondary schools show poor performance as follows.
It is clear that the performance has been poor. This is not new because many have pointed to the quality of teachers as the major factor for the poor performance in examinations. Hence the purpose of this study to access the impact of in-service training teacher in the academic performance of students in secondary schools in ayedaade local government area in osun state
The general purpose of the study was to examine the role of in-service teacher training in the academic performance of schools in Nigeria using two secondary schools inayedaade local government area in Osun State.
I. To establish whether in-service teacher training improves curriculum in Ayedaade Local Government Area secondary schools inOsun State.
II. To find out whether in-service teacher training improves performance of students during examinations in secondary schools in Ayedaade Local Government Area inOsun State.
III. To establish whether in-service teacher training improves the degrading quality of teaching in secondary schools in Ayedaade Local Government Area in Osun State.
I. How does in- service teacher training improve school curriculum in Ayedaade Local Government Area secondary schools in Osun State?
II. How does in-service teacher training improve performance of students during examinations in Ayedaade Local Government Area secondary schools in Osun State?
III. How does in-service teacher training improve the degrading quality of teaching in Ayedaade Local Government Area secondary schools in Osun State?
1.6 Scope of the study
The study was based on the two secondary schools at Ayedaade Local Government Area in of Osun State. It was limited to school teachers, students, administrators, district officials, Ayedaade Local Government Area management, parents and other key stakeholders.
The study was limited to the role of in-service teacher training in the academic performance of schools in Ayedaade Local Government Area in Osun State. In otherwords, thestudy sought to establish the link between in-service teacher training and academic performance using Ayedaade Local Government Area secondary schools as a case study.
The study findings may be of great significance to different stakeholders and groups of individuals in the education sector as follows;
The findings of the study may assist head teachers and teachers in general to evaluate and revise guidelines on teaching pedagogies in their schools. More emphasis should be put on training to enhance better school performance. This helps in setting strategies to counter the challenges faced during involvement in educational development and enhance student academic performance in schools. Teachers need to always attend in-service training programmes such as workshops, seminars, exhibitions and classes. Importantly, such programmes help in improving the teaching methods, teacher-pupil relationships and ultimately school performance. If a teacher fails to keep himself in touch with these developments he is proving himself as inefficient and ineffective. In order to achieve this end, it is necessary that a great many opportunities of in-service education should be provided for teachers.
Students should appreciate the findings of the study and understand that a trained teacher is better than untrained one. Temporal absence of teachers in schools while attending in-service training programmes should be appreciated by students because they are the ultimate
beneficiaries.
The school administration generally may benefit from the findings of the study as they will understand that in-service teacher education is one of the most important factors that enhances school performance. As such, they should lay much emphasis on this school function. Schools that don’t undertake in-service teacher training are bound to lag behind others for quite a long time in terms of performance and academic excellence.
