AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CORRELATION BETWEEN TEACHING TECHNIQUE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Lifelong learning is a constant process. It is the process of educating and developing people's knowledge, skills, minds, and personalities. It is also the process through which people' latent skills are developed in order for them to be valuable to themselves and society (Olaniyonu, Adekoya and Gbenu, 2008). The quality of instructors has a significant impact on the level of education that children get (Anderson, Michael, 1991). As a result, excellent teaching and learning are beneficial to students' academic success.

At whatever level of education, the basic goal of teaching is to affect a fundamental change in the student (Tebabal & Kahssay, 2011). Teachers should use suitable teaching approaches that best fit particular goals and level exit outcomes to assist the process of information transfer. In contrast to student-centered approaches, many teaching practitioners in the conventional period frequently used teacher-centered methods to convey information to learners. Questions concerning the efficacy of teaching techniques on student learning have sparked a lot of interest in the area of educational research up to now (Hightower Mussev, 2011). Furthermore, teaching and learning research is continually examining the amount to which various teaching strategies increase student learning progress. Surprisingly, the majority of students' low academic performance is directly connected to instructors' use of inadequate teaching techniques to impart information to pupils (Adunola Olaakin, 2011). The quality of teaching is typically mirrored in the successes of learners, according to extensive research on the efficacy of teaching approaches. Teaching, according to Ayeni Alubarika (2011), is a process that entails inducing desired changes in learners in order to attain particular results. In order for a teaching approach to be successful, it must: According to Adunola Alubarika (2011), instructors must be familiar with a variety of teaching styles that recognize the level of complexity of the subjects to be addressed. The subject of the instructor as a factor influencing pupils' academic performance has gotten a lot of attention in the literature, with conflicting and ambiguous results. Years of teaching experience, level of educational attainment or academic qualifications, teacher development programs, availability of qualified teachers, teacher-student ratio, teacher attitude, degree of job satisfaction, motivation, and salary are all factors that affect students' learning outcomes, according to the literature (Daso, Asokan, 2013; Akpo Munira, 2012; Odiri Odey, 2011;Ewetan Awawu, 2010; Akinsolu Akinola, 2010; Adesoji and Olatunbosun, 2008; Bressoux et al, 2008; Adeyemi Mufu, 2008; Abu and Fabunmi, 2005). Another body of research found that a variety of instructor characteristics, such as years of experience, academic achievement or credentials, teacher-student ratio, and teacher development programs, had no significant impact on students' academic performance (Yara and Surumo, 2012; Ayodele and Ige, 2012; Zaku Zakaria,1983).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The teaching style used by teachers has a significant impact on the academic success of pupils in a school. In order to effectively affect the academic performance of senior secondary school pupils, teachers must be adequately equipped/trained in efficient teaching methods. The state of relevance of the topic, the sustainability of the technique, and maybe the instructor who handles both the content and the method are some of the issues impacting students' academic achievement (Daso, Asokan, 2013). As a result, the research will look at the relationship between teaching approach and primary school children' academic progress in Ebonyi state.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study is to investigate the correlation between teaching technique and academic achievement of primary school pupils in Ebonyi state. Specifically, the study will be guided under the following:

i.          To examine the effect of teaching technique on the academic achievement of primary school pupils.

ii.        To find out the relationship between poor class management and control and pupils academic achievement.

iii.      To evaluate the relationship between ineffective usage of teaching aids and pupils academic achievement.

iv.      To proffer recommendation on how to improve teachers teaching technique in other for pupils academic achievement.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

What are the effect of teaching technique on the academic achievement of primary school pupils?

i.          Is there a relationship between poor class management and control and pupils academic achievement?

ii.        Is  there a relationship between ineffective usage of teaching aids and pupils academic achievement?

iii.      What are the recommendation on how to improve teachers teaching technique in other for pupils academic achievement?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will help in examining the correlation between teaching technique and academic achievement of primary school students in Ebonyi state. Hence the study will be significant to primary school board as it will be exposed to the need of  school management in organizing periodic training on teachers teaching technique and how it will improve pupils academic achievement.

The study will also be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature on teaching technique.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study will examine the effect of teaching technique on the academic achievement of primary school pupils. The study will also find out the relationship between poor class management and control and pupils academic achievement. The study will further evaluate the relationship between ineffective usage of teaching aids and pupils academic achievement. Lastly, the study will proffer recommendation on how to improve teachers teaching technique in other for pupils academic achievement. Hence this study will be delimited to Ebonyi state.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Just like any other research, unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, and inability to get data were among the constraints the researcher encountered in the cause of this study. Financial constraint was equally faced by  the researcher, in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires. Furthermore, time factor pose another constraint because the researcher have to shuttle between writing of the research and engaging in other academic work which made it uneasy for the researcher.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Teaching technique: a well-defined procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task

Academic achievement:  performance outcomes that indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were the focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in school, college, and university