CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Teaching is a very complex activity that is affected by the subject matter, the time available, the teachers factor, the disposition of the learners and resources. A distinction can be made between the pedagogical perspectives of teaching which includes the selection and organization of teaching material, method of organization of teaching materials, method of instruction and assessment as well as the interpersonal relationship between teachers and students.There are essential interpersonal relationship between teachers and students. Since teachers prefer a disciplined environment for learning, whereas others want to create a pleasant classroom atmosphere where students feel safe to take risks and be creative. (Roselland Aelterman 2006).
Success in any worthwhile endeavor may be contingent upon certain critical variables or factors. This can also be said of student’s performance in school. Good achievement in schooling would be the affective (attitude) and psychomotor domains. Adodo (2005) argued that one key overriding factor for the success of overall performance in their academic pursuit is the teacher. In the same vein, Ibrahim (2000) believed that teacher’s qualification level and exposure can go a long way to bringing a discernible difference in the quality of students produced.
Ademulegun (2011) argued that students taught by more qualified and experienced teachers in terms of knowledge of the subject matter perform better than those taught by less qualified but experienced teachers.The educational analysis undertaken in Nigeria by the Federal Government through the instrumentality of National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS, 2005) indicate that more than forty nine percent (49%) of the teachers in Nigeria are unqualified. This sport-lighted the quality of workers constituting the teaching profession in various school subjects in the secondary school in Nigeria. The teachers responsible for teaching social studies as a subject in the various Junior Secondary Schools would probably be among the said over forty percent unqualified teachers. As important as knowledge of Social Studies in providing them with the necessary skills for social, cultural, and economic integration in the society, it appears student’s achievement in this subject at the secondary school level in dwindling than in the other related subjects.
The teachers’ instrument (TI), teachers’ attitude (TA), teachers’ qualifications (TQ), teachers’ workload (TW), in terms of number of students handled by teachers and the experience possessed by teachers (TE), teaching the subject as a subjects coupled with the students’ attitude (SA) toward the subject may be responsible in part of the downward trend in achievement observed in the results of the students in the subject. (Ogunboyede, 2011).Attitude as a factor could be viewed as a totality of an individual’s inclination towards object, institution or idea. The learner from the teachers’ disposition to form attitude towards learning which could positively or negatively affect his or her performance. Teachers’ effectiveness may be prime determinant of performance in the subject. Ineffective teaching in secondary schools arises probably from the quality of teachers recruited to teach. In many secondary schools, subjects are taught by people who are neither interested or qualified in teaching the subject. Secondary schools teachers need to be professionally qualified to enable them work effectively with pupils in stimulating and directing their growth in the desired directions.Studies have also shown that teachers’ experience exerts a great influence on the academic achievement of students’.
Ademulegun (2011) argued that a good foundation is necessary to attract more students while Oke (2003) stressed that performance in separate subjects at the junior secondary school may be due to the foundation laid on Social Studies learnt at the elementary and junior secondary levels. Ilugbusi, Falola and Daramola (2007) showed that teaching experience in external examination such as West African Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), National Examination Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Education Examination (NABTEB) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).