TEACHING METHODS AND STUDENTS PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

1.1 Introduction

Teaching Method is a teaching device or strategy adopted by a teacher to teach a lesson, this includes the use of games, text books etc. that stimulates learning. Teaching is an act of impacting knowledge to a learner (Okenze, 2016). In the teaching and learning of some secondary school subjects, there are different types of teaching methods which can be used to impact knowledge to students effectively. Appropriate teaching methods give rise to an enriched learning and environment and hence better learning outcome (Uche and Awujo 2014). Some of which are cooperative method, discussion method, problem solving method, demonstration method among others. There are different teaching methods employed in science education in Nigeria secondary schools especially in the study of some secondary school subjects.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Education is the most effective agent of social and personal transformation that leaves a relatively formative effect on learners. The primary purpose of teaching at any level of education is to bring a fundamental change in the learner through various teaching and learning methods (Oigara, 2011). The effectiveness of this teaching and learning process largely depends on the choice of the teacher’s teaching method. Whalen (2012) alludes that effectiveness of a teaching method is reflected in the outcome of the teaching-learning process inform of marks, grades and mean scores.

Studies on teaching methods in English Language are not something new in educational research. A large number of studies have been done on this area. Pascarella and Trenzini (2005) have written a compendium of research studies conducted in this area over the past three decades.

Svinicki (2000) suggests that these studies on teaching methods conducted in the past decades are so overwhelming that it would be impossible to go over them all in detail. For many decades, the search for better teaching methods to provide the best learning has been the goal of education. Flexibility is crucial in adapting teaching methods in the class. Since all teachers are different, the strategies they use, and the way they use them will depend on the context and situation of their class (McCornac et al., 2005), as well as their own personality and biases.

Teaching methods are used to impart knowledge to students they are the means by which the teacher attempts to impart the desired learning or experience (Ndirangu, 2007). The choice of a particular method of teaching by the teacher determined by number of factors which includes the content to be taught, the objectives which the teacher plans to achieve availability of teaching and learning resources and the ability and willingness of the teacher to improvise if convectional teaching aids are not available, evaluation and follow-up activities and Individual learner differences (Ndirangu, 2007).

Teaching methods are categorized into teacher-centered approaches and learner centered approaches (Oigara, 2011). Teacher-centered approaches include lecture method, drilling and questioning. In teacher centered approach, learning takes place when teachers teach and later examine taught concepts by giving students exercises related to the teacher’s presentation during or after the lesson. This is for the purpose of finding out whether students grasped the knowledge passed on to them by the teacher. It is considered sensible for teachers to be familiar with the language which the students are using to learn. Language is key to the process of teaching as well as assessing or testing so as to discover the weakness of the students or areas they did not understand in the course of learning (Brad, 2000).

Learner-centered approaches of teaching involve a state where students construct their own understanding of the content and develop a personal feeling about the learnt concepts (Collins, 2003). This means that student centered approach puts much focus on enquiry and problem-based learning thereby making students as the center point of learning. The methods in Learner centered approaches include question, answer, group work, demonstration, guided learning, role play/drama, and project based learning.

The significance of student led learning approach is that students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. The student-learning model puts more emphasis on a student as a central component of teaching-learning process in school. The instructor creates platforms and avenues for students to learn independently and from one another and offers supportive supervision to students as they learn. The efficiency of this teaching and learning procedure largely rests on the choice of the teacher’s teaching method.

English Language subject, which is a core and compulsory subject that contributes to the overall mean score of a student at both the school and national level has been poorly performed both in internal examinations and external exams including Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE). Out of the possible 100 percent mark score, majority of secondary schools Nigeria have been scoring a mean grade of between 51.02 and 44.879 between the years 2013 to 2017 (Lang’ata Sub-County Education Office Report, 2018).

According to Mocho (2012), poor methods of teaching have been blamed for English Language subject’s underachievement because Kiswahili teachers are left with the prerogative of deciding what topic and when to teach it in a given level of learning for example forms one, two, three or four. Some Kiswahili teachers go to the extent of teaching all related aspects of a topic at a certain level without considering the cognitive ability of a learner and the level of learning a learner is in.

Further, Odundo (2013) asserts that English Language i teachers have a tendency to choose familiar pedagogical methods like the lecture method, drilling and questioning, which may in turn affect learning achievement negatively.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Teaching Methods and Students Performance in English Language.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the expectation every school in Nigeria is that the students are taught in English using the adopted English curriculum. Taught in English is the catch phrase because the school being studied has an enrolment of less than 10% fluent, first language English speakers (Gomes, 2015).

Education system in Nigeria has been in crisis for many years largely due to the fact that the sector is poorly funded. This has led to shortage supply of learning materials and human resources being experienced in the system. Inadequate qualified teachers, high turnover rate of teachers, shortage of classroom, and poor remuneration of teachers and a host of other problems abound in the education sector (Dewett, 2007).

The economic crisis experienced in Nigeria impacted on the education system and had played a major role in the decline of the quality of Education offered in the country (Olabiyi and Abayomi 2010).

In order to achieve academic success and attain a JSSCE in the local schools students must be presented with opportunities to develop and grow in the English language, while studying and mastering core curriculum subjects that are taught exclusively in English. Authorities in schools seek ways to develop and guarantee fluency using the best method for providing students with the tools necessary to study and succeed in an English-speaking classroom.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Teaching Methods and Students Performance in English Language. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To determine the extent to which teachers’ attitude influence the performance of students in English language in Junior Secondary School;
2. To examine the extent to which teachers’ teaching method influence English language students performance in Junior Secondary School; and
3. To investigate the extent to which teachers’ academic qualifications influence English language students performance in Junior Secondary School.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• To what extent do teachers’ academic qualifications influence the performance of students in English language in Junior Secondary School?
• To what extent do teachers’ academic qualifications influence English language students performance in Junior Secondary School?
• To what extent do teachers’ academic qualifications influence English language students performance in Junior Secondary School?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

• H₀1: Teacher’s academic qualifications influence the performance of students in English language in Junior Secondary School
• H₀2: Teachers’ attitude influence the performance of students in English language in Junior Secondary School
• H₀3: Teaching methods influence the performance of students in English language in Junior Secondary School

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1.7 Significance of Study

The relevance of the findings will be beneficial to all stakeholders by providing information on teachers’ influence on students’ performance in English language. It will also enable teachers and education planners tackle these challenges by inventing corrective measures that would lead to the improvement of performance in English.

The study would help in determining the type of working condition and learning environment that favoured teaching and performance of English language. The Ministry of Education will benefit from the findings and hence work out and formulate policies that would benefit education sector in general especially with the advent of Free Primary and Secondary Education. This would help in achieving quality education hence high performance.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on Teaching Methods and Students Performance in English Language. This research will cover only Junior Secondary School Students and Teachers in Dom-Domingos College, Warri, Delta State.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
4. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

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1.10 Definition of Terms

In this study, it is imperative to define the terms that will be appearing during the course of this work as they are used within the context of the study for clarification purposes.

Teaching Method:

It is a teaching device or strategy adopted by a teacher to teach a lesson, this includes the use of games, text books etc. that stimulates learning.

Activity:

This is student-centered teaching-learning approach, where the student has some control over the process and directs more or less the instructional activities with the teacher providing adequate guidance.

Academic Performance:

Learning outcome or output in students taught government which results from teaching techniques/methods the teacher adopts.