ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE
ABSTRACT
Teachers’ teaching methods influence how well students perform in English language in junior secondary school in south-west Oyo state. This study investigates the relationship between teaching methods and academic performance of Nigerian junior secondary school students. The study used a descriptive research design but used a hybrid approach to data collection and analysis.
Junior Secondary School’s target population consists of 120 teachers. The research question was addressed using percentage descriptive statistics and inferential statistics tested at the level of significance of 0.05. The study’s findings revealed that most teachers’ teaching methods have a significant impact on students’ academic performance; based on these findings, the Student-Centered Method and the Teacher-Student Interactive Method were recommended in order to improve students’ academic performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction to the Research
Education is the most powerful agent of social and personal transformation, having a relatively formative effect on students. The primary goal of any level of education is to effect 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. According to Whalen (2012), the effectiveness of a teaching method is reflected in the outcomes of the teaching-learning process, which include marks, grades, and mean scores.
Education is a critical component of human resource development. The performance of students is critical in producing high-quality graduates who will become great leaders and manpower for the country, ultimately responsible for the country’s economic and social development. Academic achievement is one of the most important factors that employers consider when hiring new graduates.
As a result, students must exert maximum effort in their studies in order to obtain good grades while also preparing themselves for future opportunities in their careers and meeting the employer’s demand.
Academic performance in Junior Secondary Schools determines whether students will go on to university for a higher degree or find work as a teacher. Students’ performance also determines the quality of education that potential teachers will provide to students at the primary and secondary school levels.
There are two types of teaching methods: teacher-centered approaches and learner-centered approaches (Oigara, 2011). The lecture method, drilling, and questioning are examples of teacher-centered approaches. Learning occurs in a teacher-centered approach when teachers teach and then examine taught concepts by giving students exercises related to the teacher’s presentation during or after the lesson.
This is done to determine whether students understood the information that was imparted to them by the teacher. Teachers are expected to be familiar with the language in which their students are learning. Language is essential in the process of teaching as well as assessing or testing students to identify their weaknesses or areas they did not understand while learning (Brad, 2000).
Learner-centered approaches to teaching involve a state in which students construct their own understanding of the content and form personal opinions about the concepts they have learned (Collins, 2003). This means that a student-centered approach places a strong emphasis on inquiry and problem-based learning, putting students at the center of learning. Learner-centered approaches employ methods such as question and answer, group work, demonstration, guided learning, role play/drama, and project-based learning.
The importance of the student-led learning approach lies in the fact that students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. The student-learning model emphasizes the student as a central component of the teaching-learning process in the classroom.
The instructor provides platforms and avenues for students to learn independently and collaboratively, as well as supportive supervision as they learn. The effectiveness of this teaching and learning procedure is largely determined by the teacher’s teaching method.
English Language, a core and compulsory subject that contributes to a student’s overall mean score at both the school and national levels, has performed poorly in both internal and external examinations, including the Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination (JSSCE). Between 2013 and 2017, the majority of secondary schools in Nigeria received a mean grade of between 51.02 and 44.879 out of a possible 100 percent mark (Lang’ata Sub-County Education Office Report, 2018).
According to Mocho (2012), poor teaching methods are to blame for English Language subject underachievement because Kiswahili teachers are given the authority to decide what topic and when to teach it in a given level of learning, such as forms one, two, three, or four. Some Kiswahili teachers go so far as to teach all related aspects of a topic at a certain level without taking into account a learner’s cognitive ability or level of learning.
Furthermore, Odundo (2013) claims that English Language I teachers have a tendency to use familiar pedagogical methods such as lecturing, drilling, and questioning, which can have a negative impact on learning achievement. However, it is for these reasons that K English Language performance in secondary schools in Oyo State currently falls short.
Despite poor performance in English Language, few studies have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of teaching methods used in teaching English Language in secondary schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of teaching methods on students’ academic performance in English Language in public and private secondary schools in Oyo State, Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Every school in Nigeria expects students to be taught in English using the adopted English curriculum. The catchphrase “taught in English” refers to the school’s enrollment of less than 10% fluent, first-language English speakers (Gomes, 2015). Students must be given opportunities to develop and grow in the English language while studying and mastering core curriculum subjects taught exclusively in English in order to achieve academic success and a JSSCE in the local schools.
Authorities in schools seek ways to develop and ensure fluency by providing students with the tools they need to study and succeed in an English-speaking classroom. Alos et al. (2015) emphasized the importance of having qualified teachers in the field of teaching, stating that the ability of the teacher to teach determines the success of any program. If the structure fails at this point, the entire structure fails.
As a result, education implementation, selection, preparation, and supervision will be impacted. Furthermore, Dewett (2007) stated that good teachers are always on the lookout for methods and instructional materials that will make learning more meaningful.
Experiences can be provided to develop understanding through the wise selection and use of a variety of instructional materials or audio-visual materials. For many years, Nigeria’s education system has been in crisis, owing largely to inadequate funding. This has resulted in a scarcity of learning materials and human resources in the system. Inadequately qualified teachers, a high turnover rate of teachers, a lack of classroom space, poor teacher remuneration, and a slew of other issues plague the education sector.
The economic crisis in Nigeria had an impact on the education system and had played a significant role in the decline of the quality of education provided in the country (Olabiyi and Abayomi 2010). Meanwhile, every nation’s future is largely determined by the fate of every child born into it, particularly those who are privileged to pass through the nation’s academic walls from primary school to tertiary institution.
Education is a vital industry for social, political, and economic development, and it is influenced by the environment in which it operates (Adediran, Ojomo & Adeyanju, 2015). As a result, national development has been founded by experts in their fields, which would not have been possible without the assistance of the educational system. Every country strives to provide high-quality education for its citizens.
This phenomenon necessitates a thorough investigation to determine the root causes of poor academic performance in Nigerian colleges of education. This study was carried out to identify the factors influencing the academic performance of students in Colleges of Education in southwest Nigeria, in order to provide recommendations that would promote better academic performance in the study area and throughout Nigeria.
The primary goal of any level of education is to effect fundamental change in the learner (Tebabal & Kahssay, 2011). Teachers should use appropriate teaching methods that best suit specific objectives and level exit outcomes to facilitate the process of knowledge transmission. In the past, many teaching practitioners used teacher-centered methods to impart knowledge to students rather than student-centered methods.
Until now, questions about the effectiveness of teaching methods on student learning have consistently piqued the interest of educational researchers (Hightower et al., 2011). Furthermore, research on teaching and learning is constantly looking into how different teaching methods affect student learning growth.
Surprisingly, the majority of students’ poor academic performance is fundamentally linked to teachers’ use of ineffective teaching methods to impart knowledge to students (Adunola, 2011). Significant research on the effectiveness of teaching methods indicates that the achievements of learners frequently reflect the quality of teaching.
Ayeni (2011) defines teaching as a process that involves bringing about desired changes in learners in order to achieve specific outcomes. Adunola (2011) contends that in order for the teaching method to be effective, teachers must be familiar with a variety of teaching strategies that take into account the magnitude of complexity of the concepts to be covered.
English was a core subject in the Nigerian education system, preparing students for future careers in communication and technology. Despite this, students continued to perform poorly. According to Amuthelezi, this performance in English was a worrying trend around the world (2006). He stated that there was an urgent need to investigate the causes of students’ poor reading and comprehension.
That was done in the hopes of finding a long-term solution to the problem. English was also a national language in Nigeria and a global communication language. English was used in information and communication technology (ICT). It was also a factor in students’ admission to good colleges and universities, as well as their future prospects. Many studies have been conducted to determine the causes of poor English language performance.
Some of these studies attributed poor English performance to factors such as poor teaching methods, students’ attitudes toward the subject, a lack of a link between primary and secondary school levels, psychological factors, economic factors, and a lack of motivation, among others (Eshiwani, 1983, Thuo 1985, Kathuri, 1986, Shiundu, 1987, and JSSCE examination).
For these reasons, the current study would look into how teaching methods influenced students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools in Oyo State.
1.3 The Study’s Objectives
The following goals guided the research:
To determine the extent to which teachers’ academic qualifications influence students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools in South-West, Oyo State.
To ascertain the extent to which teachers’ attitudes influence students’ English language performance in public secondary schools in South-West, Oyo State.
To investigate the extent to which teachers’ teaching methods influence students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools in South-West, Oyo State.
1.5 Research Issues
The following goals guided the research:
To what extent do teachers’ academic qualifications influence students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools in South-West, Oyo State?
To what extent does teachers’ attitude influence students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools?
To what extent do teaching methods influence students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools in
Hypothesis of Research
HA1 Academic qualifications of teachers influence students’ performance in English language in Junior Secondary School.
HA2 Teachers’ attitudes influence students’ English language performance in Junior Secondary School.
HA3 teaching methods have an impact on students’ English language performance in junior secondary schools in
1.6 Importance of the research
The findings of this study were hoped to be beneficial to all stakeholders by providing information on teachers’ influence on students’ English language performance. It was hoped that this would enable teachers and educational planners to address these challenges by devising corrective measures that would result in improved English performance.
The study would aid in determining the type of working conditions and learning environment that favored English language teaching and performance. The findings were to be used by the Ministry of Education to develop and implement policies that would benefit the education sector in general, particularly with the introduction of free primary and secondary education. This would aid in achieving quality education and, as a result, high performance.
1.7 Study Restrictions
Some respondents will answer questions untruthfully to please the researcher or will tell lies for fear of victimization or malicious intent, especially when using a questionnaire as a data collection tool. Private schools were not included in the study, so the findings were limited to public secondary schools. As a result, generalization of findings from the entire population may necessitate additional research.
1.9 Definitions of Important Terms Used in the Study
Effect: the level of knowledge expected in a learner’s achievement following instruction.
Junior Secondary Education: the secondary level of education between primary and secondary school.
Modeling is the ability of students to connect variables that represent the text language of a given problem. Mathematical modeling is the process of developing an equation in order to solve word problems. Word problems with a single mathematical operation in the statement are known as one-step problems. Problem solving is the process of translating and interpreting a word problem into a mathematical format, as well as finding a solution to the problem.
Second language (SL): a language of instruction used by teachers to teach mathematics at the junior secondary school level in addition to their first or mother tongue.
Students’ proficiency: the level of understanding of both the language of instruction and the new concept to be learned by the students.
Performance of students: students demonstrated an ability to solve word problems efficiently.
Teaching and Learning: the interaction of teachers and students in the acquisition of new skills or concepts.
Teacher preparedness to use English- teachers’ ability to keep students interested in word problems
English language proficiency of teachers: teachers’ ability to teach mathematical modeling in English.
Teaching policy is the law that governs the teaching and learning processes in Nigerian junior and secondary schools.
Written sentences or an English frame that can be translated into mathematical terms or algebraic expressions constitute a word problem.
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ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE