Influence Of Teacher-Students Classroom Interaction On Students’ Attitude Towards Economics In Comprehensive Secondary Schools In Owerri West Lga Of Imo State

Abstract

This research work is on “influence of teacher-students classroom interaction on students’ attitude towards economics in comprehensive secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State’. Four objectives and research questions was established to guide this study.  The study was also designed using the descriptive survey design statistical method, and relevant information was obtained using questionnaire. The data that were collected were calculated using the mean scores. Among the findings of the study was that; Poor communication leads to poor attitude of students to learning of economics, most predominately classroom interactive patterns adopted by secondary school teachers in Owerri West LGA of Imo State is that students listen while only the teacher speaks during instruction. Based on these findings, the study recommended among others that;.  Teacher should create a warm and lively classroom environment; Students should be encouraged to participate actively in classroom instruction by using the most effective teaching techniques in school.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The researcher will presents this chapter under the following subheadings; background of the study, statement of problem, scope of the study, purpose of the study, significance of the study, research questions and research hypothesis

Background to the Study

Education is the most important instrument of change in any society. The quality of education provided in any society and the nature of change affected by that education are both dependent on the quality of teacher and the effectiveness of their teaching in the schools. Education involves an intentional process of bringing about a change in behavioural conduct and the acquisition of basic knowledge and skills by a learner by exposing him/her to the contents of some subject matter through the teachers.

Teaching is a unique and dynamic profession. What a nation becomes is dependent on the type and quality of her teachers. As the school is the mirror of society and an agent of social change, teaching becomes a process and an instrument of nation building. In school, the classroom teacher is accountable for the destiny of the nation because there is a strong tie between his instructional activities, the eventual outcome of his instruction and the development or otherwise of the nation. Since the inference of teachers’ action has multiplying effects on the destiny of person, groups and nations, teaching becomes an overwhelming responsibility and a ‘task’ word. The teaching responsibility is more tasking for the fact that the benefit and or performance of the students are measured in terms of the academic performance of the learners.

In the school system, the teacher is a significant figure to all students. The way the students copy what the teacher says shows that the teacher can destroy and can also build the characters of students. The way the teachers talks to students either formally or informally matters a lot to the students. A friendly professional interaction with students is capable of stimulating and motivating them to learn effectively (Wubbell 2009). In fact a teacher should be approachable, kind, empathic and democratic so as to create a conducive atmosphere for learning. When the teacher tries to know the needs of individual students, established motivational relationships with them and been sensitive to their needs and problems makes them psychologically healthy. When a teacher is irritable, hostile, sarcastic, autocratic, indifferent and impersonal to his students, there is bound to be poor interpersonal relationships existing between the two parties and this will scare the students (Charney 2012). Students may submit to his autocratic leadership but there is ^ incipient revolt and dislike of his leadership. Also the quality and quantity of work produced by students tend to be higher with democratic teachers. That is why democratic teachers reward and reinforce students in a permissive atmosphere as learning flourishes in the classroom.

Classroom interaction refers to as the activities of the classroom events between the teacher’s classroom behavior and the process of interaction going on inside the classroom. Audu and Achor (2013) state that interaction in the classroom entails an active encounter of the teacher and the taught through verbal, gestural and resource instrumentality to bring about effective communication in a teaching learning process. This significant role of teachers requires that instruction should be an active process rather than passive one. Teaching should be a two-way communication with both parties (pupils and teachers) actively engaged for its best accomplishment. Effective teaching/learning process requires conscious efforts by the teacher and the taught (Henry, 20II). The above desired situation is achieved when a substantive interaction between the students and teachers is established. This sort of interaction required that students should be made to participate actively in the process by the teacher. It should be acknowledged that the effectiveness of school education much depends upon the development of sound relationship between the teacher and his students who become more active partners in education process.

Unfortunately, in some part of Nigeria, the education system depicts an opposite and undesirable situation, whereas the classroom environment is particularly unfriendly rather than been interesting. At secondary level, the teaching learning process in the country is extremely week and it is totally based on role learning. The teacher seems to be in a very dominant role in the class while the students are given very less time for active participation and interaction. According to Seddique (2005) interaction between students and teacher is an essential part of teaching learning process. It promotes involvement, enhances learning and motivates the student. It promotes a shift from teacher centered to a student-centered environment while maintaining a teacher led activity. For both parties to be actively involved in the teaching learning, the method in use ought to create opportunity for the required interaction to take place and also for student’s positive attitude during economics classes

The knowledge of economics is required for the development of every nation. As such, increasing importance of functional education has been attached to the application of economics principles for overall planning and development of this nation (Nigeria). This important knowledge which is required in virtually all aspect of human endeavour can only be obtained maximally through efficient teaching with their teachers. In Nigeria, teacher-student interaction in the area of economics begins at the senior secondary school level. The senior secondary school level therefore, forms the bedrock of teacher-student interaction under the subject matter of economics. Therefore, it is a challenge to all economics teachers in secondary school to be creative and industrious in their interaction with students so as to enable them (students) apply the acquired knowledge, skills, values in solving personal and societal problems.

It is therefore based on this background that the researcher deemed it necessary to investigate the influence of teacher-students academic interaction on students’ performance in Economics in comprehensive secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State.

Statement of Problem

The Nigerian school system is currently facing a lot of challenges ranging from students and staff indiscipline to significant failure in both internal and external examinations. As a way of curbing the incidence of failure among students of Economics, the Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education (UBE) has organized several in-service and development programmes aimed at improving the quality of the teachers especially at the basic level. The need to improve classroom practices and interactions for effective service delivery prompted the inclusion of classroom management as one of the courses in such developmental programmes. It is the importance of effective classroom interaction in achieving classroom goals that aroused the researchers’ interest in identifying the influence of teacher-students academic interaction on students’ performance in Economics in comprehensive secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State.

Scope of the Study

The geographical scope of this study covers all the teachers and SS2 students in government owned secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State. The content cope of this study seeks to identify the influence of teacher-students academic interaction on students’ performance in Economics and the way forward.

Purpose of the Study

The general objective of this study is to identify the influence of teacher-students academic interaction on students’ performance in Economics in comprehensive secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State.

Specifically, the study sought to:

1. Identify the classroom interactive patterns of secondary school teachers in Owerri West LGA of Imo State.
2. Determine the effect of poor classroom management on the relationship between teachers and students.
3. Establish the influence of teacher-students classroom interaction on students’ attitude towards learning of economics in class.
4. Find out the strategies to adopt in order to enable effective teacher – student influence interaction on students’ performance in Economics in comprehensive secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State.

Significance of the Study

It is expected that the findings of this study will be of great significance to education stakeholders ranging from students, teachers, school administrators, parents and government in the following ways:

The study may provide proper professional guideline to teachers in interacting with their students effectively thereby improving on classroom learning. The findings of the study may be helpful in planning of classroom interaction in most effective way. It may motivate the participating teachers to use the classroom interaction as a tool of success for the students.

The application of the findings of this study will help classroom teachers to analyze classroom behaviour objectively; and expose teachers and students to a more objective mode of interaction in the classroom. When students’ voices are heard and teachers employ logical moves, students will come out with critical and analytical minds and face life challenges better.

This research study may prove helpful in improving instructions by increasing the volume of student participation in the activity. The findings and conclusions of this research study may provide a guideline to all the practicing teachers for improvement of their teaching strategies.

This study will help education administrators plan towards positive education which trains the total child to finding solutions to the challenging situations in the classroom and other immediate environment.

It may give further insight to the relationship between classroom interaction adopted by teachers and its influence on classroom effectiveness will serve as important reference material to future researchers.

Research Questions

In line with the purpose of this study, the following research questions were posed to guide the study:

1. What are the classroom interactive patterns of teachers and students in comprehensive secondary schools in Owerri West LGA of Imo State?
2. What are effect of poor classroom management on the interaction between students and teachers in school?
3. What is the influence of teacher-students classroom interaction on students’ performance in Economics?
4. What strategies will be adopted in order to enable effective teacher – student interaction in secondary schools?

 Research Hypothesis

The researcher formulated and tested the following null hypotheses at 0.05  level of significance.

Ho₁: There is no significant difference between the mean perception of male and female students on the various classroom interactive patterns between teachers and students.

Ho₂: There is no significant difference between the mean perception of male and female students on the effect of poor classroom management on the interaction between students and teachers in school.

Pages:  70

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo                            

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.