AN EVALUATION OF INFLUENCE OF TEACHER TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS

ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of teacher training and development programmes on students’ academic performance in Ilorin West LGA of Kwara State.
Simple random sampling method was used to select twenty secondary schools used as sample for the study.

Also, 200 teachers were randomly selected as respondents to the questionnaire used for the study.

Three null hypotheses were generated and tested using the Pearson product moment correlation statistic to analyse the data.
The results indicated that there well trained teachers significantly influence students’ academic performance.
Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others that teachers should be trained and re-trained from time to time.

They should also be given the opportunity to attend seminars, workshops and conferences so as to improve the academic standard of their students.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Education is a service which deals directly and indirectly with learners, teachers, people and the public. It prepares individuals for skilful performance or role playing in the society. Schools have a mandate to educate children to acquire relevant skills and knowledge for application in solving problems.

To do this successfully, schools need well qualified teachers.
Since no employee can remain qualified with continuous change in societal values and expectations, some form of on-going education and training becomes a necessity.

The different methods used in developing teachers in schools include induction, conferences, workshops and seminars.

Others are staff meetings, visits and demonstrations, professional training and higher studies as well as exhibitions.
According to Alabi (2005) training and developing programmes need to be organised for teachers to improve their instructional methodology to acquire skills relating to their teaching and skills required for improved performance at work.

All these are necessary to enhance their students’ performance.
Hassan (2004) also argued that it is literally impossible to learn a job or enter a profession and remain in it for long with his or her skills basically unchanged.

This is more so in a complex and constantly changing organisation like a school that must adapt to changing societal demands and instructional methodology.

Thus, no matter how excellent the pre-service preparation and how well qualified teachers are at the time of employment, efforts should be made to develop them personally and professionally on a regular and continuous basis.

The schools need well qualified teachers to provide quality learning experiences for students in line with the provision of the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004) that no education standard can rise above the quality of its teachers.

It is therefore imperative to train and develop the teachers that directly impart knowledge to students, the school leaders that supervise, guide and support the teachers and other support staff that make the work of the teachers and the school heads easier.

It is only then that appropriate and adequate knowledge can be imparted to the students resulting ultimately in successful achievement of the goals of education.
Raji (2008) described teachers as preservers of established-tradition.

The teacher examines the cultural values of his society, its dynamics and the changing values occurring within the system.

He propagates the values, ethics and norms that characterize the society in order to ensure that the children develop in line with the aspirations of the society.

Where changes have been instituted, he transmits the values and techniques that facilitate the generation of change.
The teacher is an innovator and agent of change. He approves the curriculum to meet the needs of the child and the society.

He engages in continuous research that helps him to meet with the new knowledge available and to keep up with the trend of social and technological change.

He gets involved in keeping the profession up to date and ensures adequate course maintenance.
Jamie (2003) pointed out that quality learning depends on the recruitment, retention and development of professional teachers needed to improve the level of performance towards the provision of qualitative education.

This means that the key to high standard of education is the quality of teachers who constitute the human input which is indispensable in determining students’ academic performance.
For many years, educators and researchers have carrier out studies on teachers’ job performance with little emphasis on training and development of teachers as panacea to students’ academic performance. Factors such as teachers’ qualification, class size and the motivation given to the teachers in terms of remuneration also have significant impact on teachers’ job performance and students’ academic performance.

Nevertheless, teachers’ training and development also contribute significantly to students’ academic performance.
This is because for teachers to perform his roles effectively, he must employ techniques that meet both short and long term objectives.

To achieve this, teachers need to be trained, re-trained and constantly developed to meet the dynamism of the society.
In view of the foregoing therefore, this study is carried out to examine the influence of teachers’ training and development programmes on the academic performance of students in mathematics in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Statement of the Problem
The fact that education is the only effective tool which can solve socio-economic, political and technological problems of both developed and developing countries has made various governments to place emphasis on the quality of teachers, since education is the key to national development and only teachers hold the key that can turn it for national development, the need then arise to train and develop the teachers to the aspirations of the society.

It is therefore expected that only the intellectually promising and qualified persons are engaged in the teaching industry.
According to Wycoff (2006) teachers’ expertise as measured by performance, years of experience and completion of an advanced degree accounted for roughly 40% of the variance in students’ academic performance.

However, little attention has been placed on the influence of teacher training and development programmes on students’ academic performance in mathematics.

A careful assessment of secondary schools in Nigeria today clearly revealed that students’ academic performance in external examinations has been low.

Some people attributed the students’ academic performance to poor teachers’ remuneration, inadequate facilities in schools and students’ indiscipline.

Other schools of thought put the blame at the door step of the government for not providing the teachers with the opportunity to engage in training and development programmes after they have been recruited.
The problem of this study therefore is to confirm or refute the authenticity of whether teacher training and development programmes influence students’ academic performance in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State or not.

Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of teacher training and development programmes on students’ academic performance in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state.
Specifically, the study is conducted to achieve the following goal:
1. To examine teachers’ qualification as pre-requisite to students’ academic performance in secondary schools.
2. To determine the ‘extent to which teachers’ training and development programmes influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools.
3. To inquire into whether the body responsible for recruitment, promotion and transfer of teachers use teachers’ participation in training and development programmes as a condition for their promotion in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state.
4. To find out other factors that are responsible for students’ academic performance in mathematics in junior secondary schools within Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state, apart from teachers’ training and development programmes.
5. To suggest methods that can be used to enhance students’ academic performance in mathematics in junior secondary schools.