TEACHERS’ TEACHING METHODS AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES IN IBARAPA EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study was to investigate the differential relationship between teaching methods and students’ academic performances in Ibarapa East Local Government area Secondary schools. A sample of 100 students drawn from the Sciences, Commercial and Arts departments of all the secondary schools in the local government area were used for the study. Using the inferential statistics, students’ assessment test scores were derived from the internal class test prepared by some Measurement and Evaluation teachers. The differential relationship of the three major teaching methods on students’ academic performances was analysed using the General Linear Model based univariate ANOVA technique. The F(2, 107) statistic (= 10.13; p < 0.05 level of significance) and the Tukey HSD post-hoc results indicate that there is significant differences in the relationship between the three teaching methods and students’ academic performances. The mean scores results demonstrate that teacher-students interactive method was the most effective teaching method, followed by student-centered method while the teacher-centered approach was the least effective teaching method. Among the recommendations suggested were: New approaches to teaching – learning processes which connect to the learning needs of students should be put in place in order to reduce the menace of students performing poorly in school and eventually dropping out of studies. Student-centered learning environment should be encouraged in our secondary schools because it produces higher-level learning outcomes more efficiently than a traditional teacher-centered environment. There should be no bias in the selection of teaching methods by teachers in areas in which they possess exclusive monopoly knowledge to improve students’ academic performances in our secondary schools. Teachers should create an atmosphere conducive for learning in order to enhance the development of students’ learning experiences.