With the rapid developments in science and technology, biology, which is one of the fundamental to many disciplines has becomes increasingly important. The number of compounds and their many different applications begs the question, how can we teach all the knowledge to students? To meet with the needs of society, reform in biology teaching has taken place all over the world. However, we cannot teach students everything in this rapidly developing world. Accordingly, most academics agree that we should just teach students how to learn and apply biology. It is also the case that if people want to keep up with the development of knowledge, they should keep studying and assessing all their lives. However because the reformat has concentrated on knowledge structures, our teaching methods are still teacher-centered, not student-centered and do not encourage students to achieve lifelong learning and assessment.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Teacher self-efficacy, interest, attitude, qualification, experience and pupils’ academic achievement in secondary school biology. The participants of the study comprises of 254 secondary school teachers and 120 secondary school students. Data collected on the study were analyzed using a stepwise multiple regression analysis. The results reveals that teacher self-efficacy and interest had significant correlation with students achievement scores.
Teacher’s self-efficacy being the best predictor of students’ academic achievement in biology was followed by teacher’s interest. Attitude, qualification and experience were not significant correlation with pupil’s achievement in biology. The study recommended that it is high time for primary school biology teachers to have a change of attitude towards the teaching of the subject so that the achievement of universal basic education will not be hindered. Furthermore, primary school educational authorities were called upon to ensure that only teachers who are qualified to teach the subject are employed. Not these alone, their attention was also drawn to the fact that they should design educational programmes that will enhance the teacher self-efficacy for a better prediction of pupils’ achievement in Biology.
Table of Contents
1. ABSTRACT
2. INTRODUCTION
3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
4. MATERIALS AND METHODS
5. STUDY RESULTS
6. DISCUSSION
7. CONCLUSIONS
8. IMPLICATIONS
Research Objectives and Topics
This study aims to examine the influence of specific teacher-related factors, namely self-efficacy, interest, attitude, qualification, and experience, on the academic achievement of secondary school students in Biology within Eldoret Municipality, Kenya, to determine which factors serve as the most effective predictors of student performance.
- Analysis of teacher-centered versus student-centered teaching methodologies.
- Evaluation of the correlation between teacher self-efficacy and student academic outcomes.
- Investigation of the impact of teacher interest on student performance in Biology.
- Assessment of the role of professional qualifications and years of experience in educational success.
- Identification of key predictors for academic achievement to inform future teacher training programs.
Excerpt from the Book
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
A teacher’s success in producing good results in national examination is not an easy task. A teacher should be committed to his/her work. The teacher should be competent and show high performance. This is the predominant point of view shared by most science teachers, including teachers of Biology. However, it overlooks the purpose of learning, which is not merely to pass exams. Indeed, the attitude that exams are an end in themselves may partly be responsible for poor teaching methods (such as “cramming”) that discourage students from doing their best.
Fortunately, there are other methods which teachers of Biology can employ to improve the achievement of their students. These methods, which are addressed in this study, aim to encourage holistic learning through encouraging students to increase their level of participation in the classroom and laboratory work. In order to assess how teachers can facilitate such a state of affairs, the current study examines teacher related factors and describes the way in which they may affect the achievement of students in Biology subject.
The study aims to find out whether teacher experience has a significant effect on the achievement of students, as it is anticipated that students taught by more experienced teachers will achieve better grades than those taught by less experienced teachers. A similar relationship is expected between teachers’ knowledge and student achievement, as teachers who have more knowledge, as manifested by greater qualifications, are expected to have higher achieving students than teachers who have less knowledge. The level of skill which teachers display in teaching Biology subject may also play a role in student
Summary of Chapters
ABSTRACT: Provides a concise overview of the study’s purpose, methodology, and key findings, highlighting teacher self-efficacy and interest as significant predictors of student achievement.
INTRODUCTION: Establishes the importance of science and Biology education in Kenya while identifying the gap in research regarding specific teacher-related variables as predictors of academic performance.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Discusses the limitations of exam-focused teaching and outlines the research objective to identify teacher factors that genuinely improve student engagement and results.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Details the ex-post facto research design, sampling techniques used to select 120 students and 254 teachers, and the validation of the Biology Achievement Test (BAT).
STUDY RESULTS: Presents the statistical data, demonstrating that teacher self-efficacy and interest are the primary predictors of student achievement, while others show weak correlation.
DISCUSSION: Interprets the findings by comparing them with existing pedagogical research, noting that a large proportion of variance remains unexplained by the current variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Summarizes that teacher self-efficacy is the strongest predictor of student success, followed by teacher interest, while experience and qualification appear less significant.
IMPLICATIONS: Suggests that educational authorities should focus on enhancing teacher self-efficacy through training and reconsidering how interest and professional commitment are fostered.
Keywords
Teacher self-efficacy, interest, attitude, qualification, experience, pupils, academic achievement, Biology, secondary school, Kenya, pedagogy, educational research, student performance, teaching methods, science education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this study?
The study focuses on identifying and analyzing teacher-related factors, such as self-efficacy, interest, attitude, qualifications, and experience, that influence the academic performance of secondary school students in Biology.
What are the central themes of the research?
The core themes include the impact of teacher psychological traits on classroom outcomes, the effectiveness of different teacher variables, and the search for better predictors of student academic achievement.
What is the main research question?
The main question is how specific teacher characteristics—collectively and individually—predict student academic achievement in Biology, and what the relative contribution of each factor is to that prediction.
Which research methodology was employed?
The study utilized an ex-post facto research design, employing a survey via the "Teachers Variables Questionnaire" and a "Biology Achievement Test" (BAT), with data analyzed through stepwise multiple regression.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the theoretical background, the design and administration of data collection instruments, the presentation of statistical regression tables, and an in-depth discussion of the results.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
The paper is characterized by terms such as teacher self-efficacy, academic achievement, secondary school biology, pedagogical predictors, and teacher interest.
Which factor was identified as the best predictor for student success?
The research concludes that teacher self-efficacy is the single most significant predictor of students' academic achievement in Biology.
Are teacher qualifications and experience significant factors according to this study?
Surprisingly, the study found that teacher qualifications and experience did not show a statistically significant correlation with student achievement within the studied sample.
What do the authors recommend for teacher training institutions?
The authors suggest that teacher training programs should focus more on building self-efficacy and helping prospective teachers nurture a continuous interest in their subject matter.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Joshua Lawrence Langat (Autor:in), 2018, Influence of Teacher Related Factors on Academic Achievement of Secondary School Student Biology in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/425390
