The Effect of Poor Teacher-Pupil Relationship on Academic Achievement of Biology Students

The Effect of Poor Teacher-Pupil Relationship on Academic Achievement of Biology Students

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is a highly rated public venture used as an instrument par excellence in natural development. Also, Education is a process of receiving or giving systemic instruction especially at school or university, “a new system of public education”. According to fafunwa (2004), Education is an aggregate of all the processes using which a person develops abilities and other forms of behaviour of positive value in the society in which he lives. Education is a life–long process that is, the process of renewing or updating knowledge to ensure job security, effective social, political and economic participation continuous individual growth and development. (Nazarene, 2008). According to Igbo (2006), Education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its cultural heritage through institutions such as schools, colleges and universities. It also prepares a person to perform justly, skillfully and magnanimously in war or at peace based on acquired knowledge, skills and attitudes. Education is the process of remarking experience; giving it more socialised value through increased individual experience by giving the individual better control over his powers Ozochi (2009). Credence is given to this view by National Objectives of Nigeria Education as seen in the second National Development Plan and endorsed as the necessary foundation for the National Policy on Education (NPE). According to NPE (2004), the following are the aims and objectives of Education i. The inculcation of the national consciousness of national unity ii. The inculcation of the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and the Nigerian society. iii. The training of the mind in the understanding of the world and iv. The acquisition is of appropriate skills, abilities and competencies both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of his society. Based on using education as a tool for the realisation of the national objectives, various other achievement is expected from education in national devilment, such aims are as follow; better human relationship, self-realisation, individual and national unity. According to Olumba (2003), these aims can never be actualised if poor relationships are existing between the teacher and his pupils. Bringing these aims to reality depends on the orientation of teachers and pupils in the educational system because good education requires trained and committed teachers, who will carry the pupils along with them to achieve the educational goals. The purpose of introducing this study is to make the teacher-pupils relationships among biology teachers and their pupils in discharging their respective duties to achieve the aims of the National Policy on Education. Philosophy of education emphasized human rotation in the process of teaching and learning. It is believed that teaching in every respect is a serious business and should be seen to be so. As a banker is governed by certain principles which made him an expert in his field, so is the teacher governed by certain principles which made him be an expert in his area of specialization. Teaching is the process of inculcating in the learners the desirable knowledge, culture, skills, values and norms which will make them useful to themselves and the society at large. Therefore to promote the relationship between the teacher and pupils, the teacher must determine the best efficient and effective methods of teaching, the selected materials to create conducive learning experiences that will utilize the content associated with each objective. However, to improve students in biology, pedagogy must become a study; otherwise, there is nothing to hope for from it. To this end, a careful analysis of any method must precede its use. This is where philosophy comes in so it is on the philosophy that the art of education must wait for a design of action. Evident are the several theoretical models which philosophers and educators have come up with according to their best or frame of mental dispositions. For example, the nationalist emphasized motivation, direct experience and maintaining the interest of the child. Their main concern is to create a suitable environment to influence the development of an individual. Pragmatists recommend socialized techniques, projects and problem-solving methods. Yet, the divergent and wide these schools are, they focus on common problems militating against education, the aims of education, the nature of the learner, educational content, method and the condition under which the learners can obtain the maximum experience.

Moreover, given the above background, the researcher is challenged to find out the effect of the poor teacher-pupil relationship on the academic achievement of biology students.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The school system generally in Enugu urban has seen associated with poor academic performance, formation of bad gangs by pupils, perpetual hatred to teachers, neglect of some subjects which then gave rise to serious problems for the realisation of educational objectives. Unfortunately, a good number of pupils have lost the virtues of good behaviour since their teachers did no longer show love, care and affection.

In the sight of the above problems, the researcher, therefore, intend to carry out this study to emerge with some empirical data relating to the extent to which poor teacher-pupil relationship has contributed to the non-effective academic achievement of biology students in Enugu South Local Government.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of this study is to find out the extent of the effect of the poor teacher-pupil relationship on the academic achievement of biology students in Enugu South Local Government. Especially, the study intends to find out.

1. The extent to which biology teachers use praises on the pupils in their class.

2. The extent to which biology teachers use leisure time to engage the pupil in a friendly chat.

3. The extent to which biology teachers punish and react towards pupils in the class whenever their attention is needed by them.

4. The extent to which biology teachers allow pupils freedom in the biology class.

5. The extent to which biology students communicate with their biology teachers in the classroom.

6. The extent to which their relationship with their biology teacher affects their performance in the subject.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work is being carried out to investigate the effect of poor teacher – pupils relationship on academic achievement of biology students in Enugu urban, Enugu South Local Government Area. The work will go a long way in helping all state holders of education which includes teachers, pupils, parents and the entire system of education.

The researcher’s work will be of benefit to the teachers as it will serve as a sense of direction to them by helping them to understand and know the reason why children perform below standard, academically in Enugu urban. Also, the work will be of benefit to pupils as they acquire more knowledge which thereby changes the academic achievement from negative to positive based on the improvement in their relationship with them. In the case of the ministry of education, they will benefit from their names being gazette in their magazine having recognized them for excellence. The ministry of education may as well give them grants to maintain the schools in all activities such as sports and other equipment required; thereby the schools would be a liability.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

For efficient and successful work to be carried out, the researcher limit this study to a defined geographical zone that is concerned Enugu Secondary Schools, Enugu South.

The researcher also consulted materials like textbooks, journals, periodicals and also sample some secondary schools in Enugu Urban, Enugu South Local Government Area.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions were formulated to guide the study.

1. To what extent do biology teachers use praises on the pupils in their class?

2. To what extent do biology teachers use leisure time to engage the pupils in friendly chat?

3. In what way do biology teachers punish and react towards pupils in the class whenever their attention is needed by them?

4. To what extent do biology teachers allow pupils freedom in the class?

5. To what extent do biology students communicate freely with their biology teachers in the classroom?

6. To what extent do students’ relationships with their biology teacher affect their performance in the subject?