Assessing Teaching Effectiveness of the English Grammar Teacher in Public Senior High Schools Within the Ejisu Municipality Using the Quality Teaching Model.
ABSTRACT
The focus of this study was to assess the teaching effectiveness of English Grammar teachers in public Senior High Schools within the Ejisu Metropolis using the Quality Teaching Model. It sought to ascertain how appropriately the three dimensions of the Quality Teaching Model are addressed in the teaching and assessment practices of the teachers.
45 English Grammar teachers were selected using the census method. The descriptive research design was used to analyse data collected on teachers. The mean, frequencies and percentages were thoroughly discussed.
It came to light that to a very large extent, English Grammar teachers appropriately teach to produce deep understanding of important concepts and ideas. It was also realized that they create a supportive learning environment for their students. Largely, learning is made more meaningful and important to students. It was recommended that teachers be motivated to maintain a balance and consistency in the use of the three dimensions of the Quality Teaching Model.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Nigeria is a heterogeneous society with a wide variety of languages. Undisputedly, English is the official language of the country. The emergence of the language dates back to the early 16th century, with the arrival of the European traders on the shores of Nigeria and the establishment of missionary schools. For over five centuries, English language has been the dominant lingua franca in Nigeria. It is the medium of instruction in our educational setting and a pre-requisite course for entry into any higher level of education. It ensures full participation in the economic, political and even social lives of the people. It is the language of government, administration, business, medicine, law and other professional careers. The increasing importance of the language is largely recognized in Nigeria. It is for these reasons that all stakeholders of education are bent on ensuring that all aspects of the language
are taught and learnt at school. It is therefore necessary that teachers are trained purposively for this task. Some people think there is no such thing as language teaching. Even if true, there are still things that can be done to help learners acquaint themselves with the basic rules that form the basis or foundations of a language. Teachers are therefore charged with the duty to expose students enough to the language. Arends (1988) stated that the base line for effective teaching are individuals who are academically able, have command of the subjects they are required to teach and those who can help students to attain high level of academic achievement and social learning. Even though the language has become a widely acclaimed medium of communication and one would have expected a high level of the language usage in our societies, however, there has been a general view that there is a decline in the standard of the English language. This has resulted in the poor use of the language which is evident in the performance in the language at examinations. The external examination body, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), stated in their 2006 chief examiner’s report that English language was one of the subject areas that saw a decline in the performance of their students. Out of the 120,486 students who sat for the English language paper, only 7.25% had a pass mark. Similarly the 2007, 2008 and 2009 chief examiner’s report of the WAEC states that students recurring weakness of poor grammar has been a worry to them. The WAEC stated together with other recommendations that the surest way of solving this persistent problem is for the teachers to teach grammar.
Most people have attributed the decline in the standard of the English language to several factors. While others find fault with the teacher’s inability to handle the subject well, others talk about the insufficient teaching and learning materials at the teacher’s disposal; others also attribute it to the low motivation given to the teachers. If any of these perceptions are true, it will be appropriate that the current state of the art of teaching the language, especially grammar, be assessed to determine the extent of the effectiveness of the language teaching in our classrooms. Since Senior High Schools (SHS) in the Ejisu metropolis also offer English Language and partake in examinations of the WAEC, it will not be out of place to say that Senior High Schools within the Ejisu metropolis also face this same fate. It should be noted that it is pedagogy that most directly and most powerfully affects the quality of learning outcomes. It is therefore appropriate that the teaching of English grammar in Senior High Schools within the Ejisu metropolis be assessed to ascertain its level of effectiveness.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Statistics and reports based on the performance of students in Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE) and the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) over the years have indicated that the academic performance of students in the second cycle institutions in the English language is on a decline. There has been a continuous outcry about the students’ recurring weakness in the grammar aspect of the language, which in turn affects their general performance in the language and other subject areas. Pedagogy which affects the quality of learning out comes, is the core business of the classroom teacher. Various techniques that teachers use in the learning situation have a high impact in the decline in the performance of students. Based on the concern raised, it has become very necessary to assess the effectiveness of teaching the English grammar in S.H.S. within the Ejisu Metropolis using the Quality Teaching Model (Q.T.M.).
1.3 Purpose of the Study
This research assesses the effectiveness of English grammar teachers in four public Senior High Schools within the Ejisu Metropolis using the Quality Teaching Model. The study specifically looked at:
- The appropriateness of Senior High School English grammar teachers within the Ejisu Metropolis teaching in ensuring intellectual
- How Senior High School English grammar teachers within the Ejisu Metropolis establish quality learning environment for their
- How English grammar teachers in the Senior High Schools within the Ejisu Metropolis make grammar lessons significant to their
1.4 Research Questions
In order to assess the teaching effectiveness of English grammar teachers in four public Senior High Schools within the Ejisu Metropolis, the following research questions guided the study.
- How appropriate do Senior High School English grammar teachers within the Ejisu Metropolis teach to produce deep understanding of important concepts?
- How do Senior High School English grammar teachers within the Ejisu Metropolis create supportive learning environments for students?
- How do English grammar teachers within the Ejisu Metropolis make learning meaningful and important to students?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The outcome of this study is of immense importance to teachers by bringing to the fore any weaknesses in their teaching methodologies and encourage them to build on their strengths. For educational administrators and curriculum planners, the findings of this study will give them feedback on the English grammar teacher’s effectiveness and the appropriate policies and programmes that could be designed to train them improve their teaching effectiveness. Improve teaching of the English grammar will help in the general performance of students in the language and other subject areas.
1.6 Delimitation
The study was delimited to English teachers in four public Senior High Schools within the Ejisu Metropolis. It employed the use of only the questionnaire. Items on the questionnaire did not cater for elements like engagement, social support, students’ self-regulation and inclusivity under the quality learning environment since observation was not be part of our instruments for data collection.
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