The Effectiveness of Teacher Evaluation and Students’ Academic Performance in Junior Secondary Schools

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 Background to the study

Teacher evaluation is a function of human decision-making that involves making a value judgment about how good or bad a specific work performance is based on data that compares actual work performance to predetermined performance standards (Grobler, 2013). In order to make teacher evaluation more palatable, the word “appraisal” was coined from the word “praise” (to express warm approval). Assessment and appraisal are two common synonyms for evaluation.

Because a value judgment is made, teacher evaluation is normative. This value judgment must be weighed against a set of fairness criteria and must always serve a purpose (Danielson, 2011). Teacher evaluation serves two purposes: a formative function for the development of professional teaching skills and a summative function for selection and grading and promotion purposes (Isore, 2009).

Teacher self-evaluation is regarded as a critical component of professional development (Piggott-Irvine, 2013). Involving teachers in self-reflection about their own practice and developing a culture of evaluation alongside ambitious goals, depending on the school context and challenges, are also important roles for school leaders to play. The majority of schools have implemented annual discussions between school leaders and teachers to assess how well personal goals set the previous year were met and to set new goals for the coming year (UNECO, 2007 as cited in Isore, 2009).

Because it is based on administrative procedures rather than a comprehensive scheme with a clear improvement purpose, the current teacher evaluation system in Nigeria is frequently described as “not very fair,” “not very efficient,” and “generating malaise and sometimes suffering” for both evaluated teachers and evaluators. Secondary school teachers are evaluated by a panel comprised of an inspector and the school principal on a regular basis, as part of their work and responsibilities (Okumbe, 2009).

The intended frequent evaluations, on the other hand, frequently fall short of expectations. First, the frequency of inspections is not set in stone by law and is based on the inspectors’ availability. This raises concerns about the system’s fairness—because teachers working under the same rules receive feedback at different intervals—as well as its efficacy—the average time between two evaluations in secondary education is 6-7 years, which is considered far too long.

Furthermore, the workload is such that concerns about the value of the feedback may arise. Between 350 and 400 teachers’ practices are overseen by an inspector. As a result, inspectors express dissatisfaction with the evaluation process, primarily because they believe they have little influence over teaching practices and are unable to develop their competences and skills for teaching improvement. Their role is sometimes de facto limited in order to control the profession’s abuses. Evidence on the teacher’s practice is gathered through the o observation of a teaching session, followed by an interview with the teacher (Pochard 2008 as cited in Isore, 2009). (Pochard 2008 as cited in Isore, 2009).

Teachers combine their relevant skills, experiences and positive attitudes towards the profession, in order to raise the quality of the students’ academic performance to high and reputable standards (Mbiti, 2014). (Mbiti, 2014). This combination is achieved through instructional appraisal, an aspect which has motivated the researcher to initiate this study.

Statement of the Problem

Despite the efforts of the government, individuals, and non-governmental organizations to improve educational growth in Nigeria, student academic achievement has plummeted. This might be due to a lack of teacher evaluation, a lack of assessment of the classroom environment, a lack of assessment of teachers’ professional obligations, and a lack of assessment of teachers’ classroom instruction (service delivery). If this is not checked, our secondary school graduates may not be employable, and those who choose to continue their education at university may face obstacles due to their past. As a result, our educational system will fall short of its goal of generating skilled and competent workers. As a result, the purpose of this study is to look at teacher assessment and student academic achievement in secondary schools.

 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to:

1. To examine the extent to which evaluation of teachers on planning and preparation of teaching material influences students’ academic performance

2. To assess how appraisal of teachers on classroom instruction (serve delivery) influences students’ academic performance in secondary schools.

Research Questions

The study is being guided with the following research questions:

1. To what extent does teachers’ evaluation on planning and preparation of teaching material influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools?

2. How does appraisal of teachers on classroom instruction (service delivery) influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools?

 Significance of the Study

Quality education is critical to a nation’s social stability because it promotes vital human ideals such as equality, tolerance, and peace. These factors contribute to the long-term sustainability of democratic, social, and political processes in the United States (Durodola and Olude, 2015). “For any country to be strong, unified, and self-reliant, and to have a vast and dynamic economy, such a nation must be scientifically oriented,” states the National Policy on Education, recognizing science’s enormous contribution to the nation’s educational and economic growth. As a result, the overarching goal of education should be to instill in students the desired information, skills, values, and attitude. How the only way to know if students are benefiting from a system of education is to measure them at various stages to establish their levels of achievement.

The assessment acts as a barometer for determining a student’s educational accomplishment outcome. Assessment allows schools to reach their overall goals of having a full judgment in the classroom’s cognitive, emotional, and mental motivation evaluation. According to Kayode (2003), teachers must assess students using a classroom technique such as continuous assessment. Continuous assessment is an approach for assessing pupil performance and applying these findings to improve pupil success, as opposed to testing (for certification, promotion, or placement, which is generally commercial) (Eq, 2013).

Effective implementation of continuous assessment, according to Obanya (1977), should result in better schools, curricular materials, instructors, and students. It was meant to be a method in which classroom instructors’ influence into certification grades would lead to a culture that despises examination malpractice and increased trust in what schools create. Because this is not the case, examination malpractice continues to thrive despite public examination boards’ best efforts to address the problem.

Good classroom evaluation can help students change their exam-oriented behavior. Being in school should be viewed as lifelong learning rather than just obtaining a credential. This is not to imply that credentials are unimportant; rather, the quality of certificates should represent the amount of information acquired by students. The Universal Basic Education Commission’s nationwide assessments (2001 and 2009) found no evidence of increased performance in this area. The nationwide evaluation reveals a declining trend in junior secondary school pupils’ performance.

The findings of this study are expected to justify the Nigerian National Policy on Education’s replacement of the one-shot summative evaluation system, which was administered to students at the end of each school year for the purpose of promotion to the next class, with the more inclusive means of evaluation known as continuous assessment (NPE).

The findings would show several key difficulties with the implementation of continuous assessment in secondary schools in Benue’s Makurdi city. These issues include teachers’ continuous assessment techniques, students’ attitudes toward continuous assessment, the qualifications of computer science teachers administering continuous assessment to students, and the provision of facilities for the successful implementation of continuous assessment, as well as the empirical impact of continuous assessment on the academic achievement of computer science students in some cases.

It is intended that the findings of this study would highlight ongoing assessment as an important aspect of computer science teaching and learning in secondary schools.

The proper direction of the learner in his or her learning and career preparation is a crucial part of education. As a result of this research, a well-defined continuous assessment technique will be required in order to support such a role in the school system.

Scope of the Study

The research focuses on the impact of teacher evaluation and students’ academic performance in junior secondary schools.

 Definition of key Terms

Impact: The establishment of a degree or level of interaction or   Influence or direct effect between two or more variables.

The measure of tangible and intangible effects (consequences) on things or entity’s action or influence upon another.

Continuous Assessment: A mechanism whereby the final grading of a pupils cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains are assessed to draw positive or negative conclusion on the child’s academic performance level within a period of time, through the use of a variety of test and no-test measures systematically (Federal Ministry of Education,1980).

Academic Achievement: Students outcome or output as a result of instrument. It is measured in terms of grades obtained by a student in written, oral or practical test and or examinations.

Evaluation: The act of considering or examining something in order to judge it value, quality, importance, extent or condition (Encarta Dictionaries, 2009).