TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL VARIABLES AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY IN YAKURR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE

This study examine the relationship between teachers’ professional variables and students’ academic achievement in Biology in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State. Specifically, the study sought to determine the relationship between teachers’ communication skill. teachers’ use of instructional materials, teachers’ classroom management skill and students’ academic achievement in Biology in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State. To achieve the purpose of this study, three (3) research questions were posed to direct the study and three (3) null hypotheses were formulated based on the research questions posed to provide a guide for this study. Literature review was done according to the variables under study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. This design was considered appropriate because the researcher had no direct control of the independent variables. The population of the study consist of eight hundred and forty (840) SS2 Biology students. Simple random sampling was adopted in selecting five (5) public secondary schools and 150 respondents used for the study. Two research instruments were used for data collection. A twenty-four item, 4 point Likert scale questionnaire tagged: “Teachers’ Professional Variables Questionnaire (TPVQ)” and secondly, “Biology Achievement Test (BAT)”. The instruments were validated by relevant experts. Cronbach alpha method was adopted in testing the reliability of research instrument. To test the hypotheses formulated for the study, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistical Tool was used for data analysis. The result obtained from the analysis of data and testing of hypotheses in the study revealed that teachers’ communication skill, teachers’ use of instructional materials and teachers’ classroom management techniques had significant relationship with students’ academic achievement in Biology in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State. Based on the findings, it was recommended amongst others thus: seminars, trainings and workshops on good communication should be organized for teachers in order to develop their communication skills; head teachers should encourage teachers to use available instructional materials in delivering their lessons as children learn faster when they participate in the process of learning. Teachers are to be resourceful and improvise.