TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE, QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION AND CLASSROOM CLIMATE AS PREDICTORS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND ACHIEVEMENT IN MATHEMATICS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Mathematics is an important subject capable of equipping student in dealing with analytical issues and for gaining admission to read science-related disciplines in higher institutions in Nigeria. However, reports from Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria have shown that Mathematics Teachers (MT) are deficient in professional practice. This study, therefore, was carried out to examine teachers’ professional competence (content and pedagogical knowledge), quality of instruction (lesson development, set induction, content presentation, content communication, questioning techniques, and management), and classroom climate (personalisation, involvement, students’ cohesiveness, satisfaction, task orientation, innovation, and individualisation) as predictors of Secondary School (SS) students’ interest and achievement in mathematics in Ibadan, Nigeria The study was underpinned by the Human Capital Theory, while the correlational design was adopted. Four Local Government Areas-LGAs (Ibadan Southeast, Ibadan North, Egbeda and Akinyele) were randomly selected. The simple random sampling technique was used to select 20 SSs (five from each LGA). Twenty MT participated in the study. A total of 1200 SSII students (60 per school) were randomly selected. The instruments used were Teacher Content Knowledge Test (r=0.85), Pedagogical Knowledge (r=0.79), Quality of Instruction (r=0.77) Observation rating scales, Classroom Climate Inventory, Students’ Interest in Mathematics Questionnaire (r=0.87) and Mathematics Achievement Test (r=0.75). Data were analysed using Pearson product moment correlation and Multiple regression at p≤0.05 Majority (85.0%) of the teachers possessed professional qualification and 90.0% of them had more than 10 years teaching experience. Teacher content knowledge (r=-0.57) had negative significant relationship with students’ interest in mathematics, while personalisation (r=0.33), involvement (r=0.18), student-cohesiveness (r=0.36), satisfaction (r=0.68), task-orientation (r=0.47), innovation (r=0.21) and individualisation (r=0.11) had positive significant relationships with students’ interest in mathematics. Pedagogical knowledge (r=-0.53) and set induction (r=-0.61) had negative significant relationships with students’ achievement in mathematics, while teacher content knowledge (r=0.51) and satisfaction (r=0.68) had positive significant relationship with students’ achievement in mathematics. The composite contribution of teachers’ professional competence to students’ interest was significant (F(2, 17)=4.36; Adj. R2=0.26), accounting for 26.0% of its variance. The composite contribution of teachers’ professional competence to students’ achievement was significant (F(2; 17) = 5.97; Adj. R2 = 0.34), accounting for 34.0% of its variance. The composite contribution of classroom climate to students’ interest was significant (F(7; 1154) = 86.33; Adj. R2 = 0.34), accounting for 34.0% of its variance. The composite contribution of quality of instruction to students’ interest and achievement were not significant. There was no composite contribution of classroom climate to students’ achievement. Teacher content knowledge (β=0.54), pedagogical knowledge (β=-0.10), personalisation (β=0.11), cohesiveness (β=0.07), satisfaction (β=0.36), task orientation (β=0.16) and innovation (β=0.08) made relative contributions to students’ interest in mathematics. Pedagogical knowledge (β=-0.42) and set induction (β=-0.80) made relative contributions to students’ achievement in mathematics. Teachers' professional competence and some classroom climate variables enhanced secondary school students’ interest in mathematics, while pedagogical knowledge and set induction improved their achievement in mathematics in Ibadan, Nigeria. Mathematics teachers should focus on these factors to improve students’ interest and achievement in mathematics.