CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The word ‘’teaching’’ has been evolving from the old till the present day. The primary purpose of teaching at any level of education is to bring a fundamental change in the learner (Tebabal and kahssay, 2011). To facilitate the process of knowledge transmission, teachers should apply appropriate teaching methods that best suit specific objectives and level exit outcome. In the past many teachers used the teacher centered methods. Until today, there are still questions on the effectives of teaching methods on students learning. This has consistently raised considerable interest in the field of educational research. (Hightower et al, 2011).

Moreover, research on teaching and learning constantly endeavors to examine the extent to which different methods enhance growth in student’s learning. Quite remarkably, regular poor academic performance by the majority of students is fundamentally linked to the application of ineffective teaching methods by teachers to impact knowledge on learners (Adunola, 2011). Substantial research on the effectiveness of teaching methods indicates that the quality of teaching is often reflected by the achievement of learners.

Background of the Study.

In the past, most parents and teachers were very interested in teaching their children to grow deeper in the knowledge using different methods without using text books which will help them improve on their performance. Again, during that time, teachers were untrained unlike today that teachers are trained and yet performance is low and students are less active in class, this is due to the lack of interest by the teachers to use these methods appropriately. 

The evolutional trend of the formal method of teaching in the past has evolved. The use of modern methods of teaching introduced by the Western world as formal methods are used to transfer knowledge from a more knowledgeable to a less knowledgeable person. With the evolvement of technology, modern techniques are introduced like the use of explicit methods, drill and practice, pure lecture illustration, demonstration, discussion, laboratory, dramatization, recitation, and corporative learning strategy. These methods of teaching have greatly influenced the performance of students in different subjects especially the use of lecture demonstration, illustration, discussion and cooperative learning have influence academic performance of students in geography. This is supported by Tambo (2003).

According to Ayeni (2011), teaching is a process that brings about desirable changes in learners so as to achieve specific outcomes.  In order for the method used for teaching to be effective, Adunola (2011) maintains that teachers need to be conversant with numerous teaching strategies that take recognition of the magnitude and the complexity of the concepts to be covered. Researchers in the field of education have always been fascinated by relationship between teaching methods and student academic performances, especially when it comes to applying them in the context of 21st century education. It seems that there is something in teaching that opens the gate of learning. It is true that successful learning depends on various factors that are not all teacher related, but methods that a teacher uses continue to play an important role in student learning and in their academic performance. The challenges that educators face in the 21^st century is so diverse that using better teaching methods is more crucial now than ever before. Gibbs and Jenkins (1992) bring the argument that the context of class and society has changed, but the teaching method have remained unchanged. Various recent studies attempting to address the issues that affect teaching methods and student learning today include educational technology integration Abbiff (2011), teachers role Webb (2009), the class environment Doll et al (2010), understanding the adult learner Kisamore et al (2008), length of class session Coskun, (2011), increasing class size in schools Gibbs and Jenkins (1992), student attitude as well as the increased interdependence of society today Shul (2011).

According to Keene (2008), each student learns best using strategies and objectives that reflect his experiences, abilities, aptitudes and interest. Similarly, there is no standard teaching. The various teaching methods overlap in definition and application; none being mutually exclusive although researchers often delineate several teaching strategies. It has the prerequisite characteristic for individualized instruction and therefore, has high potential for making teaching learning process challenging and rewarding. There is a radical departure from the direct teaching model in which the teacher engages students to learn.  Students are encouraged to ask questions, in short, the student is viewed as an inquirer, a seeker of information and a problem solver. These attributes are crucial to problem solving and act as the heart of demonstration model of teaching. Consequently, there is now a growing concern for the use of demonstration technique in the teaching of students in secondary schools in Cameroon.  The discussion method has been widely accepted and recommended by some educators as the good method of teaching. The discussion method is the method of teaching where the central and essential characteristics is interaction (Binkley and Tulloch, 1981). During discussion sessions, students participate in the learning process by raising their problems; both teachers and students analyze the factors associated with the problem, develop possible solutions to the problems, place the solution into action, and evaluate the results.

According to Hunter (1984) and Reinhartz (1980), teaching is a constant stream of professional decisions that affects the probability of learning decisions that are made and implemented before, during and after interactions with the students explaining, defining, giving examples, stressing critical attributes and demonstrations. A teacher has to set a test to find out if students have learned well and the students should show whether they have understood the lesson by their academic achievement. Education today is geared towards student-centeredness which means that the teacher must be trained in order for them to use the appropriate teaching methods well. This is because they need to direct the students on how these methods are used for the students to perform well and also become active in the teaching and learning process. Thus, a well-trained teacher will be able to teach well and create love for the subject into the minds of the students but a teacher who is not trained will rather create discouragement and hate for the subject in the minds of the students.

Statement of the Problem

Given the high value placed on education in the Cameroon Teacher Training College curriculum, and the nature of the subject, the need to teach it effectively through an effective method is indisputable. A few of the problems affecting the teaching and learning are the meaningfulness of the content, the sustainability of the methods and probably, the teacher who handles both content and method. The incident of ineffective teaching methods in Teacher Training Colleges has resulted in the proliferation of poorly trained teachers in schools and as a result poor student performance. This necessitated the need for a more effective and result oriented teaching method. This study was motivated by a problem I observed in G.B.T.T.C Bamenda while carrying out my teaching practice. A newly posted teacher was replaced with an older teacher to teach students the subject General Pedagogy, students had claimed that they didn’t understand the new teacher. This made the researcher to wonder what the problem could be. The first thing that came to mind was maybe it was the teachers teaching method. So in order to uncover the problem, the researcher decided to carry out a study on the effects of teaching methods on students’ academic performance.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between teaching methods and student’s academic performance in some selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

To find out if the teacher’s teaching method has any effect on student’s academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

General Objective

The main objective of the study is to examine the effects of teaching methods and students’ academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

Specific Objectives

To find out the relationship between the discussion method and students’ academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

To examine the relationship between the demonstration method and students’ academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

To determine the relationship between the questioning method and students’ academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

To find out the relationship between lecture method and students’ academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region.

Main Research Question

How do teaching methods affect students’ academic performance in selected Teacher Training Colleges in the North West Region?

Specific Research Questions

• What is the relationship between the discussion method and students’ academic performance?
• What is the relationship between the demonstration method and students’ academic performance?
• What is the relationship between the questioning method and students’ academic performance?
• What is the relationship between the lecture method and students’ academic performance?