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IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION TO TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              Background of the Study

In Nigeria public discussions frequently focus on educational standards. The public’s unhappiness becomes more prominent following the annual release of the public examinations results. Student outcomes do not match the government and parental investment. All stakeholders are concerned about why the system is turning out graduates with poor results. To them, it is questionable whether or not teachers in the public secondary schools, the most important factor in the effectiveness of schools and in the quality of a child’s education is the competent to communicate and teach effectively. The National Policy of Education states, “No Education system can rise above the quality of teachers in the system” (FGN, 2006). Ogunsaju (2004) opined that the academic standard in all Nigerian educational institutions has fallen considerably below societal expectations. Blumende (2001) corroborated this view when he reported that the decline in the quality of education cannot be ignored by anyone who is aware of the significant role of education as an instrument of societal transformation and development. There is a need to focus on teachers’ adequacy and competency in respect to their pedagogical practices and strategies and mastery of the curriculum and subject content (Chall & Popp, 1990; Stuart, 2004; Rodgers, 2001). In support of the aforementioned scholars, Ekwesili (2006) institutionalized the Private Public Partnership (PPP) and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) to manage secondary education and to promote school effectiveness since students' success depends on the amount of learning that takes place in the classroom and other related ‘how effective and efficient the teacher performs in schools’.

In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), education remains the largest industry and government continues to ensure that funds, instructional materials and teaching personnel are made available for the sector. Government has also continuously encouraged secondary education by adopting the social demand approach towards planning the sector and by subsidizing the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) fee in the Territory over a long period of time. An indication of government interest in the general education in the FCT is reflected in the budgetary estimates of the Territory.

Academic achievement is usually established through examinations, which consist of set questions that seek to determine how much an individual perceives the subject as a result of learning. Commendable performance is an indication of effective learning. Secondary education in Nigeria has been characterized by poor performance in national examinations, especially in core subjects such as Mathematics and English Language (MoEST, 2005).

One of the most potent barometers so far, if not the strongest, of measuring school and teacher effectiveness is the performance of pupils in public examinations such as Senior School Certificate Examination (S.S.C.E.) in Nigeria.  The issue of declining academic performance of secondary school students in two principal subjects (English Language and Mathematics) at the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) has generated much interest among stakeholders in the education sector, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The quality of education and performance of students depends on the teachers as reflected in the discharge of their duties. Over time pupils’ academic performance in both internal and external examinations had been used to determine the effectiveness of teachers and teaching (Ajao, 2001).

Teachers have been known to have important influence on students’ academic achievement and they also play a crucial role in educational attainment; because the teacher is ultimately responsible for translating educational policies and principles into actions based on practice during interaction with the students (Afe, 2001). Both teaching and learning depend on teachers: no wonder an effective teacher has been conceptualized as one who produces desired results in the course of his duty as a teacher (Uchefuna 2001). Considering governments’ huge investment in public education, its output in terms of quality of students has been observed to be unequal with government expenditure. Consequent upon the observed deterioration in the academic achievement, attitude and values of secondary school students in public secondary schools, one wonders if the high failure rates and the failure of the students especially in external examinations is not a reflection of the instructional quality in the schools.

Therefore, the ineffectiveness of teachers in classroom interaction with the students could be responsible for the observed poor performance of students and the widely acclaimed fallen standard of education in Nigeria. Effective teaching of any subject will not only stimulates student’s interest in the subject but also enhance their achievement in the examination. To achieve effective teaching and learning process, there is the need for use of instructional materials.

Instructional materials are the different teaching aids or apparatus which a classroom teacher employs to facilitate his or her teaching for the achievement of the stated objective. Agun (1992) defined instructional materials as those materials which are helpful to the teachers and students and which maximize learning in various areas. The use of instructional materials in teaching these two critical subjects is very important because it provides a concrete basis for conceptual thinking motivates people to learn and captures pupils’ imagination if used correctly (Ajalla, 1997). Some scholars have also observed at one point or the other that the knowledge base in all professional fields, changes over time teaching is not an exception. With advances in educational research, and the rapidly changing demographics of students in Nigeria, the knowledge base in education will never be ‘complete’ or finished (Fafunwa, 2004; Farrant, 2004; Wasagu, 2009) in Awwalu M.I and Najeemah B.M.Y, (2012).

One of the key elements in any school and effective teaching is a Teacher. Teachers are the key propellers for school improvement. By implication, the task of a teacher, which includes sustaining education system, do not rest on his or her professional competency alone, but on the entire features of the school climate (Loukas, 2007). But, public schools which are owned by government and are predominantly occupied by citizens of lower socioeconomic status in Nigerian society and are facing challenges of educational sub-standard, lack of adequate resources, leading to poor teaching, students poor academic performance and dropping out.

Darling-Hammond (2006) opined that teacher preparation and knowledge of teaching and learning, subject matter knowledge, experience, communication skills and the combined set of qualifications measured by teacher licensure are all leading factors in teacher effectiveness. The realization of the goals of a secondary school as an educational organization hinges on effective communication among the various operating personnel. Communication helps to build relationships and facilitates achievement of goals. Thus the need for effective communication strategies for the improvement of a secondary school cannot be overemphasized.

The basic function of “education” itself relies almost entirely on communication. This can be inferred that classroom interactions between teachers and students occur rapidly in a classroom. It is indicated that teachers in secondary schools may have interactions with 150 different students in a single day. However, teachers are usually not aware or are not able to describe or remember what happens in these interactions with their students. For example, in a study conducted by Good and Brophy as cited in (She and Fisher, 2002), it was observed that teachers are usually not aware on how many questions they asked students and what kind of feedback they provided.

In any society, the teaching profession is perhaps the largest and single profession. It is however; not the most attractive but it has the greatest impact on the overall development in society. For this singular reason, effective communication improves learners’ expectations and motivation to learning in secondary school education. Communication has deep significance for human organizations since individuals make specialized contributions to the achievement of the overall goals of the organization.

Secondary education is a comprehensive type of education with a core curriculum, designed to broaden the knowledge and outlook of students who “successfully complete the junior secondary school” (FME, Status Report 2003 P.55). It is a stage, where a student enters at the age of thirteen (13) years. This statement was upheld by the World Bank, 2011, that “Secondary education is now being recognized as the cornerstone of educational systems in the 21st century.”  This is the most crucial stage of one’s life.  At this stage, teacher plays an important and crucial role at secondary school level. I would like to say that if secondary school teachers (English and Mathematics) succeeded in framing sound base of these subjects to the students of secondary level, it is justified to say that they will be able to make useful scientific discoveries. That is why, these teachers occupies the most important and crucial position in entire educational system.

The cognitive domain of learning involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills. It includes the recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns and concepts that serve in the development of abilities and skills.  Effective teaching of any subject will not only stimulates student’s interest in the subject but also enhance their achievement in the examination. To achieve effective teaching and learning process, there is the need for use of instructional materials.

It is precisely from this background that the researcher seeks to evaluate communication as an effective tool in teaching and learning (English and Mathematics) in the use of instructional materials in Secondary schools in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.  With hope of making concrete suggestion on how best students’ expectations and motivation to learning English and Mathematics in secondary school education can be properly enhanced through effective communication. 

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