Influence Of Teachers’ Characteristics On Students’ Academic Performance In Biology
[SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS]

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Science is an intellectual activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. Merriam-Webster (2016) defines science as the knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation. The National Academy of Sciences (2008) cited by Hohenberg (2010) defined science as the use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through its process.
To that end science is an important subject taught to children in schools. Many reasons have been given to support its teaching. In other words, there are many reasons we can offer to justify putting energy into providing students with the opportunity to learn science (Settlage &Southerland, 2012).
i.    It helps the children to have a worldview of science. In other words, they will begin look at things in a way that is probably not the same as others.
ii.    The value system of science influences the way children think.
iii.    Children learn to question and satisfy their curiosity through science.
iv.    It enables children to be open-minded.
v.    It inculcates in the children the spirit of skepticism thereby pushing them to always seek more data to become convinced (p.xi).
Science, as taught in secondary schools, is divided into; natural science, physical science and social sciences. Sometimes, it is discussed under pure and applied science and covers such subjects as physics, chemistry, biology, etc. Of these subjects, biology is the only one that cuts across and concerns all students. Unlike physics and chemistry for instance, biology is the only science subject offered by all students in science class.
This implies that biology occupies a very sensitive position in medical science and other related disciplines. This informs several efforts geared towards studying biology at secondary school level of education. Hence, it is one of the science subjects a student must pass so as to offer some science courses at tertiary level of education (Akinfe, Olofinniyi & Fashika, 2012).
It is however disheartening and heartbreaking that despite the key role and much emphasis being laid on biology, students of senior secondary schools are still performing below expectation in this subject and this has been an issue of great concern for stake holders in education, especially those in the field of science (Rowe, 2013). This has been attributed to myriad of factors. However, the pivotal of all the factors responsible for the poor performance is the teachers (Ameen, Onah&Udoh, 2006).
The relevance of teachers to education cannot be over-emphasized. They are an extremely important facet of any society for various reasons. Their role is significant and valuable. They play an extra ordinary part in the lives of children from the formative years of their development and thus the importance of teachers is something that cannot be understated. They involve themselves in moulding their students into responsible citizens of their country (Ameen, et al, 2006). This submission shows that if teachers are well educated, intellectually alive and take keen interest in their job, then only success is ensured.
According to Rowe (2003), it is the teacher more than any single group who determines the attitudes of society and shapes the idea and aspiration of the nation; this is power in reality. In the same vein, Zwalchir(2008) observed that quality education depends on the quality of teaching staff as well as its availability. The implication of this is that besides other factors, teachers have been identified as a crucial factor that could hinder successful teaching.