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

Biology a life science, according to Odubunmi (2005), stands at the centre of science and technology. Beinga life science it has contributed greatly towards improving the quality of human life by providing drugs for curing and preventing human diseases. In addition, the course is also a gateway to noble professions like Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Agriculture, among others. The objectives of the biology curriculum at the secondary school level is to prepare students to acquire adequate laboratory and field skills in Biology, meaningful and relevant knowledge in Biology, the ability to apply scientific knowledge to everyday life in matters of personal and community health and agriculture, reasonable and functional scientific attitudes, (FME, 2008).
The implementation of Biology programme has been a matter of serious concern Biology educators. This concern arises from the fact that Biology occupies a central position in the scientific and technologicaldevelopment of any Nation (Maduabum, 1992). The Biology curriculum just like any other science, it is activity oriented and student-centered. Therefore emphasis is laid more on teaching and learning of Biology as a process rather than as a body of knowledge. For this reason the following teaching methods were recommended, field studies, guided, discovery and laboratory techniques/skills. However studies like Okeke (1999), and Nwachukwu and Nwosu (2007) found that science teachers are poorly trained in content and pedagogy. The teaching and learning of Biology just like any other science subject demands active students participation involving the use of material resources. However, available evidence points to the fact that essential material resources are inadequately provided in both rural and urban secondary schools in Nigeria.
The Biology teacher occupies a strategic position as the quality of teachers in any educational system determines to a large extent the quality of the system itself (FME, 2004). In spite of the strategic position of Biology teachers to the successful implementation of Biology programme, research evidence by Nwachukwu and Nwosu (2007) and Dangbin (2008) show that most schools in Nigeria lack qualified science (Biology) teachers. Even where they are available, some teachers factors tend to influence delivery and students’ performance.
Concepts of Academic Performance and Teacher Characteristics
In the bid to explain the concept of academic performance, certain similar terms pose challenge and thus need to be clarified at the outset to avoid misunderstanding. Such disturbing terms, in this context, include academic achievement and academic outcome or learning outcome. Academic achievement may be defined as excellence in all academic disciplines, in class as well as co- curricular activities. It includes excellence in sporting behaviour, confidence, communication skills, punctuality, arts, culture and the like which can be achieved only when an individual is well adjusted. It has been defined as knowledge attaining ability or degree of competence in school tasks usually measured by standardized tests and expressed in a grade or units based on pupils’ performance (Singer, 2001).
So, it refers to the knowledge obtained or skills developed in the school subjects usually designed by test scores or marks assigned by the teacher. In other words, academic achievement includes both curricular and co-curricular performance of the students. It indicates the learning outcome of the students. In class rooms students performs their potentials efficiently, as a result of it, learning takes place. The learning outcome changes the behaviour pattern of the student through different subjects. According to Kentucky Adult Education (2015),academic performance is the percent of enrolled students completing educational levels. It is calculated as the Total number of students completing educational levels divided by Total number of students enrolled.
Hence, a somewhat disturbing issue in education is the distinction or interrelation among academic achievement, performance and outcomes.  Performance is defined as the observable or measurable behaviour of a person an animal in a particular situation usually experimental situation (Simpson & Weiner, 2009). This means that performance measures the aspect of behaviour that can be observed at a specific period. To determine performance, a performance test is conducted.  Singer (2001) defined performance test as the type of mental test in which the subject is asked to do something rather than to say something. To that end, performance test is the type of test which throws light on the ability to deal with things rather than symbols. Hence, academic performance of a student can be regarded as the observable and measurable behaviour of a student in a particular situation. For example, the academic performance of a student in social studies includes observable and measurable behaviour of a student at any point in time during a course. In social studies students' academic performance consists of his scores at any particular time obtained from a teacher- made test. Therefore, we can equate academic performance with the observed behaviour or expectation of achieving a specific statement of or statement of educational intention in a research. Academic performance of students consists of scores obtained from teacher-made test, first term examination, mid-semester test and so on.