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

CHAPTER THREE
         RESEARCH METHOD
This chapter addresses the methodology employed in carrying out this research work. It has been carried out under sub-headings as Research Design, Population, Sample and Sampling Technique, Research Instrument, validation of the Instrument, Procedure for Data Collection and Data Analysis Technique.
Research Design
This study is a descriptive research of the survey type. As descriptive research, it described the characteristics of a large population by selecting study sample of the given population or area of interest. In other words, the study employed sample population to represent all the schools and biology teachers. Also, it sought to ascertain respondents’ perspectives or experiences on a specified subject in a predetermined structured manner. This enabled the researcher to use the information obtained from the sample to draw inference about the target population.
Population, Sample and Sampling Techniques
The research population comprises all the senior secondary schools Biology teachers in Ilorin West. There are many secondary schools in Ilorin Metropolis out of which twenty were randomly selected. This was to ensure wider coverage in terms of the respondents. The random sampling technique was employed to ensure that all the schools had an equal opportunity of being selected.
Furthermore, the researcher employed purposive and random sampling techniques to select eighty respondents (BIOLOGY TEACHERS) used for the study. In other words, while in some of the schools, three respondents were used, in some schools two respondents were used. Even in some, it was only one. This was on the grounds that some schools had more biology teachers than another.
Research Instrument
The instrument used in this study is a questionnaire titled “A survey of the influence of teachers’ characteristics on the academic performance of students in biology”. A (ten) 10 item questionnaire was designed with the aim of eliciting information regarding the purpose of this study. The questionnaire was sub-divided into two parts. Part A consisted of respondent’s personal data while part B consisted of (twenty four) 24 items meant for their responses. The respondents were made to state their views with the use of Likert Scaling System of SA, A, SD and Dresponses. It was therefore a structured close-ended questionnaire.
Validation of Research Instrument
The instrument was given to the experts in the Department of Science Education, University of Ilorin for validation. These experts assessed the questionnaire and made the necessary corrections in order to amend the mistakes in the questionnaire. This ensured that the contents of the questionnaire are capable of eliciting the required responses from the teachers. The researcher adopted a test-retest reliability technique. The instrument was given to some secondary schools teachers who do not form part of the population. This was taken through test-retest reliability procedure for three weeks interval to the teachers in order to check whether the items are understandable to the teachers, whether the items are adequate and if they represent all the requirements for good teaching. The reliability coefficient was determined using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient.
Procedure for Data Collection
The researcher collected a letter of introduction from the Department of Science Education, University of Ilorin which were given to the principals of the selected schools to seek approval before administering copies of the questionnaire forms on teachers. The researcher gave the teachers orientation on the importance of the research work. The collection of the instrument was done the same day. That is, immediately after distribution, the researcher collected the administered questionnaire before leaving the schools. By implication, the researcher administers the instrument by herself without employing a research assistant. This is to ensure that the respondents get assurance of the researcher on the purpose of the work (being for academic purpose only).