The Influence Of Teacher’s Qualifications On Their Performance

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This study will examine the influence of teacher’s qualifications on their performance in Luweero district secondary schools. The term qualification has been defined by English Business Dictionary as the Capacity, knowledge, or skill that matches or suits an occasion, or makes someone eliglble for a duty, office, position, privilege, or status. Qualification denotes fitness for purpose through fulfillment of necessary conditions such as attainment of a certain age, taking of an oath, completion of required schooling or training, or acquisition of a degree or diploma. teaching on the other hand has been defined as a process of Imparting knowledge or instructing someone as to how to do something; or Cause someone to learn or understand something by exalnple or experience (Mark K 2015) In this piece Mark K Smith explores the nature of teaching those moments or sessions where we make specific interventions to help people learn particular things. Fle sets this within a discussion of pedagogy and didactics and demonstrates that we need to unhook consideration of the process of teaching from the role of ‘teacher’ in schools. Performance is a degree of competence of doing of achieving the set goals and standards. Therefore from the above definitions the researcher defines teacher qualification as the level of attainrrient of the required knowledge and skills by the teacher in order to help the students acquire necessary skills and knowledge. In this study student performance has been 1inl‹ed with teacher qualification, despite of other factors that foster academic performance like social economic background and the competence of the learner, the researcher wants to find out the extent as to which teacher qualification influences learning .research shows the teacher’s competence is the primary determinant of student performance. The Rand Education article on teacher effectiveness (2016) reveals that although there are many factors that contribute to a student's academic performance, including individual characteristics and family and neighborhood experiences, but research suggests that, among school-related factors, teachers matter most. When it comes to student performance on readlng and math tests. a teacher is estimated to have two to thee times the impact of any other school factor, including services, facilities, and even leadership. Teachers’ qualification is one of the most fundamental determinants of education in any learning institution. Research shows that the performance of the determinants of education in any learning institution. Research shows that the perfot mance of the students and teachers greatly depends on the skills of the teacher. “Teacher is one way of defining quality teaching” (Fenstermacher and Richardson, 2005). This is because the teacher has full control of the learning in the school. The quality of performance of students in a school is conditioned with the qualification of the teacher. “with increasing demands for accountability in line with performance standards and with growing demand for evidence-base policy making, students achievements are considered an accurate measure of effectiveness and has become a basis of a value added teacher assessment systems” (Brauna, 2005; McCaffrey, 2004). Diffetent schools have been selected at random to provide source information for the significance of this research. The research will base on the relationship between the qiiallty of the teacher and there qualification, expei ience and behavior linked with qualification in order to pt oduce a relevant research in thls paper.

Several schools have registered ietai dation and at times decline in their performance oveitime and this research has conditioned this response to the levels of training that the teachers have attained. This approach also gained support from the point of view of the effectiveness of teacher education systems. In stressing teacher education development and reforms in terms of majoi questions that have driven the field, Cochran Smith (2001)

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT.

It is presumed that a qualified teacher is able to produce students who are competent and excellent in their academics. Graduated teacher from licensed teacher training institute is expCcted to deliver high quality students, however it should be noted that there is increasing poor performance of student in secondary schools in Luweero district. Research shows that this is largely due to teacher qualifications. “Teacher is one way of defining quality teaching” (Fenstermacher and Richardson, 2005). This is because the teacher has full control of the learning in the school. The quality of performance of students in a school is conditioned with the qualification of the teacher. The student poor performance in Luweero district is attributed to teacher per formance and there’s need to check on the teacher qualifications in order to solve the challenge of increasing poor student performance in secondary schools.

Research reveals that the perfonuance of students in some subjects especially sciences is very appalling, hence, calls for attention (Ajayi 2004, Adedayo 2008). ThiS 1s the consequence of unqualified teachers handling these subjects in the secondary schools and the reverse is true. Evidence shows that without qualified teachers there can never be good results in secondary schools in Luweero district. Since teachers have the most direct sustained contact with students, considerable control over what is taught and the environment of learning, improving teachers’ knowledge, skills and development is a critical set up in improving student per formance.( King and Newman 2000).