Influence Of Teacher Training And Development Programmes On Students’ Academic Performance In Mathematics
[ILORIN WEST LGA, KWARA-STATE]

This is because for teachers to perform his roles effectively, he must employ techniques that meet both short and long term objectives. To achieve this, teachers need to be trained, re-trained and constantly developed to meet the dynamism of the society.
In view of the foregoing therefore, this study is carried out to examine the influence of teachers’ training and development programmes on the academic performance of students in mathematics in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Statement of the Problem
The fact that education is the only effective tool which can solve socio-economic, political and technological problems of both developed and developing countries has made various governments to place emphasis on the quality of teachers, since education is the key to national development and only teachers hold the key that can turn it for national development, the need then arise to train and develop the teachers to the aspirations of the society. It is therefore expected that only the intellectually promising and qualified persons are engaged in the teaching industry.
According to Wycoff (2006) teachers’ expertise as measured by performance, years of experience and completion of an advanced degree accounted for roughly 40% of the variance in students’ academic performance. However, little attention has been placed on the influence of teacher training and development programmes on students’ academic performance in mathematics. A careful assessment of secondary schools in Nigeria today clearly revealed that students’ academic performance in external examinations has been low. Some people attributed the students’ academic performance to poor teachers’ remuneration, inadequate facilities in schools and students’ indiscipline. Other schools of thought put the blame at the door step of the government for not providing the teachers with the opportunity to engage in training and development programmes after they have been recruited.
The problem of this study therefore is to confirm or refute the authenticity of whether teacher training and development programmes influence students’ academic performance in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State or not.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of teacher training and development programmes on students’ academic performance in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state.
Specifically, the study is conducted to achieve the following goal:
1.     To examine teachers’ qualification as pre-requisite to students’ academic performance in secondary schools.
2.     To determine the ‘extent to which teachers’ training and development programmes influence students’ academic performance in secondary schools.
3.     To inquire into whether the body responsible for recruitment, promotion and transfer of teachers use teachers’ participation in training and development programmes as a condition for their promotion in Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state.
4.     To find out other factors that are responsible for students’ academic performance in mathematics in junior secondary schools within Ilorin West Local Government of Kwara state, apart from teachers’ training and development programmes.
5.     To suggest methods that can be used to enhance students’ academic performance in mathematics in junior secondary schools.