CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Teaching method is a standard procedure for presenting subject matter and organising teacher-students interaction during a lesson. Each teaching strategy is associated with a method. Teaching methods can be general or specific.

General teaching methods are the procedures that are common in the teaching of different subjects. On the other hand specific teaching methods may be applicable mainly to specific teaching subjects, thus there are certain methods or procedures that can be used for teaching Mathematics but not for teaching Chemistry or History. The various teaching methods include: Pure lecture, discussion illustrated lecture, laboratory, drill and practice (Leke T., 2012).

Background to the Study

Education describes the total process of human learning by which knowledge is impacted, faculties trained and skills developed. Nkeng and Mambeh (2008) view teaching methods as those techniques and strategies used by teachers in their efforts to facilitate students’ or pupils’ learning.

It is an activity that translates curriculum goals and objectives into experiences that students acquire during their interaction with the teacher. Therefore, the ability of the teacher to appropriately use the different strategies will go a long way to improve on the pupils’ academic performance. The fact that teachers mostly use these methods inappropriately affects pupils’ performance.  When we talk of inappropriateness, we mean that teachers teach but the methods they use are not appropriate.

In the past, most parents and teachers were very interested in teaching their children to grow deeper in knowledge using different methods without text books which would help to improve on their performance.   Again, during that time teachers were untrained unlike today that teachers are trained and yet performances are low.  This is due to lack of interest by the teachers to use these methods appropriately.

Some teachers use these methods just as they have seen them without the understanding that each method has its way of teaching which depends on the level of the students and subject. For instance, most teachers use lecture method in all subjects and all classes both in secondary and high schools without considering the ages of the students  thus, making students not to participate in class or give them no inferential thinking skills leading to poor performance.  This is because students learn mostly by doing and not listening.

Furthermore, some of these teachers use these methods not just because they have seen them but because they are not trained.  For a teacher who had not gone through training, he/she might not be able to apply these methods appropriately.  This causes them to be ignorant about the methods leading to student’s poor performance.  Some teachers know these methods and do not apply them perfectly because they lack the will.

Again, teachers are reluctant to attend seminars, even though, during such seminars, new methods of teaching are discovered and how to use them appropriately.  Therefore, teachers’ unwillingness to attend these seminars brings down students performance. Some teachers in fact attend these training seminars but do not put them in to practice in the field; as a result, it leads to poor performance on the part of the students.

Education today is geared towards student-centredness which means that the teachers must be trained in order for them to use these methods well.  This is because; they need to direct their pupils on how these methods are used for the students to perform their duties or studies.

Farrant (1964) views teaching as a process that facilitates learning in students.  This process has an important role to play because the teacher acts like a catalyst, actively stimulating learning in the students as to achieve their goals.

We usually say that children are taught by teachers but they learn from books which give us the difference between teaching and learning, which is a subtle one (bright) but recognises the fact that teachers are unable to respond to the appropriate ways of the differing learning needs of individuals and the varying circumstances of particular situations.  The role of the teacher is therefore very important in any teaching strategy, especially since his direct participation can range widely from complete control over what is learned to minimal intervention.

Tchombe as cited in Farrant (1997), says that for a teacher to effectively teach well, he or she must start from easy to difficult, simple to complex and from near to far which will to facilitate learning in the children.

Hunter  (1984) and Reinhartz (1980), say teaching is a constant stream of professional decisions that affect the probability of learning decisions that are made and implemented before, during and after interaction with the students explaining, defining, giving examples, stressing critical attributes and demonstration.

A teacher has to set a test to find out if students have learned well and the students should show whether they have understood the lesson by drawing charts and pictures.  In a situation where students cannot do so, the blame lies on the teachers’ method. Therefore, appropriate use of teaching methods can only be effective or be a hindrance if the teacher takes something for his/her own use and teaches it properly. It is due to the fact that teachers do not follow the appropriate methods of teaching cited above, that the researcher is worried.  This has then prompted the researcher to research on the inappropriate use of teaching methods by the teachers and its effects on students’ performance.

Statement of the Problem

The most important methods of teaching in secondary and high Schools are lecture demonstration, discussion method, lecture illustration, questioning and research methods, but the fact that teachers do not know how to apply them is a problem on students’ performance.

The inappropriate use of teaching methods has become a problem in our secondary and high schools.

In the past, where text books were not available, teachers were very interested and willing to teach in their own styles, yet students were performing well unlike today where teachers have the textbooks but are unwilling, untrained and ignorant to do the right thing and this has prompted the researcher to investigate on teachers’ inappropriate use of teaching methods and its effects on students academic performance in some selected school in the Buea Sub Division.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to find out if the inappropriate use of teaching methods by the teachers in some selected secondary Schools in the Buea Sub Division affects students’ academic performance.

Specific Objectives

The researcher wishes to find out if:

1. Untrained teachers affects students’ academic performance;
2. Ignorance of the rules that govern the various teaching method both on the part of teachers and pupils affects students’ academic performance;
3. The unwillingness of teachers to use the various teaching methods appropriately affects academic performance of the pupils.
4. Finally, to try as much as possible to suggest solutions to problems plaguing education as far as the inappropriateness of the use of teaching methods is concerned.

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