STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS(A CASE STUDY OF YAMALTU DEBA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF GOMBE STATE)
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Many of the comments made about poor performance of students in secondary schools to both internal and external examinations centre’s around the fact that the instructors sometimes lack the knowledge of the correct strategies to be adopted while teaching. Considerable research evidence abound, unequal education and reproduction of the social division of ‘Mass failure in public examinations. Some psychological perspective by Bakare (2014) shows that poor academic performance at the senior secondary school level of education is a product of the teacher, school, and so on. While the students have their own portion to blame, a substantial part of it lies at the doorsteps of the nation’s policy makers or leaders, who over the years treated the sector with levity. This shameful mass failure of students in Nigeria regretfully is a reflection of the precipice on which the nation has found itself.
Thus poor senior secondary students learning in the country has in the recent time been traced to the lack of proficiency in the English language. Aina & Olanipekun, (2013) had earlier separately inferred to this when they submitted that English languages proficiency influenced students learning in vocational and science education, relatively. Yet, in an analysis of course content in General English II revealed that students learning in General English is in big mess in the country today. To this effect, Aina & Olanipekun (2014) suggested that to improve on students learning generally, the teaching and learning of English language must also be improved. The modern trend in education and the complex nature of learning and instruction have made the role of the teachers more challenging. This new role does not just involve the more transmission of information to students but it involves looking at the problems associated with learning and instruction. The national Policy on Education (NPE, 2012) in Nigeria emphasized that our children should be educated properly so that they can acquire skills and competencies that would enable them function well and solve problems in the society. The accomplishment and realization of these important educational goals in Nigeria lies in the new trend in the educational approaches. These new approaches to learning instruction expose the students to conceptualize and effectively manage their own learning and thus reinforce their learning and transfer their learning in practical situations. Despite the new approach to learning and instruction, English at senior secondary school level in Nigeria has been plagued with poor results and low achievement. Annual results from West African Examination Council (WAEC) reveal woeful performance from the students who have made for English language examination a yearly ritual. It is worrisome to note too that the performance of these students has continued to deteriorate year after year. It is understood that if the situation in English language remains like this, it will affect both the economic and technological growth of the state. This is because a good mastery of English language is mandatory on all students in order to do well in other secondary school subjects.
The strategies in this case are the devices and methods used in the teaching of English in secondary schools. To stimulate an interest in learning, there are several strategies that an instructor may be able to use. Students typically enroll in a course because it is required as a core in the school curriculum. Some enroll in a course because of self-interest, but find it uninteresting towards the end of the term. In either case; the instructor must treat each and every student with similar expectation to complete the course. Completely a course successfully is different than completing a course satisfactorily means having attained minimum grade established as a criterion for acceptable performance in a subject. In contrast, completing a course successfully does not mean merely passing with the minimum grade, but also include that the students are able to carry the course throughout their life time and career goals.
In essence, as instructors, we want the students to successfully complete a course such as English language. By doing so, we will most likely be able to stimulate their interest in learning. At the same time, we want them to be successful in their lives and career. Success as what they can be proud of throughout their life time. Success is defined as favorable or desired outcome of an instruction.
According to Agwu (2003), a strategy is any skillful approach a teacher devices to curse the interest of the student in learning. The teacher showing pictures to the students is a strategy, temporary mapped out to attract the students’ effective focus in the class. Agwu; has it that the following, are more permanent methods employed by teachers in the teaching of English language in senior secondary schools. They include: lecture and verbal instruction method, immersion method, the play method, the co-operative method and many others through are neglected by the teachers in the teaching process. The lecture method use visual cues such as posters, over head pictures, slide shows, videos, and illustrated books. It uses active method of learning such as games, skits, songs, partner interviews and structured conversation with classmates when necessary in the verbal method, the teacher explain concepts in the students home language. As class size increase and school budget tightens, the lecture method remains a dominant teaching method (Goffe & Kaufer, 2014; Smith & Valentine, 2012).
The play Method: This method is as well known as the demonstration method which implies sequential presentation of the learning activity using stem-by-stem procedure known as play. In the play method, the teacher performs an act for the students to observe and imitate. Play is extremely important for brain development in young students. It is believed that play shapes the structural design of the brain, and provides active exploration that helps in building and strengthening brain pathways, according to Lennie Barblett, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education and the Arts, Edith Gowan University.Direct Method: The teacher encourages the students to maintain and develop their first language at school, at home and in the community. Research shows that students learn English more effectively, and do not relent on their English speaking classmates in other subject areas when they do more academic work in their native language. And when students are pushed to learn English only, and are not given the chance to continue learning their home language, they lose the opportunity to be bilingual a skill that is increasingly valued in society.
The immersion method: this as the name implies means the state of being completely involved in something, for instance, a language teacher of English when teaching should make complete use of English without mixing any other language for easy understanding of the learners. Successful teaching and learning are measured directly by the method and strategies used.
In most secondary schools, the lecture method with limited discussions skill prevails despite the fact that this is an ineffective teaching produced. Some experts hold that the method used in teaching is the cause of success of failure in language learning. This belief is closely limited with the belief that the teacher is solely answerable for the success or failure of any language instruction.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The place of English as a medium of communication in general and for teaching and learning in particular creates the need for teachers of the language to develop adaptive measures, skills and strategies while teaching. In recent years, the performance of students in most secondary schools in Yamaltu Deba educational zone has continued to decline. It is however suspected that this decline may be due to ineffective teaching strategies used by the secondary school teachers. This led us to the questions what are these teaching strategies the English teacher use in teaching secondary school students in Yamaltu Deba educational zone which may improve students’ interest in effective learning of English and which may affect student’s achievement in the subject. Efforts have been made but it has not yielded the desired result. It is against this ground that the study seeks to explore strategies being used to teach English language in senior secondary schools in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The primary aim of this study is to examine the strategies for improving teaching and learning English language in senior secondary Schools. The sub-objectives are to:
1. Identify the methods and strategies used by the teachers to teach English language in senior secondary schools in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.
2. Find out the extent of the teachers mastering of the English language in senior secondary schools in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.
3. Examine the teachers’ competence in delivering the English language in senior secondary schools in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following are some questions raised to guide the study:
1. Are there available teaching strategies for improving the low academic performance of students in English Language in senior secondary schools in Gombe?
2. Does teachers’ mastery of English language concepts helps in improving the performance of senior secondary schools students in Gombe State?
3. Is there any significant relationship between professional development and teachers’ implementation of English language learning strategies?
4. Is there any significant relationship between the strategies for improving teaching and learning of English language in senior secondary schools?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
H0: There is no relationship between professional development and teachers’ implementation of English language learning strategies.
H1: There is a significant relationship between professional development and teachers’ implementation of English language learning strategies.
H0: There is no relationship between the strategies for improving teaching and learning of English language in senior secondary schools.
H2: There is a significant relationship between the strategies for improving teaching and learning of English language in senior secondary schools.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of this research will be of benefit to both the teacher and the students. It will help to assess the effectiveness of the stated objectives of senior secondary schools which is significant in teaching and learning English language.
Subsequently, the findings from this study will help English language teachers in choosing an appropriate teaching method (s) capable of releasing student’s tension towards the subject. It will motivate English teachers to develop interest towards utilizing suitable teaching strategies that will be a possible means improving learning English language by senior secondary school students
Moreover, the result of this study will be of great significance to the English language curriculum planners. The curriculum developers will find the work useful in reviewing the English language curriculum by seriously laying emphasis on utilization of appropriate teaching strategies so as to meet with emerging needs of the society. This research work will be of immense benefit in the field of English Education by forming a basis for further studies on utilization of appropriate teaching strategies and teaching methods in English language.
The study will also equip our educational administrators in the ministry of education, educational institutions and measurement experts on the need to provide learning strategies in the field of English language especially in Yamaltu Deba Local Government area of Gombe state in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
The policy will also be useful in educational policy making. The research will arouse institutional educational funding agencies such as Federal Ministry of Education, Faculties or Schools of Education, National Teachers Institute as well as professional bodies to formulate educational policies which may be useful in implementation of English language curriculum.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is restricted to the strategies applied for improving teaching and learning English language in senior secondary schools in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe state. It will help in carrying out the appropriate strategies, methods of teaching and learning English as a second language in secondary schools.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
Strategies: plans or measures that can be used to solve problems.
Teaching: It is the act of instruction or instructions or the process of impacting knowledge, skills etc. to students.
Learning: It is the process of adjustment through constant practice or it is the modification of behavior through experience
English: Is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now the global language.
Teaching Aids: These are materials that may be in form of charts, a life specimen like and so on used in teaching to facilitate learning and understanding of lessons.
Competent Teachers: These are qualified teachers who passed of a minimum of Nigeria certificate in Education.
USE THIS ARTICLE AS A GUIDE FOR YOUR PERSONAL RESEARCH WORK (IF PROPERLY CITED)