Relationship Between Teacher Factors and Student Achievement: A Correlational Study of Secondary Schools

Abstract

Teachers always played a significant role in the intellectual and moral development of students by using various techniques, assessments, and methods to improve student achievement in school’s subjects. This study therefore focuses on the effect of teacher factors, such as assessment interval, communication language, the distance of residence, and the teacher’s personal characteristics (gender, age, academic and professional qualification, designation, experience, and in-service training) on the 9th grade students’ achievement in three subjects (English, Chemistry, and Mathematics at secondary level). The population of the study is comprised of all “public sector” secondary schools, male and female teachers, and boy and girl students. A total number of 16 secondary schools (eight for boys and eight for girls), 114 secondary school teachers (66 males and 48 females), and 2,404 students (1,400 boys and 1,004 girls) were selected through purposive sampling techniques. Multiple statistical procedures, Spearman and Pearson correlation, mean, and standard deviation were employed to obtain stronger validity to the study. The results of the study identify weak and negative weak relationship between most of the teacher factors and student achievement in three subjects but the relationship between students’ background and learning achievement in all three subjects were found positively correlated.