Influence of Teachers’ Background Training and Utilization of ICT Facilities on Students’ Academic Achievement in Mathematics in Delta Central Senatorial District

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of teachers’ background training and utilization of ICT facilities on students’ academic achievement in mathematics in secondary schools in Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State. Five research questions and five hypotheses guided the study. The ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The sample of the study consists of three hundred and thirty (330) SS2 students randomly selected from eight (8) secondary schools from four (4) Local Government Areas in Delta Central Senatorial District of Delta State. The instruments that were used for data collection were the Teachers’ Questionnaire on Background Training and Utilization of ICT and Students’ past results in Mathematics. The face and content validities of the Teachers’ Questionnaire were determined by a panel of three, two science educators from Delta State University and one expert from measurement and evaluation from Delta State University. The researcher determined the reliability of the Teachers’ Questionnaire by administering the instrument to 10 mathematics teachers in a school in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State that is outside the area of coverage of the study and the data obtained was subjected to Cronbach Alpha. On analysis, a reliability coefficient value of 0.81 was obtained. The data analysed for the study were collected by administering the Questionnaire to the teachers that participated in the study and the students’ past results in mathematics was also collected by the researcher from the Office of the Principal of each selected schools. The Questionnaire along with the students’ achievement scores were analysed using Means, Standard deviations, t-test, Regression Analysis and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The major findings of this study are summarised as follows; (i) there is a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of mathematics students taught by teachers with background training in Education and those taught by teachers with background training in Pure Science. (ii) there is a significant difference between the mean achievement scores of mathematics students taught with the utilization of ICT facilities and those taught without utilization of ICT facilities. (iii) there is a significant relationship between teachers’ background training and the utilization of ICT facilities in teaching mathematics students. It was concluded that teachers who have background training in education and teachers who utilizes ICT facilities in teaching mathematics influences students’ academic achievement in mathematics positively. Recommendation and suggestion for further study were made based on the findings of the study.