THE STUDENT-TEACHER RELATIONSHIP AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN EXAMS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Every area of life, including education, pursues development in an ever-changing environment. Given that the developed world's educational level is significantly greater than that of emerging nations, it comes to reason that education plays a vital role in the education of developing countries. According to our current educational system, the teacher's education is to transmit information to students (Meyer, 2002). Teachers choose topic materials, textbooks, and references, build the subject's framework, conceive, analyze, and synthesize the subject matter, then deliver it to students face-to-face. Turner (2002) described their findings, emphasizing the significance of students' and instructors' emotions throughout classroom interactions. They discovered that "our definition of what constitutes desire to learn has increasingly incorporated emotions as vital to learning and teaching" after examining student-teacher interactions. Their findings promote additional research into the integration of interpersonal relationships in the instructional setting, as well as the extent to which these relationships influence students' learning environments. According to Downey, the quality of a student's relationship with his or her teacher will result in a higher level of learning in the classroom (2008). "Long-term change does not arise from plans, blueprints, or events," writes Mohrman (2003), "rather, change happens 3 via the interaction of individuals." One of the most crucial environmental elements in modifying a child's educational route is strong teacher-student relationships (Baker, 2006). When students and teachers go into the school building each day, they should be aware that it is a place to learn. Apart from that, it is the responsibility of both students and instructors to ensure that the relationship between them is positive. A student cannot have a healthy relationship with a teacher if the student continuously criticizes the teacher about everything. The student-teacher relationship is like a bridge that links a teacher's knowledge, experience, and efficiency to bring forth a student's potential and goals (Mohrman, 2005). The distance between them should be the same as the distance we will travel across the bridge. Aside from the curriculum assigned to students, instructors should enlighten them about the critical society in which they live. They should not be limited to completing their assigned tasks for this purpose, but should instead introduce students to a broader understanding of the world in which they live (Tenkasi, 2003). The utilization of a human approach is critical to the success of any interactive activity. One such process is education, which is impacted by the student–teacher relationship. To put it another way, this relationship is critical to the teaching and learning process. The quality of the relationship between the teacher and the students is closely tied to the teacher's ability to facilitate learning (Postman, 1991). According to Birch (1979), instructors who have good relationships with their students say that their students are less likely to skip school, are more self-directed, supportive, and engaged in learning. The dialogue between the student and the teacher assists to establish a bond between the two, resulting in a more conducive classroom environment. A teacher must therefore recognize the importance of kids' feelings of belonging, which can contribute significantly to their overall development in all students, regardless of racial tensions (Ladd, 1997). When a student likes school, he or she gains crucial social benefits such as companionship, respect for peers and adults, and the acquisition of social skills. These two factors work together to assist a student achieve high academic results. Teachers inspire students to communicate productively in the classroom, which strengthens the student-teacher relationship. A teacher should act in such a way that a student admires and respects him or her. Adults frequently think that children enjoy school because of the chances for peer connection that it provides, as (Miller, 2007) has demonstrated. Although past study backs this up, research also shows that specific teacher characteristics are major predictors of kids' like or disliking of school. Furthermore, data show that students perform better in classes taught by professors they enjoy. The more information instructors have about their students, the better their teacher with them will be, and they will be more likely to benefit from the teachers' worldview. Because it relies on connecting with active, expanding minds, this education is naturally interactive (Tiberius, 1986). If a student-teacher relationship is to be optimally fruitful, it must be characterized by specific attitudes and commitments on both sides. Students must mirror their teacher and hold them in the highest regard, since this is a requirement for taking his guidance (Klem, 2002). The teacher's care must be believed by the student. The student must trust that the teacher is constantly looking out for his or her best interests. If the student detects a hidden agenda, self-interest, or simply negligence in the teacher's instruction, he or she will be unable to fully trust the teacher's advise, rendering the entire relationship useless. The student must commit to following the instructions with utmost discipline because only then will the desired effect be achieved. Just as a doctor's directions must be followed precisely because failing to do so may result in more harm than benefit, a teacher's "prescription" must be followed with the same zeal (Connell, 2004). In terms of delivering guidance, a teacher has three degrees of obligation to his students. A teacher must first meet the requirement of getting to know each of his or her students individually in order to explore the innermost depths of their souls as well as examine the exterior features of their life.

1.2  STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The low exam achievement of primary school students has become a source of concern for parents, educators, researchers, and the government in recent years (Klem, 2002). Despite the government's attempts to ensure that quality education is offered at the elementary school level, for example, this terrible incidence of students' poor academic achievement persists. The government has upgraded the minimum qualification for primary school teachers to the National Certificate in Education (NCE), as well as school facilities and infrastructure, as well as funding, to the point where public primary schools now receive free education through the Universal Basic Education (UBE) program. Despite these measures, students' academic achievement continues to deteriorate. Furthermore, it has been noticed that most students have poor self-esteem in recent years, resulting in academic disabilities and disciplinary issues (Leo, 2008). These students have little faith in themselves or their capacity to do well in exams. This might be due to the country's widespread examination misconduct. Researchers have begun on a series of investigations in order to uncover a possible solution to the problem of poor academic achievement and low self-esteem among students. According to some research, one of the most important factors of educational success or failure is a teacher's communication style in the classroom teaching and learning, as well as the types of reciprocal relationships that exist between the teacher and the students. Teachers' communication methods appear to impact self-esteem and academic achievement, according to research conducted in Western countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. However, it is unclear how much such instructors' communication styles (aggressive, passive, and assertive) affect Nigerian students' self-esteem and academic achievement. As a result, the study's problem is framed as a question: what is the impact of the sort of relationship that exists between teacher and student on primary school children' academic achievement?

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary goal of this research is to determine the impact and impact of the teacher-student relationship on the student's academic achievement. The particular goals to be met include:

i. To determine the many types of relationships that occur between teachers and students.

ii. To determine if there is a link between the student-teacher relationship and the students' students ’ academic performance.

iii. To learn how teachers may build a reciprocal relationship with their students that will help them achieve greater academic performances.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. What are  the many types of relationships that occur between teachers and students?

ii. Is there a link between the student-teacher relationship and the students' students ’ academic performance?

iii. How many teachers  build a reciprocal relationship with their students that will help them achieve greater academic performances?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Parents, curriculum creators and policymakers, instructors, students, and researchers will all benefit from this research. When the findings of this study are released, they will provide insight into the relationship between teacher-student communication styles and mutual relationships on students' self-esteem and academic performance.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on all elementary school students in Jos North local government area of Plateau State.

1.7   DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The most significant challenge encountered throughout this study is time; the researcher has a limited amount of time to finish the research, as well as inadequate funds to support the project and visit more than one local government.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Student: A person who is enrolled at a university or other institution of higher education is referred to as a .

Teacher: A person who teaches, especially at a school.

Relationship: The way two or more people or objects are related is referred to as a .

An impact is a change that occurs as a result of an activity or other cause.

Self-esteem is defined as the belief in one's own value or skills.

Academic performance refers to how well a student, teacher, or institution has met their short- and long-term educational objectives.

---

---