Influence Of Teachers’ Characteristics On Students’ Academic Performance In Biology
[SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS]

So on the grounds that some of these studies have not been able to combine the variables, this study is thus imperative to depart from the earlier studies in locale and content coverage. It is thus necessary and imperative to examine the relationship between teachers’ characteristics (of attitude, qualification, experience, as well as availability) and students’ academic performance in biology.
Purpose of the Study
The general purpose of this study is to establish the maxim between teachers’ characteristics and students’ academic performance in biology. Specifically, the study found out;
i.    Whether teachers’ attitude influences students’ academic performances in biology;
ii.    The influence of teachers’ qualification on students’ academic performance in biology;
iii.    Role of teachers’ years of teaching experience on students’ academic performance in biology; and
iv.    The influence of teachers’ gender on the academic performance of students in biology.
Research Questions
The study intends to provide answer to the following questions.
i.    What is the extent to which teachers’ attitude influences students’ academic performance in biology?
ii.    Does teachers’ qualification have an influence on students’ academic performance?
iii.    What influence does teachers’ years of teaching experience has on students’ academic performance in biology?
iv.    How does teachers’ gender (male and female) influence students’ academic performance in biology?
Research Hypotheses
HO1: There is no significant relationship between teacher attitudes on student academic performance in Biology
HO2: There is no significant difference between the performance of students taught by the Biology teachers with high qualification and Biology teachers with low qualification.
HO3:     There is no significant difference between the performances of biology students taught by experienced and less-experienced biology teachers.
HO4:     There is no significant difference between the performances of biology students based on teachers’ gender.
Scope of the Study
The study is limited to finding the influence of teachers’ characteristics on students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara state. The research population comprises all the senior secondary schools Biology teachers in the area and on the grounds that there are many secondary schools therein, Twenty schools were randomly selected. Hence, the study covers hundred respondents. While in some of the schools, three respondents were sampled, in some schools two respondents were sampled. Others school have only one teachers. This was on the grounds that some schools had more biology teachers than another.
Significance of the Study
    It is the hope of the researcher that this work would be of immense benefit to teachers, educational planner, head teachers and fellow researchers. Finding of this study could encourage the teachers of need to update their qualification having seen its influence on students’ academic performance. This study could help the educational planners to understand the implication of teachers’ qualification, experience attitude and availability of the academic performance of students and thus make them provide training for teachers to learn new trends in the field. Hence, the study will create the need to enable the teachers’ update their qualification and experience to impact on the students.
    Similarly, the study might establish the need for the head teachers to encourage their teachers to undergo further studies in order to enhance their professional development with the aim of impacting positively on the academic performance of students in biology.
In the same vein, it is expected that the outcome of the study will enhance teachers’ performance in the classroom which will consequently have impact on the academic performance of students. By extension, it will encourage other students who are not offering biology to develop deep interest in the subject.
Lastly, it could serve as a basis for other researchers who might decide to work on this type of study using other variables and location.