Abstract:
English Studies (ES) is taught in primary schools partly to inculcate in pupils ability to
communicate effectively.. However, reports have shown that the learning outcomes of
many public primary school pupils in ES are not encouraging in the Ibadan metropolis,
which partly accounts for their inability to communicate effectively. Previous studies
focused more on interventions to improve learning outcomes in ES than teacher classroom
practice factors. This study, therefore, was carried out to investigate teacher classroom
factors (professional development, instructional pacing, use of questions, use of
instructional materials and feedback techniques) as predictors of learning in ES among
public primary school pupils in the Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria.
Human Capital Development and Instruction theories provided the framework, while the
study adopted the mixed methods design. The multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted.
Five local government areas (LGA) in the Ibadan metropolis were enumerated. The random
sampling technique was used to select 50 public primary schools (10 per LGA). Fifty
teachers (one per school) teaching primary five ES were purposively selected. Instruments
used were English Studies Achievement Test (r=0.83), Interest in English Studies (r= 0.91),
Professional Development (r =0.90) questionnaires, Instructional Pacing (r =0.92), Use of
Instructional Materials (r=0.89), Use of Questions (r=0.86), Feedback Techniques(r=0.83)
observation scales. In-Depth Interviews were held with 10 selected teachers (two per LGA).
Quantitative data were analysed using Pearson’s product moment correlation and Multiple
regression at 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were content-analysed.
The participants’ ages were teachers- 30.80 ± 2.40; pupils-11.16 ± 2.70 years and 62.0 %
and 53.0%, respectively were females. Instructional pacing(x=2.01), use of questions (x=
1.96), professional development (x=1.87) and feedback strategies (x=1.84) were low, but
the use of instructional materials (x=2.72) was high, all against the threshold of 2.50.
Professional development (r = .03), instructional pacing (r = .02), use of questions (r = .22),
use of instructional materials (r = .13) and teachers’ feedback techniques (r = 0.20) had
positive relationships with achievement. Professional development (r = .11), use of
questions (r = .11), use of instructional materials (r = .15) and feedback techniques (r = .34)
correlated positively, while instructional pacing correlated negatively with interest. The
composite contributions of the independent variables to achievement (F (5; 44) = 2.688; Adj.
R2 = .23) was significant, accounting for 23% of the variance, but it was not to interest.
Professional development (Beta = .01; .06), instructional pacing (Beta = .12; .23), use of
questions (Beta = .23; .04), use of instructional materials (Beta = .12; .22) and feedback
techniques (Beta = .05, .33) contributed relatively to achievement and interest, respectively.
Professional development activities engaged in by teachers of ES were seminars,
workshops, conferences and participating in academic discussions, while teachers’
inability to access ES curriculum, pupils’ non-possession of prescribed textbooks and
literary texts as well as non-availability of instructional materials hindered effective
implementation of ES curriculum in primary schools.
Professional development, use of questions, use of instructional materials, feedback
techniques and instructional pacing influenced achievement and interest in ES among
public primary school pupils in the Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Teachers of ES should
focus on these classroom practice factors for improved learning outcomes in ES..
