Teacher characteristics and preschool children’s achievement in number work in Imenti North District, Meru County

Abstract

This study was conducted in Imenti North District of Meru County to investigate the influence of teacher factors on the achievement of preschool children in number work. The study was tailored particularly on establishing the relationship between teachers’ academic and professional qualification, experience and attitude towards number work and the achievement of preschool children in number work. The target population was all preschool teachers and children from both public and private preschools in the district from which a research sample was drawn from twelve (12) public preschools and eight (8) private preschools. Two research instruments were used to collect data. They are; Preschool Teachers’ Questionnaires and Documentary Analysis Form. Data was collected from all the twenty respondents within the sample population and data tabulated using Scientific Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 17.0 for windows) and analyzed using inferential statistics. The research study was guided by research questions, which conformed to the objectives of the study. Literature review of the study covered the importance of teacher characteristics, the influence of teachers’ academic and professional qualification, experience, attitude towards number work and its influence on learners’ achievement in number work and lastly the effects of teacher characteristics on learners’ achievement. The literature review indicated that challenges exist in the area of teacher factors and their influence on learners’ achievement right from the core foundation of our education system upwards. Based on the analysis of the study data, the following were the findings of the study: that there existed a significant relationship between teachers’ academic qualification and preschool children achievement in number work, that teachers’ professional qualification impacted positively on the achievement of preschoolers in number work, that teachers’ experience did not influence preschool children achievement in number work and teachers’ attitude towards number work did not seem to influence preschool children’s achievement in number work. Based on the strengths of these findings, the following recommendations were critical: That there is need for the government and other educational stake holders to promote continuous teacher development through in-service and pre-service training programs. After training it is important that graduate teachers be posted direct to schools for this is the time they are more productive.