The Influence of Teachers’ Qualifications and School Type on Students’ Attitude and Performance in English Language in Ado Local Government, Ekiti State

ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of teachers’ qualifications and school type on students’ attitude and performance in English Language in Ado Local Government, Ekiti State. Specifically, the study examined the academic performance of students in English Language in private and public schools in Ado Local Government; the relationship between teachers’ qualifications and students’ academic performance in English Language in Ado Local Government;, together with the relationship between school type and students’ academic performance in English Language in Ado Local Government. Three research questions were raised and answered, while two research hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study. This study was a descriptive design of a survey type. The population of this study consisted of all English Language students in secondary schools in Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The total sample for this study was 120 respondents selected across secondary schools in Ekiti State. The simple random sampling technique was used to select 10 secondary schools in the Local Government Area of study, while the stratified random sampling technique was used to select 10 students and 2 teachers each from each of the selected schools. The instruments used in this study for data collection were two close-ended questionnaires designed and distributed by the researcher. The teachers’ questionnaire was titled “Teachers’ Qualifications and Academic Performance Questionnaire (TQAPQ),”, while the student’s’ questionnaire was titled: “School Type and Academic Performance Questionnaire (STAPQ). The reliability of the instruments was tested by administering them to 10 English language students and teachers in 2 secondary schools not included in the sampled schools for the study. The scores from the responses were collated, and a reliability coefficient of 0.71 was obtained, which was considered high enough for the study. Descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages were used to answer the research questions while all the hypotheses formulated were tested at
0.05 level of significance. The study found that students’ academic performance in English Language was positively influenced by their teachers’ qualifications, with highly qualified teachers employing effective strategies that improved students’ understanding and confidence. School type also played a significant role, as private schools were generally better equipped with resources, while public schools cultivated student resilience. It was recommended based on the findings of this study that schools should prioritize hiring qualified English Language teachers and provide opportunities for continuous professional development, and that government and school administrators should ensure equitable resource distribution to create a conducive learning environment for all students, regardless of school type.