TEACHERPREPARATION AS DETERMINANT OF TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE IN THE WORK PLACE IN NSUKKA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDUCATION AUTHORITY

The study sought to investigate the relationship between teacher preparation and teachers’ performance in primary schools. The design of the study was correlation survey design. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study was all the 590 teachers and 50 head teachers in the50primary schools in the study area. From the population, a sample of 50 teachers and 10 head teachers was selected using simple random sampling technique. Data for the study was collected using two researchers-made instruments: (a) teachers’ preparation questionnaire (TPQ) answered by the teachers and (b)rating scale for teachers’ performance (RSTP) answered by the head teachers. The two instruments were face validated by three experts from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a reliability index of 0.85 and 0.82 respectively were obtained using Cronbach Alpha. Mean, Standard Deviation, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Coefficient of Determination were used to answer the research questions. Regression ANOVA was used to test the formulated hypotheses. Findings of the study revealed that there is a positive relationship between level of education and primary school teachers’ performance. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended that government and other agencies should provide enriching and adequate professional training in order to cope with work and their duties in the work place.