Impact of NCE Mathematics Trainee and Graduate Teachers on JSSII Students’ Achievement in Geometry in Katsina-Ala of Benue State, Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis.

Abstract

The study sampled 320 JSSII students from 8 secondary schools in Katsina-Ala local Government Area through random sampling technique. Geometry Achievement Test (GAT) was used for data collection. A pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted for the study where intact classes were randomly assigned to trainee and graduate treatments. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the research questions while hypotheses were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The study found that students taught by NCE trained teachers achieved higher in Geometry than those taught by NCE trainee teachers irrespective of gender. The finding also revealed that female students achieved at the same level in geometry as their male counterparts as intra instruction performance recorded from either NCE trainee or NCE graduate teachers. It was therefore recommended that the government should pay special attention to teachers’ education especially NCE trainee teachers. The NCE trainee teachers were also required to give in-depth attention to female students while teaching geometry.

Key Words: Mathematics, Education, Geometry, NCE Trainee Teachers, NCE graduate Teachers, Gender, Achievement in Mathematics.