TEACHERS' CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT CHARACTERISTICS: A PANACEA TO STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN EKITI STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The study investigated teachers’ classroom management characteristic and it influenced on student academic performance in Ekiti State secondary school. The research design was descriptive. The population was made of principals in 187 secondary schools in Ekiti state. The sample was made of 36 principals using multi-stage sampling procedure. Simple random sampling technique was used to select the 36 school across the three senatorial districts of the State and the principals of the schools were used. Two instruments were used to collect data for the study. These were a self-designed questionnaire and an inventory to collect WASSCE result for 2012-2016. Data for the study were analysed using ANOVA statistics to analyse five hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that lesson plan preparation (F=0.966, df=2, 2, P>0.05), student discipline (F=1.288, df=2, 2, P>0.05), teaching methodology (F=0.588, df=2, 2, P>0.05), instructional materials (F=0.630, df=1, 3, P>0.05) and student assessment/evaluation (F=0.698, df=1, 3, P>0.05) were significantly influences students’ academic performance. The study concluded that teachers’ classroom management characteristics (lesson plan, student discipline, teaching methodology, instructional materials and student assessment/evaluation) have positive influence on student academic performances. The study therefore recommended that teachers’ should frequently and adequately prepare for their lesson, use appropriate discipline approach, use appropriate teaching methodology timely, use adequate instructional material and prompt assessing/evaluating students in their classrooms during teaching learning process.