CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Quality of teaching to students' performances in English

Previous studies have established that education quality is depended upon the capability, effort and the
commitment of the teachers.The failures of the teacher in keeping themselves in pace with the brisk
scientific and educational advancements leads to inefficient and ineffective way of teaching . Moon,
Mayes and Hutchinson (2014)) sought to explain that Teachers’ professional distinctiveness, skillfulness
in teaching and the atmosphere they build to teach has significant influence on learners’ performance.
Evidently, studies have not been conclusive on how teacher training impacts on the academic
performance. Various findings have been put across that contradict each other necessitating the need
for further studies in the area.The over-arching finding from value-added studies is that effective
teachers are. indeed, essential for student success. For example, Wright et al. 2017) found there is
evidence that lower-achieving students are more likely to be placed with less effective teachers. Thus,
the neediest students are being instructed by the least capable teachers. They claimed that “the
immediate and clear implication of this finding is that seemingly more can be done to improve education
by improving the effectiveness of teachers than by any other single factor” (Wright et al. 2017, p. 63).

According the Sanders & Rivers (2016), “research tells us the influence of teachers is the single most
important factor in determining student achievement.” (p. 45) The one factor that can make the most
difference in improving a student's achievement is a “knowledgeable, skillful teacher" in front of the
classroom, says a report by the National Commission on Teaching & America's Future (2014).Goe (2012),
qualification of the teacher is vital as it is used as an indicator in the assessing the quality of teachers.
Furthermore, Aaronson & Barrow (2013) asserts that there are two key teacher academic qualification
variables which produce positive results in the teaching of English language. Learning of English in
Secondary school level appears that those teachers having stronger English knowledge produce better
student achievement as compared to those teachers with less knowledge.

Wenglinksky, (2013) identifies that the subject matter knowledge is vital inproduction of better results
in English language. Therefore teachers need to continuously be updated on current trends in English
language to remain competent in teaching.The assertion on the association of the specific teachers’
qualification in relation to the performance of the students in English varies in the grade level. The
completion of a teacher training at undergraduate level with the performance of the students is
associated with high academic performance in English language (Aaronson & Barrow, 2013).In another
study, Goe (2012)) ascertains that the recruitment of teachers on the basis of merit has a positive
marginal relationship in the performance of English in primary schools. Consequently recruitment of
highly qualified teachers may have a big impact towards improving the performance of students.

In addition, if the English teacher has a strong command of the language, it is automatic that the
student would deliver well in class. This gives the teacher confidence in the mastery of English language
leading to improved grades of the learners. Poor command of English as the language of instruction
places the teacher at a very weird situation considering the nature of the dynamic classroom state of
affairs. Thus, in communicative language teaching, it is very important to understand that the
knowledge of the target language should be taken more cautiously. Furthermore, Al-Mutawa & Kailani
(2019) agree that if a teacher does not have a great command of English language, poor knowledge of
English sound system, vocabulary, grammar and communications skills would fail the English teacher
administeringmaximum performance.

A majority of studies have found out that teacher training is an important aspect in teaching and
learning of English language. Some of the studies have established that the pre-service education as well
as training matter. Other studies have indicated that in-service training could be considered to be more
effective. The existing data is rather convoluted and diverse; no reservation varying by the eminence of
research design and data.However the overall suggestion observes that well educated teachers are
more effective in terms of cognitive accomplishment.

2.2 Teaching and Learning Materials and Performance of English

Instructional materials and supervision have been known to contribute significantly to students'
achievement in English Language. It means their absence or inadequacy in schools might hamper
effective learning which eventually results into poor achievement. The availability and adequacy could
enhance effective learning aid better performance in English by the students, leaching and learning
materials are regarded as very important in enhancing learning in schools. According to Kapoli (2011)
authentic resources assist the learners in exploring the verbal communication in everyday life that is
customized to meet their needs and interests. UNESCO (2010) noted that availing the teaching and
learning resources particularly books is a valuable way of improving results.

Nevertheless, according to the World Education Report (2011)in many countries, difficult conditions
exist in relation to the substantial states of schools as well as to the accessibility of training materials,
class sizes, or the dynamic distinctiveness of the learners’ population. This lack of sufficient resources
could result in poor performance in English and to a large extent, the overall academic performance. The
presence and utilization of training materials influence the efficacy of a teacher’s lesson. In the EFL
context of China, textbooks represent the syllabus and dictate what should be taught in the classrooms.
Teachers teach according to textbooks, students acquire language input mainly from textbooks, and
achievement tests are designed based on the content of textbooks. Therefore, the indispensable role of
textbooks cannot be underestimated. Just as Richards (2015)claimed, in many schools and language
programs the textbooks used in classrooms are the curriculum" (P- 125).He further elaborated,"If one
wants to determine the objectives of a language program, the kind of syllabus being used, the skills
being taught, the content the students will study, and the assumptions about teaching and learning that
the course embodies, it is often necessary to look no further than the textbooks used in the program
itself.(p. 125)

As far as teachers are concerned, the benefits of using textbooks are as follows: time advantage
(Hutchinson & Torres, 2014), access to more choices of professionally produced resources (Richards,
2018), relieving them from the pressure of searching for original materials (Harmer, 2019), and
providing a guide to teach more effectively (Hutchinson & Torres, 2014). Hutchinson and Torres (2014)
reported teachers’ views from a survey about the facilitating role of the textbook, stating, “it [textbook]
‘saves time, gives direction to lessons, guides discussion, facilitates giving of homework,’ making
teaching ‘easier, better organized, more convenient." and learning ‘easier, faster, better.’ Most of all the
textbook provides confidence and security” (p.318). Especially for inexperienced teachers, textbooks
and teachers’ guides can function as teaching training manuals.
In ESL courses, these textbooks provide detailed advice on approaches to grammar teaching in a
communicative class, strategies for error correction, the philosophy of process writing and how to
implement it—useful information that goes well beyond the context of a particular text (Richards,2018).
With respect to students, textbooks provide an orientation to their learning program, helping them
understand what they will be studying, in what sequence, and how much material needs to be covered
in the course of their learning (Hutchinson & Torres. 2014).Yeya (2012) concurred with the above
studies that schools with adequate facilities perform better in National fexamination especially in core
subjects such as mathematics and English.Bitamazire (2015) notes that apart from provision of teaching
- learning materials, they should be coordinated and used properly for effective teaching /learning to
take place. These materials include audio - visual materials (diagrams, flipcharts, computer monitors,
transparencies projected through overhead projectors, slides, pictures etc. and printed materials
(handouts, textbooks, study guides etc). He also reported that availability of textbooks and other
instructional materials have a positive correlation on student’s performance because they facilitate
understanding of abstract concepts & directing attention, guide thinking, provide feedback and help in
class control.

2.3 Family Background to Students Performances in English

Family is defined as the persons living with the student in the home that are related to the student by
blood or common law. Family structure is measured by the marital status of the parent, and the number
of the siblings. The home background is measured through the presence of available parental/economic
resources for example educational materials in the home( such as textbooks.and reference materials
such as dictionaries ) or set rules for studying/homework.The family serves as the primary agent of
socialization, encouraging academic achievement through student/family interaction. Previous research
has pointed a direct between academic achievement and the structure of the family with regard to the
parent’s educational level and marital status.

Extensive research, beginning with the Coleman Report (Coleman et al. 2016) and continuing through
the years (Hanushek 2017), has demonstrated that differences in families are very important for student
achievement. In 2016, the Coleman report concluded that social and family background conditions, not
the quality of school inputs, largely determined a student's academic success. Coleman and his group of
researchers collected nationwide data for the US on school inputs, socioeconomic background of pupils
and test scores. School inputs had very little measurable impact on pupil achievement and school
differences in pupil performance only accounted for 10-15 percent of the total variance. Family
background and pupil composition had dominating effects. The main lesson from this study was that ‘It’s
all in the family'.
Downey( 2015)after a lengthy research concluded that most differences in performance in English stem
from the parents’ background characteristics. These parental resources included talking about school
with children, attending school functions, and knowing some of the children’s friends.
Brown(2014)found out that adolescents living in families other than married two -parent biological
situations were less engaged in school ,though the differences between married and cohabiting
biological parents was not significant.Family size also appears to affect achievement .A smaller family
generally indicates that there are more resources, both personal and economic, available to each
member. Therefore, it is possible for parents to spend more time with their child with regard to school,
as well as have money to spend on educational materials, better schools, and the like. Downey (2015) as
w ell.' found that family size affects educational achievement. This research found that the majority of
measured parental resources available to any one child are related to family size. The more children ,the
more thinly spread the interpersonal(time) and economic(money) resources were. Downey
(2015)measured the presence of a physical environment conducive to studying, and other educational
materials in the home to assess achievement in households. As an element of parental economic
resources, the presence of these items of affected academic achievement in a positive manner. Orr
(2012) found that the presence of educational resources(i.e. books)in the home is positively correlated
with academic achievement. These results support the notion that the educational environment in the
home supports positive academic achievement.
A study conducted by Mugisha (2011) on causes of students' poor performance in English revealed that
attitudes of children and their home background positively or negatively influence their performance in
schools. He further pointed out that the home and the school should be accepted as partners to
improve students' performance.Kundu and Tutoo (2020) too believed that home background is the most
significant primary factor which influences and shapes children’s attitudes, personality and behaviour
patterns that lead to good performance at schools. They observe that students' success at schools is
closely related to some aspects of their home backgrounds. These include; level of education of parents,
family income, parents’ marital status, and attitudes of parents towards education of their children and
the children’s attitudes and the quality of learners admitted in school.

In another study,Ezewu (2018), posits that the higher the status of a family, the more likely it motivates
its children to leam and perform better. He looked at this status in three ways: Level of education of
parents and level of family income and parents’ marital status. He defined education as acquisition of
knowledge, skills and attitudes from parents to children. Heyman (2018)) emphasized the importance of
family income, that children born and reared from wealthier tamilies do better in all aspects of life and
have high moral reasoning and good performance.

2.4 Level of education of parents and student’s performance at school

Level of education of parents is the degree to which parents have acquired some knowledge, skills,
attitudes and values of informal and formal education The academic performance of students also
heavily depends upon the parental involvement in their academic activities to attain the higher level of
quality in academic success (Barnard, 2014; Henderson. 2018). Sudents from lower income, less
educated families are less likely to succeed academically in high school. This finding is most often
attributed to differences among groups in their opportunities to learn, the quality of the education to
which they have access, and to their home environment.
Honan, (2017)) concluded that students whose parents are educated score higher on standardized tests
than those whose parents were not educated. Educated parents can better communicate with their
children regarding the school work, activities and the information being taught at school. They can
better assist their children in their work and participate at school (Fantuzzo & Tighe. 2020;
Trusty,20199). The study conducted by Prewittz in Kenya on parents’ education showed that parents’
level of education is very crucial for the performance of their children because educated parents send
their children to school early, in most cases at the age of five to six. They also act as good role models to
their teenage children who aspire to emulate them especially in their mannerisms and their refined
lifestyles as opposed to children of illiterate parents. In the homes of educated parents, high standards
of scholarship have been established and the children endeavor to follow suit by working hard in school
and speaking fluent English.

Ezewu (2018)) found that educated parents also provide adequate learning materials for their children,
which stimulate them to learn and perform better in all subjects. These parents are concerned over their
children’s education performance, which sometimes makes them coach their children themselves or
appoint part-time teachers for them. They send their children to the best nursery and primary schools
which serves as sure gateways to secondary and university education which in turn leads to higher
educational qualification to occupy higher positions in societies. Owen (2019) in her study exploring
beliefs about academic achievement studied the relationship between parents’ educational attainment
and found that the educational attainment of parents have a relationship with educational achievement
of their children.

According to Sentamu (2013), the educational attainment of parents determines the kind of schools to
which their children go to. Such schools are near in kind to the ones their parents attended. This tends
to lay a foundation for better performance of their children while at school.Considine and Zappala
(2012) in their study in Australia on the influence of education disadvantages in the academic
performance of school found that families where parents are educated foster a higher level of
achievement in their children because of providing psychological support for their children. Coombs
(2015) found that virtually all nations, children of highly educated parents have far better chances of
getting into better secondary schools and universities than equally bright children of ordinary workers or
farmers. In other words, the highly educated parents tend to provide a more conducive learning
environment that propels their children to go to schools and succeed

The higher the levels of education of parents, the more likely it motivates children to learn and perform
better. Kundu and Tuto (2020)found that home background has a significant influence on the
achievement of children at school because educated parents tend to offer more psychological, social
and financial support to their children, thus giving them the opportunity to excel in their studies.
Studies by Mwinzi and Kimengi (2017)), Jagero (2019), and Mensch and Lloyd (2017) in Kenya indicated
that being sent home frequently to collect fees balance interfered with students learning, and
consequently their academic performance. On average students take up to one week per month to
report back to school. In total the student ends up missing an average of one month per term which
translates to one term per year. The consequences of missing classes have far reaching effects on the
students that include increasing probability of dropping out. discouraging hard work, and stressing the
students while they are trying to cover missed lessons, hence increase chances of failing in English and
many other examinations.

Research Questionnaires

Part l : Quality of Teaching

Never Rarely Sometimes Very often Always

Teachers let us write compositions

using English Language.

Teachers let us read English set

books.

Teachers let us speak in English

inside the classroom.

Teachers uses language that is

easily to understand.

Teachers let us do group discussion

Teachers provide assignments

Teachers supervise students in

speaking English

Teachers give compliments to

students

Teachers encourage students to

speak English

Teachers have been highly

commitment to improve school
performance in English
Part ll: Availability of teaching and learning resources

Indicators SD D A SA

Class textbooks are adequate for

English.

The school got sufficient English

teaching and learning materials

Teachers let us use variety of

materials that stimulates students
involvement in the learning process

There are sufficient English revision

books in the school

The school provides enough

textbooks for English.

Presence of learning materials

hasbuilt students interest in learning
of English

There is adequate English teachers.

The school has adequate English

readers

Students have access to revision

books in English.

Availability of teaching and learning

materials improves teaching and
learning.

Part lll: Family Background

My parents/Guardian SD D A SA

Talks to me about the

importance of
English.

Attends school
meetings regularly

Speak in English
when communicating
to us.

Provide books to
enhance English
learning

Involved in my
academic life