Teachers‟ Experience and Students‟ Numerical Proficiency in Solving Physics Problems in Secondary Schools

Abstract

This paper examined the influence of teachers „experience on students‟ numerical proficiency in solving physics problems in secondary school in north central zone of Nigeria. SS 111 physics teachers from sixty co-educational secondary schools were selected using purposive sampling technique. (Sixty co-educational secondary schools and their SSS111 physics teachers were selected using purposeful sampling technique). The population of teachers that participated in the study was sixty (60). Thirty nine of the schools were taught by experienced physics teachers and twenty one schools by less experienced physics teachers. The Sampled students were made up of 300 males and 300 females. Data collected through Numerical Proficiency Test and Physics Teachers Problem Solving questionnaire were subjected to t-test. Five null hypotheses were formed and tested at 5% level of significance. Results show that numerical proficiency of students taught by experienced teachers were better than those taught by less experienced teachers. There was no significant difference in the numerical proficiency of male and female students taught by less-experienced physics teachers. However, there was significant gender difference in numerical proficiency of those students taught by experienced teachers. It was concluded that students taught by experienced teachers were numerically more proficient than their counterparts taught by les experienced physics teachers.

Key words: Teacher‘s experience, numerical proficiency, problem solving, secondary school physics, students