Browsing by Author "Omodu, Paul Mollay"

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    Influence of Geography Teachers’ Competencies on Students’ Map Reading Achievement in Secondary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-03) Omodu, Paul Mollay
    Teacher competencies and student achievement have contributed significantly to society’s social, political, and economic growth and development. We expect competent teachers to guide learners more productively, potentially increasing students’ self-efficacy. The objectives of the study were to i) establish the type of competencies Geography teachers displayed in the classroom, ii) identify factors that influence students’ achievement in teaching and learning map reading, iii) establish the link between teachers’ competencies and students' academic achievement in map reading, and iv) establish gender differences in the performance of students in Map reading. The study was guided by the teaching model of knowledge acquisition, as well as Locke's (1981) and Shulman's (1987) theories of goal setting and task performance. The study employed a descriptive survey method, a mixed research (qualitative and quantitative) method, and simple random and purposeful sampling to select 221 students from a group of 2076 students, 14 geography teachers from a group of 56 geography teachers, and seven heads of department from a group of 28. A sample of seven public secondary schools in the study's location was chosen, and data was collected through questionnaires, assessment tests, interview schedules, and observation plans. Content analysis was employed to extract qualitative data, central tendency measures were implemented to analyse quantitative data, and descriptive statistics were implemented to review the characteristics of the collected data. Infographics and bar graphs were implemented to illustrate the findings. The results indicated that geography educators exhibited pedagogical content knowledge, as well as technological content knowledge and self-efficacy. The P-value (.001) of the test was below the significance threshold (α=.05), indicating a statistically significant correlation between instructor competency and student map reading achievement. The competence of instructors in performing their duties was the determining factor in the success of students in map reading, according to more than half of the respondents (71.4%). Nevertheless, 28.6% of the instructors indicated that, although competency was a significant predictor of academic success, it was not the sole factor influencing performance. We identified the classroom environment, instructional material availability, and the attitudes of students and teachers towards outdoor learning as factors that influence academic achievement. Learning achievement was not affected by gender disparities among students. The research suggests that school administrators should guarantee that geography teachers receive regular seminars, workshops, and in-service map reading training. Instructional tools should be accessible to facilitate effective learning. We concluded that the recommended method for teaching map reading to partially theoretical principles, which involves exposing students to outdoor learning, would be advantageous. The study recommends additional research be conducted to determine the impact of pedagogical and technological content comprehension on academic achievement.