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(Received 10, February 2024; Revision Accepted 19, March 2024)
ABSTRACT
This study examined teachers' professional competencies as determinants of students' academic achievement in Mathematics in Uyo Education Zone of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Literature relating to the variables under study was reviewed. Ex-post facto research design was adopted. A sample of 800 out of 7479 students was selected using stratified and simple random sampling procedure. The instruments ¡tied Teachers' Professional Competencies (TPC) and Mathematics Academic Achievement Test (MAAT) Items were used for data collection. The reliability estimate of the TPC was established using Cronbach Alpha giving a reliability estimate of .78 for teachers' lesson presentation and .79 for teachers' knowledge of the subject mastery while MAAT was established using Kuder Richardson formula K-R20 at. 80. These estimates having met the criterion for stability, warranted in use for data collection. Linear Regression was adopted to test the two hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that teachers' lesson presentation and teachers' knowledge of subject mastery significantly predicts students' academic achievement in Mathematics. Based on this finding, it was recommended among others that teachers should regularly attend conferences, seminars and workshops of stakeholders in education in order to improve their competence in lesson presentation, subject mastery and enhance students' academic achievement in Mathematics.
KEYWORDS: Teacher knowledge of subject mastery, Teacher lesson presentation, Teachers' professional competencies, Mathematics achievement.
INTRODUCTION
The contribution of mathematics knowledge to global development and its importance to individual functioning are reasons for giving mathematics high priority at all levels of education programmes.
Despite importance of Mathematics as a subject; a requirement for daily business transaction, and skills for self accountability, a veritable tool for future career and a fundamental machinery for national progress, it remains a subject which students' achievement over the years has been dwindling (lbok, Meremikwu, & Umoh, 2020). This ugly trend of high failure rate in Mathematics is a national challenge. The dwindling performance in mathematics has often been attributed to teachers' professional competences. The poor performance of students in senior secondary certificate examination (SSCE) and West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is an indication of the decline in performance, which seemed to be accounted for...