International Journal of Research in Education and Sustainable Development | ISSN: 2782-7666

Vol. 2, Issue 2 (February, 2022) | www.ijaar.org

TEACHERS- STUDENTS RELATIONSHIP AND ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM SENIOR SECONDARY
SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE

Chikendu, Rebecca E.
Department of Science Education
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
Mail: [email protected]

Abstract
This study determined the relationship between the teachers and students of senior secondary
schools in Enugu State, Nigeria. In this regard, the aim of this research is to ascertain from
the student’s point of view, how their academic performance is affected by this good and poor
teachers- students relationship. The population of this study comprised two hundred and
twenty-nine (229) students of these three senior secondary schools. Survey research design
was adopted and questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Data were
analyzed with simple descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation. The result
revealed that good teachers treat the students with respect, teach them with Enthusiasm and
Passion while poor teachers-students relationship can lead to immoral attitude and
behaviour, poor academic performance of students, and encouraging school dropout. The
study therefore recommended that efforts should be made by the teachers and the school
authority to inculcate the value of teacher - students’ relationships for enhanced students’
academic performance.
Keywords: Teachers-students relationship, Secondary Schools and Academic performance.

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Introduction
The educational planners, educational managers, and teachers participating in the educational
system are directly responsible for the success or failure of any educational system, whether
in developed or developing countries around the world. Teachers play a critical role in our
educational system, and it's no exaggeration to say that "no educational system can rise
beyond the caliber of its teachers" (FRN 2000). Teachers' services are so essential and crucial
in shaping the nation's future by enhancing the caliber of men and women who are desirable
to society (Ekechukwu and Ifeanyichukwu, 2021). The academic achievement of pupils at
school is influenced by schools and teachers. Students, teachers, or schools could all be to
blame for a student's low academic achievement. This is supported by a study (Egbokhan,
2016) that found a positive interaction between professors and students, which has the
potential to affect students' academic performance. As a result, effective school planning can
assist pupils in overcoming these issues (Amaefule, 2018). This is in keeping with the advice
that the teacher-student relationship be improved in order to improve the learning process and
develop mutual assistance and interaction in diverse activities (Aduwa, 2014). Teachers and
fellow students both have a part in affecting the teacher-student interaction.
The importance of developing teacher-student relationships includes increased student
interest in learning, improved student academic achievement, and more motivated students
(Adeoye, 2013). Furthermore, teachers must work with children to lessen negative emotions
such as anger, despair, dissatisfaction, boredom, and fear, while always boosting positive
feelings such as confidence, enjoyment, appreciation, and safety (Ajayi, 2013; Bajah, 2014).
If teachers are dissatisfied, frustrated, uninspired, and unmotivated, the nation's educational
system is doomed, because educational goals cannot be met without them. According to
Ekechukwu and Ifeanyichukwu (2021), the willingness of teachers to cooperate, relate well,
and work effectively with their principal is largely determined by the principal's
administrative behavior. Some principals embrace an autocratic leadership style, which
hinders innovation, effective communication, trust, collective decision-making, and staff
morale bragging. Democratic leadership frequently brings out the best in employees,
encouraging high levels of initiative, participatory decision-making, and a positive
interpersonal interaction between the principal and the staff. This instills in the teachers a
sense of worth and dignity, as well as self-respect, self-esteem, dedication, and commitment.
According to Akpan (2002), teachers need proper motivation to enhance their effectiveness.
Proper management by school principals can produce efficient and effective workforce
among the staff for the achievement of educational goals and objectives. Principals need to
relate closely with members of staff, involve them in decision making and in day-to-day
running of the school. Staff involvement in decision-making in matters affecting them is
highly encouraging.
Many aspects within the school organization are influenced and determined by the leadership
behaviors of school principals. The employee's sense of the organization's trustworthiness is
one of these variables. When school administrators' leadership actions improve, teachers'
perceptions of organizational trust in the school improve as well. While the leadership
conduct of school administrators was dealt with in this study in a one-dimensional manner,
the sense of trust in organizations was dealt with in three dimensions. One of the sub-
dimensions of trust in organization is "faith in colleague," which relates to instructors' trust in
their coworkers. Teachers' trust in their pupils and parents is reflected in their sense of "trust
in students and parents." There is limited research on the relationship between the teachers of
the secondary schools and students in Enugu State, Nigeria. In this regard, the aim of this

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research is to investigate, from the senior secondary schools students’ point of view, how
their academic performance is affected by this relationship.

Literature Review
According to Abari and Mohammed (2018), students' management should include counseling
services targeted at aiding them in studying efficiently because they are an important
component of the school that serve as indications for grading the school's level of
achievement or failure. The amount to which work is completed in the school system is
determined by the principal. It's not surprising, however, that Lunenburg (2010) considers the
school principal's instructional leadership to be a crucial aspect in the school's improvement
projects' success and overall efficacy. The principal's primary role is to ensure that all
students learn and succeed. This was also consistent with Kamoche's assertions (2013), that a
school's product is evaluated by society. This is because good performance is required for
student selection and placement in higher education institutions as well as work in various
firms and organizations. The aggregate number of students who excel in the Senior
Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) is often used to assess educational quality.
The most notable factor is how the educational system is run in terms of the structure of
learners' learning activities and learning outcomes.
Relationships between teachers and students are crucial in forming an individual's mental
image. According to Ewnetu and Fisseha (2008), teachers have basic demands for relatedness
among the students in their class, which can have a significant impact on students' self-
concepts, academic expectations, and how to make a meaningful life after school. As a result,
a student's self-esteem is shaped by the general sense of support they receive from the
essential people in their lives. Myers and Pianta (2008) indicate that the teacher-student
interaction is critical to kids' healthy growth in school, particularly in terms of self-esteem.
According to Lee (2007), the trust that develops in teacher-student relationships might
influence students' academic achievement. Student – teacher relationship can influence
students’ future paths towards academic excellence (Lee, 2007). As a result, as Lee (2007)
points out, a positive and professional relationship between teachers and students is critical in
providing a safe environment in which students may work without feeling rushed and become
motivated to learn.
To create secure environments and offer students confidence in their abilities to work without
pressure and become motivated to learn, a decent and professional connection is essential
(O'Connor, Dearing, and Collins, 2011). Students are better able to recall freshly taught
knowledge when they are directed by favorable emotional inputs (Nelson & Lorber, 2009). It
should be stressed that when the teaching and learning atmosphere is safe and supportive,
children are motivated, impacted, and stimulated to actively participate with their professors.
That is the relationship between the teacher and the pupil. According to Fraser, Adridge and
Soerjaningsih (2010), teachers should establish a professional relationship with their students,
because the creation and maintenance of a positive classroom climate plays an important role
in rendering the teaching and learning process more effective and efficient.
Good Relationships in School
For schools to achieve high performance in general and external examinations (such as
SSSCE, GCE, and IGCSE conducted by WAEC, NECO, and Cambridge), school principals
who are personnel managers must put in place relevant personnel management strategies,
especially in the working relationship with teachers, for a single reason: only students who
obtain at least five (5) credit passes in these examinations can continue their education into
any higher education. To this aim, Mohammed, Edu, and Etoh (2020) asserted that principals

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who offer qualified teachers, usually through prompt requisitions to authorized authorities;
provide the essential teaching-learning materials for instructional effectiveness; and, in
addition, establish an enabling atmosphere and maintain an effective communication link
with all other members of the subordinate chain known as the school management team
(SMT), have a high likelihood of improving academic outcomes. It's no surprise that
Edgerson and Kritsonis (2006) believe that principals can improve teachers' overall
perceptions by simply attending to core components of effective relationships. Teachers
become more effective in the classroom as they begin to feel better about themselves and
their collective missions as a result of extensive interactions with their principals. Emotions
and relationships have become an inextricable aspect of daily life, and they are nearly
unavoidable in the classroom setting, as previously stated by Sias (2005).

When a school encounters the bad aspects of these feelings and relationships, it can be
devastating to the members of the school community, particularly the helpless youngsters.
Celebrating and sharing good practice and the results obtained is a powerful way to motivate
people to make positive changes. Such a negative circumstance might be communicated or
amplified by cultivating a favorable relationship between them in order to emotionally and
practically empower them (Lewis, 2009).

According to Wheelan and Kesselring (2005), the co-worker exchange relationship inside an
organization is influenced by the quality of the interaction between leaders and members. The
importance of good communication and shared ideals in this partnership cannot be
overstated. In an ideal world, a principal would be able to get staff to agree on regulations
and how they should be enforced. Effective communication techniques must be known and
understood by the principal. The single most critical aspect for effective school improvement
programs has been stated as creating a collaborative environment and open communication
(Misbah, Sabana and Safia, 2020).

The relationships that principals form with teachers have a direct impact on teacher trust and
support, as well as on teachers' impressions of student participation. School administrators
must be able to strike a balance between changing community situations and school culture.
The best school leaders can tilt the balance to propel their schools to new heights, but only
when the principal and teachers have a positive connection. Expectations are the foundation
of a successful principal-teacher relationship (Misbah, 2020).

Empirical Studies
Misbah, Shabana, and Safia (2020) looked at the impact of schools with positive and healthy
principal-teacher interactions, as well as the elements that help and contribute to learning
outcomes, character development, and citizenship. A total of 209 instructors and 19
principals were included in the sample size. The findings of the literature review were
corroborated by the findings of the study, which corroborated prior studies and studies that
suggest that teacher support has a substantial impact on their relationships and educational
goals. In the Albanian context, Arijaq, Silva, and Denisa (2021) investigated the impact of the
teacher-student interaction on the academic achievement of pupils aged 12 to 15. A total of
121 pupils from three Tirana 9-year schools made up the sample. Individual attributes such as
temperament, personality, ability, and psychological effects were found to be related to
internal elements that influence the teacher-student connection. Chukwu and Deba (2020)
investigated the impact of teacher-student relationships on students' academic performance in
Bauchi State's colleges of education. The study population is made up of students from
Bauchi State's two institutions of education, Aminu Saleh College of Education Azare and

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Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere. From this group, a sample of sixty
(60) teachers and thirty (30) students was drawn at random from the aforesaid institutions,
with each institution receiving a sample of sixty (60) teachers and thirty (30) students. The
data was obtained using a closed-ended structured questionnaire, and the results were
analyzed using the mean average. The study's findings revealed that teacher-student
relationships had a moderate impact on students' academic achievement in Bauchi State's
colleges of education. Using Magu District as a case study, Mahona and Demetria (2020)
investigated the impact of teacher-student relationships on students' academic achievement in
Tanzania. This study took the form of a descriptive survey. The findings of this study
revealed that in Tanzanian public secondary schools, the interaction between teachers and
students is a critical factor and catalyst for academic performance. According to the findings,
despite the fact that teachers and students were aware of the characteristics of teacher-student
relationships, the relationships were weak. In senior secondary schools in Lagos State,
Nigeria, Mohammed, Edu, and Etoh (2020) investigated the impact of schools maintaining
strong and healthy relationships between principals and teachers, as well as the elements that
facilitate and contribute to student academic performance. The data was analyzed using both
descriptive and inferential statistical methods. As a result, regression analysis was employed
to examine the assumptions in question. The results revealed that the principal's interpersonal
contact with teachers has a weakly significant favorable impact on pupils' academic
achievement (1.029; 0.05). Years of experience, on the other hand, are positively negligible
in improving students' academic performance (𝛽1.=0.020; p>0.05). In the South-South
Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria, Ekechukwu and Ifeanyichukwu (2021) researched the
principal-staff interaction for effective secondary school management. Using the test-retest
procedure, the instrument was verified and a reliability index of 0.86 was established. The
study found that efficient school management occurs when the principal-staff relationship is
free of jealousy and hostility, intimidation, pride, and a non-challant attitude toward the
wellbeing of employees and kids. Effective communication, group decision-making,
adherence to the staff code of conduct, the principle of fair hearing, and the showing of
sympathy and empathy were discovered to be important attributes of principals-staff that
increase effective secondary school administration in the zone.

Methodology
For this study, a descriptive survey research design was used. Three senior secondary schools
in Oji-River, Enugu State, Nigeria made up the study's population. Two hundred and twenty-
nine (229) pupils from these three senior secondary schools are; Oji-Urban Secondary
School, Boy's Secondary School, Inyi, and Community Secondary School Isiama, Awlaw..
Based on the modified likert scale format of Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly
Disagree, the instrument has two sections and 20 questionnaire items. Colleagues tested the
questionnaire for face and content validity. The test-retest reliability approach was used,
resulting in a reliability value of 0.86. The questionnaires were retrieved in their entirety.
Data analysis
Research Question One
How does teacher’s relationship with students influence academic performance of senior
secondary school students in Enugu State?

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Table 1: Mean responses of the influence of good teacher’s - students relationship in academic
performance of senior secondary school students in Enugu State
S/N Influence of Teacher-Students on academic performance SD X Decision
1 Students' academic performance is influenced by teachers who teach with Agree
enthusiasm and passion. 1.64 3.28

2 Teachers consistently provide students with an organized learning Agree

environment to have an impact on their academic success. 1.59 3.17

3 Teachers encourage kids to participate in extracurricular activities. 1.62 3.24 Agree

4 Teachers go above and beyond for children who require assistance, Agree
volunteering their time to tutor them. 1.64 3.28

5 Teachers treat pupils with respect and have an impact on their academic Agree
achievement. 1.71 3.42

Data presented in Table 1 shows the item by item analysis of the influence of good teacher-
students relationship on academic performance of students’ in secondary schools. The result
revealed that all the questions answered scored above the benchmark (2.50), showing that the
level of respondents rated the item is highly effective. The implications are that; teachers treat
the students with respect, influence academic performance of students, teach with Enthusiasm and
Passion, influence students’ academic performance, and teachers always provide students, with a
structured learning environment, influence students’ academic performance, and likes.

Table 2: Mean responses of the effect of Poor Teacher–Students’ Relationships in Secondary

Schools
Students in Enugu State
S/N Poor Teacher–Students’ Relationships in Secondary Schools SD X Deci
Students sion
1 Immoral attitude and behaviour of students 1.50 3.11 Agree

2 Lack of professional supports from teachers. 1.56 3.19 Agree

3 Poor academic performance of students 1.65 3.39 Agree

4 Encouraging school dropout 1.70 3.38 Agree

5 Lack of Team work and motivation. 1.74 4.48 Agree

The data presented on table above revealed that the effect of Poor Teacher–Students’
Relationships in Secondary Schools in Enugu State (X 3.11, 3.19, 3.39, 3.38, and 4.48).

Items 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; show that poor teachers-students relationship can lead to immoral
attitude and behaviour, poor academic performance of students, encouraging school dropout
and lack of team work and motivation in secondary schools.

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Data presented in Table 2 shows the item by item analysis and the result showed that all the
questions answered scores above the benchmark (2.50), showing that the level of respondents
rated the item is highly effective. The implications are that; poor teachers-students
relationship influence academic performance of students.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The findings of this study show that teacher-student connections have a moderate impact on
students' academic achievement in Enugu State's secondary schools. The study's findings
demonstrate that the item was considered extremely effective by the majority of respondents.
The implications are that good teachers treat students with respect, have an impact on their
academic performance, teach with enthusiasm and passion, have an impact on students'
academic performance, and always provide students with a structured learning environment,
all of which have an impact on their academic performance and likes. In secondary schools,
poor teacher-student relationships can lead to unethical attitudes and behavior, low academic
achievement, school dropout, and a lack of teamwork and enthusiasm.
The study recommends that:
1. Teachers and school officials should make efforts to instill the value of teacher-student
interactions in order to improve students' academic achievement.
2. Teachers should be encouraged to build their personal interactions with students, as this
will improve the state's pupils' academic achievement.
3. To improve academic achievement in senior secondary schools, parent-teacher associations
should foster supportive ties in the classroom.

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