Influence of teacher-related factors on junior secondary school students’ acquisition and application of science process skills in Basic Science in Ondo City, Nigeria

The study assessed the influence of teachers’ year of experience on students’ level of acquisition and application of science process skills (SPS) in junior secondary schools Basic Science in Ondo city, Nigeria. It also determined the influence of teachers’ educational qualifications on students’ level of acquisition and application of science process skills in Basic Science. These were with a view to providing empirical information on the position of teacher-related factors in improving students’ acquisition and application of science process skills in Basic Science. The study adopted the correlational research design. The population comprised Junior Secondary three (JS 3) Basic Science teachers and students in Ondo State. The sample consisted of 20 JSS 3 Basic Science teachers and 432 students from Ondo West and East Local Government Areas (LGAs). Two instruments were used for data collection, which are: Basic Science Teaches’ Observation Rating Scale (BSTORS), and Students’ Science Process Skills Observation Rating Scale (SSPSORS). Data collected were analysed using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and ANOVA. The results showed that there was no significant influence of teachers’ year of experience on students’ level of acquisition and application of SPS (F3,16 = 1.629, p > 0.05). Also, there was no significant influence of teachers’ educational qualification on students’ level of acquisition and application of SPS (F1,18 = 0.002, p > 0.05). The study therefore concluded that teachers’ years of experience and their educational qualifications have no significant influence on students’ level of acquisition and application of SPS in Basic Science.