-
A STUDY ON TEACHING COMPETENCY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL
TEACHERS
Dr. K. RATHEESWARI, Assistant Professor Department of Value Education, Tamil
Nadu Teachers Education University, Chennai-600097, Tamilnadu, India.
Abstract
The study was designed to examine the significance of teaching competency of
secondary school teachers. Participants were 300 secondary school teachers who
completed the Rama’s Teaching Competency Scale developed by P.V.S.R. Raju is
adopted in this study. Data collected was analyzed with descriptive statics using SPSS
version 22. The finding of the study reveal a gender, area of school, medium of
teaching, type of school, teaching subject and teaching experience of secondary school
teachers shows average level of teaching competency further it shows there is no
significant difference between sub samples such as gender, area of school, medium of
teaching, type of school, teaching subject and teaching experience of secondary school
teachers towards teaching competency.
Introduction
Teachers need to improve knowledge and skills to enhance, improve and
explore their teaching practices. Many of the studies on competencies of teachers
focus on the teaching role of teachers in the classroom rather than teachers’
competencies. Teachers’ competencies have been broadening with respect to reform
studies in education, development of teacher education, scientific results of
educational science and other fields. Competency is a term used extensively by
different people in different contexts; hence, it is defined in different ways. Teacher
education and job performance are two contexts in which this term is used.
Competencies are the requirements of a “competency-based” teacher education and
include the knowledge, skills and values a teacher-trainee must demonstrate for
successful completion of a teacher education programme (Houstan, 1987). Teaching
competency is the ability of a teacher manifested through a set of overt teacher
classroom behaviours which is resultant of the interaction between the presage and the
product variables of teaching within a social setting (Rama, 1979). Teachers’
competency appears to be a significant contributor to school effectiveness. As
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2682
-
suggested by Ornstein (1991), effective teachers are those with high competency in
knowledge and skills. Wilson, Shulman and Richet (1987) note that teachers’
profound knowledge in curriculum content and pedagogy enhance students’
performance. Medley (1982) states that teachers’ competency such as behavior, skills
and knowledge related to school performance.
Sample Design
In the present study, the sampling unit of the teachers working in secondary
schools teachers in Dindigul district was taken as the study. The sample size was
selected to represent the whole population and also to give the real picture. The total
size of the sample was 300. The samples were collected using Random sampling
technique. Out of the 300 samples in which, 167 were male teachers and 133 were
female teachers. The present study is a descriptive research. To execute the same,
results of primary data is used.
Objectives of the Study
1. To study the levels of teaching competency of secondary school teachers
belonging to the following sub-samples are
Gender : Male /Female.
Area of School : Rural /Urban.
Medium of Teaching : English /Tamil.
Type of school : Aided / Private / Government
Teaching Subject : Language /Math /EVS.
Teaching Experience : Less than 10 years /More than 10 years.
2. To find out there is a significant difference exists in the mean scores of
teaching competency between Male and Female towards secondary school
teachers.
3. To find out there is a significant difference exists in the mean scores of
teaching competency between Rural and Urban towards secondary school
teachers towards primary school teachers.
4. To find out there is a significant difference exists in the mean scores of
teaching competency between English and Tamil towards secondary school
teachers.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2683
-
5. To find out there is a significant difference exists among sub samples of type of
school with respect to their teaching competency towards secondary school
teachers.
6. To find out there is a significant difference exists among sub samples of
Teaching subject with respect to their teaching competency towards secondary
school teachers
7. To find out there is a significant difference exists among sub samples of
Teaching Experience with respect to their teaching competency towards
secondary school teachers.
Hypotheses of the Study
1. The levels of teaching competency of secondary school teachers belonging to
the following sub-samples are high
Gender : Male /Female.
Area of School : Rural /Urban.
Medium of Teaching : English /Tamil.
Type of school : Aided / Private / Government
Teaching Subject : Language /Math /EVS.
Teaching Experience : Less than 10 years /More than 10 years.
2. There is no significant difference exists in the mean scores of teaching
competency between Male and Female towards secondary school teachers.
3. There is no significant difference exists in the mean scores of teaching
competency between Rural and Urban towards secondary school teachers
towards primary school teachers.
4. There is no significant difference exists in the mean scores of teaching
competency between English and Tamil towards secondary school teachers.
5. There is no significant difference exists among sub samples of type of school
with respect to their teaching competency towards secondary school teachers.
6. There is no significant difference exists among sub samples of Teaching
subject with respect to their teaching competency towards secondary school
teachers
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2684
-
7. There is no significant difference exists among sub samples of Teaching
Experience with respect to their teaching competency towards secondary
school teachers.
Description of the tool used in the present study
Rama’s Teaching Competency Scale developed by P.V.S.R. Raju is adopted in
this study. To measure the teaching competence of teachers, Rama’s Teaching
Competency Scale developed by P.V.S.R. Raju is adopted in this study. The scale is
of Likert type and has 56 items. Teacher Competency Scale also. Total number of
items are 56. The maximum possible score is 280 and the minimum possible score is
56.
Statistical Techniques Used In the Study
The different techniques were employed to analyze the data. The main aim was
to find out the effects of various variables and the employees. For this purpose the
scores obtained by the different scales and inventories were subjected to the statistical
analysis. Mainly the following techniques were used. Descriptive and Inferential
Statistics, Analysis of variance, correlation “t” test and factorial design has been
computed with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS),
version 22.Descriptive Analysis – Mean and SD and Differential Analysis – ‘t’ test
and ‘F’ test .
Descriptive Analysis – Teaching Competency
Table; 1
Mean and Standard Deviation Scores of Secondary School Teachers towards
Teaching Competency
Demographic
Variables Sub - Samples N Mean SD
Gender Male 167 147.02 43.34
Female 133 148.39 47.79
Area of school
Rural 113 147.16 43.11
Urban
187 147.90 46.68
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2685
-
Medium of
Teaching
English 144 147.90 43.88
Tamil 156 147.37 46.71
Type of school
Aided 115 149.00 44.47
Private 86 149.53 45.90
Government 99 144.37 45.99
Teaching Subject
Language 89 156.31 40.83
Maths 93 144.86 51.80
EVS 118 143.26 42.39
Teaching
Experience
Less than 10
year 153 151.16 45.79
Above 10 years 147 143.94 44.63
Gender
The table 1 shows the teaching competency mean scores of male and female
secondary school teachers are found to be 147.02 and 148.39 respectively. Therefore,
it is found that both male and female secondary school teaches have average level of
teaching competency.
Area of school
The table 1 shows the teaching competency mean scores of rural and urban
secondary school teachers are found to be 147.16 and 147.90 respectively. Therefore,
it is found that both rural and urban secondary school teaches have average level of
teaching competency.
Medium of Teaching
The table 1 shows the teaching competency mean scores of English and Tamil
secondary school teachers are found to be 147.90 and 147.37 respectively. Therefore,
it is found that both English and Tamil medium of teaching of secondary school
teaches have average level of teaching competency.
Type of school
The Table 1 shows the teaching competency mean scores of secondary school
teachers belonging to state, matriculation and CBSE are found to be 149.46, 145.73
and 151.93 respectively. Therefore it is found that all the sub samples of board of
school have average level of teaching competency.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2686
-
Teaching Subject
The Table 4.1 shows the teaching competency mean scores of secondary school
teachers belonging to language with Maths and EVS are found to be 156.31, 144.86
and 143.26 respectively. Therefore it is found that all the sub samples of teaching
subject have average level of teaching competency.
Teaching Experience
The table 1 shows the teaching competency mean scores of less than 10 years
and more than 10 years primary school teachers are found to be 1510.16 and 143.94
respectively. Therefore, it is found that both less than 10 years and more than 10 years
secondary school teaches have average level of teaching competency.
Differential analysis teaching competency
Gender and teaching competency
Table: 2
‘t’ test between Mean Scores of Male and Female Secondary School Teachers
towards Teaching Competency.
Gender
N Mean SD ‘t’
Value
Level of
Significance
Male 167 147.02 43.34
0.259 NS
Female 133 148.39 47.79
It is evident from the Table: 2 the calculated ‘t’ value is 0.259, which is not
significant at 0.05 level. Hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted and research
hypothesis is rejected. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found out
between male and female secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching
competency.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2687
-
Area of School and Teaching Competency
Table:3
‘t’ test between Mean Scores of Rural and urban secondary School Teachers
Towards Teaching Competency.
Area of
School N Mean SD
‘t’
Value
Level of
Significance
Rural 113 147.16 43.11
0.137 NS
Urban 187 147.90 46.68
It is evident from the Table: 3 the calculated ‘t’ value is 0.137, which is not
significant at 0.05 level. Hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted and research
hypothesis is rejected. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found out
between rural and urban secondary school teachers with respect to their Teaching
Competency.
Medium of teaching and Teaching Competency
Table: 4
‘t’ test between Mean Scores of English and Tamil Secondary School Teachers
towards Teaching Competency.
Medium of
Teaching N Mean SD
‘t’
Value
Level of
Significance
English 144 147.90 43.88
0.100 NS
Tamil 156 147.37 46.71
It is evident from the Table: 4 the calculated ‘t’ value is 0.100, which is not
significant at 0.05 level. Hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted and research
hypothesis is rejected. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found out
between English and Tamil medium of teaching at secondary school teachers with
respect to their Teaching Competency.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2688
-
Type of school and Teaching Competency
Table: 5
‘F’ test among the Sub- samples of Board of school with Respect To Their
Teaching Competency.
Type of
School
Sum of
Squares
Mean
Squares df
‘F’
Value
Level of
Significance
Between
Groups 1580.372 790.186 2
0.383 NS Within
Groups 611971.558 2060.510 297
Total 613551.930 299
It is evident from the Table: 5 the calculated ‘F’ value is 0.383, which is not
significant at 0.05 level. Hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted and research
hypothesis is rejected. It is inferred that there is no significant difference among sub
samples of board of school with respect to their teaching competency of secondary
school teachers.
Teaching Subject and Teaching Competency
Table: 6
‘F’ test among the Sub- samples of teaching Subject with Respect To Their
Teaching Competency
Teaching
Subject
Sum of
Squares
Mean
Squares df
‘F’
Value
Level of
Significance
Between
Groups 9676.700 4838.350 2
2.380 NS Within
Groups 603875.230 2033.250 297
Total 613551.930 299
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2689
-
It is evident from the Table: 6 the calculated ‘F’ value is 2.380, which is not
significant at 0.05 level. Hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted and research
hypothesis is rejected. It is inferred that there is no significant difference among sub
samples of teaching subjects with respect to their teaching competency of secondary
school teachers.
Teaching Experience and Teaching competency
Table: 7
‘t’ test between Mean Scores of Teaching Experience of Secondary School
Teachers towards Teaching Competency
Teaching
Experience N Mean SD
‘t’
Value
Level of
Significance
Less than 10
years 153 151.16 45.79
1.383 NS Above 10
years 147 143.94 44.63
It is evident from the Table: 7 the calculated ‘t’ value is 1.383, which is not
significant at 0.05 level. Hence, the framed null hypothesis is accepted and research
hypothesis is rejected. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found
between less than 10 years and above 10 years of secondary school teachers with
respect to their teaching competency.
Major Findings of the Study
1. It is found that both male and female secondary school teaches have average
level of teaching competency.
2. It is found that both rural and urban secondary school teaches have average
level of teaching competency.
3. It is found that both English and Tamil medium of teaching of secondary
school teaches have average level of teaching competency.
4. It is found that all the sub samples of board of school have average level of
teaching competency.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2690
-
5. It is found that all the sub samples of teaching subject have average level of
teaching competency.
6. It is found that both less than 10 years and more than 10 years secondary
school teaches have average level of teaching competency.
7. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found out between male and
female secondary school teachers with respect to their teaching competency.
8. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found out between rural and
urban secondary school teachers with respect to their Teaching Competency.
9. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found out between English
and Tamil medium of teaching at secondary school teachers with respect to
their Teaching Competency.
10. It is inferred that there is no significant difference among sub samples of board
of school with respect to their teaching competency of secondary school
teachers.
11. It is inferred that there is no significant difference among sub samples of
teaching subjects with respect to their teaching competency of secondary
school teachers.
12. It is inferred that there is no significant difference found between less than 10
years and above 10 years of secondary school teachers with respect to their
teaching competency.
Recommendations to Improve Teaching Competency
Kothari Commission (1964) says “A sound programme of professional
education of teachers is essential for the qualitative improvement of education.
Investment in teacher education can yield very rich dividends because the financial
resources required are small when measured against the resulting improvements in the
education of millions” (Bourai, 2000).
They must understand the fact that teaching is a profession which requires
committed and competent men and women who have to prepare a complete man.
Therefore colleges of education should function as dynamic centres that will quicken
the pulse of the teaching process by setting a healthy chain of action for reform.
Intellectually superior person should be inducted in teaching profession to entrust the
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2691
-
responsibility of creating, codifying and disseminating knowledge for the training of
man power for the future.
Young men and women who possess knowledge, skills and personality traits
necessary for competent teaching should be recruited in the teaching profession.
Proficiency in subjects, teaching aptitude, urge for service and a radiant faith in the
profession should be the conditions of admission. The period of training may also be
extended to two years. This may develop necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes in
the prospective teachers.
Teachers are not expected to grind facts or cram examination but are expected
to be creators, leaders and exemplars of modern society. So teacher education
programme should include as many activities as to develop self-esteem and self-
confidence among prospective teachers. Organization of debates, dramatics, music
and dance competitions will have a dynamic influence on students. This will help the
prospective teachers to extend the knowledge and experiences gained in the college
beyond the boundary of the college. More emphasis should be given to practice than
theory. Instead of imparting theoretical knowledge first, prospective teachers should
be given problem situations and accordingly should proceed further. The use of
modern information and technological advancement should be included in the teacher
education curriculum so as to prepare effective teachers for the future.
Suggestions for Further Researches
Profile of teaching competency of in-service teachers can be conducted.
Comparative study of the profiles of teaching competency of Tamilnadu
Teachers Education University with other states can be ventured.
Job commitment and job satisfaction in relation to teaching competency can be
attempted.
Profile of professional competency of personnel in other professions can be
studied.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2692
-
References
Best, J.W. and James V. Kahn. Research in Education, Prentice Hall of India,
New Delhi. 2007.
Medley, D.M. (1982). Teacher effectiveness, in Mitzel, H.E., Encyclopedia of
Educational Research. New York: The Free Press.
Ornstein, A.C. (1991). Teacher effectiveness research: Theoretical
consideration, in Waxman, H..C. and Walberg., H,J. Effective teaching Current
Research. Berkeley: McCutchan Publishing Corp.
Rama, M. (1979). Factorial structure of teaching competency among secondary
school teachers. Unpublished Doctorial dissertation. M.S. University of
Baroda: Baroda. In Kumar, V. (2010). Teaching Competency of Primary
School Teachers. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House
Wilson, S.M., Shulman, L.S., & Richett A.E. (1987). 150 different ways of
knowing. Representations of knowledge in teaching In F Colderhead (Ed)
.Exploring teachers’ thinking. Sussex: Holt, Rineheart and Wilson.Wilson,
B.C. and Corcoran, T.B. (1988). Successful Secondary School. London :
Falmer Press.
Mukt Shabd Journal
Volume IX, Issue VI, JUNE/2020
ISSN NO : 2347-3150
Page No : 2693