CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

During the last decade, many initiatives to modernize education and to optimize student learning have been taken into considerations in most schools in the world. Principles of cognitive psychology and constructivism are the basis for such innovations, which should eventually lead to „powerful learning environments‟ where teachers and head teachers are transferred from one school to others to the benefit of the education system. Such learning environments are aimed to reach the main goals of modern education in regard to acquisition of high-quality knowledge, problem-solving skills, self-directed learning skills, and transferability of knowledge and skills. In the literature several characteristics of a design of a powerful learning environment are described, like active knowledge construction, gradual transfer of responsibility especially among teachers who are transferred from one school to another one, and complex and realistic learning tasks (Könings et al, 2005).

Globally teaching is considered a relatively large occupation. Teacher quality is the most important schooling input in the determination of student achievement given the central role the teacher plays in the education sector. However, it has been observed that teaching is increasingly an “occupation” with relatively high flows in, though, and out of school. The high rate of teacher mobility impacts negatively on school improvement efforts for it disrupts the stability and continuity of teaching (Feng and Sass, 2008).Teacher mobility characteristically involves teacher transfers or job change with the latter being strongly associated with teacher attrition in schools (Kreig, 2006). For example, if high quality teachers possess transferable skills that are valued in other occupations, then attrition will tend to erode average teacher quality. Given that this is a global phenomenon, governments all over the world are setting up measures to contain the situation using several incentives and policies (Mulkeen, 2005).

Since teacher is one of the most significant elements of education system. He/she is the compulsory figure for any learning program. His/her presence assures the accomplishment of the curriculum. Researchers and school administrators would agree that nothing affects students' achievement more than the quality of their teachers. Each teacher is different than the other one in term of personality, attitude, and skills and in their dedication with their profession and the cause. Some teachers have initial knowledge of their profession some have extensive one. Some of them may be holder of advance degrees unlike other may possess minimum of the basics. Some teachers prefer to use the top down methodology in their teaching other one would like to follow bottom up methodology in the classroom. All of these differences become difficult to handle when all of them are to teach same subject to same students in the same session. It is assumed that frequently change of teacher during the session is harmful to academia. Situation becomes more acute when a teacher is transferred during the academic session and his replacement takes long time to be filled in future. Moreover it is not necessary that the new teacher has same philosophy as previous one. In public school this becomes a dilemma; when teacher avails any of promotions in the department or is transferred to other department. More specifically this situation is developed. When management transfers a teacher to a new position;

· Sometimes it is done on the teachers’ request,

· Sometimes it is done through administrative action

As a request for transfer, a gape or a chain of problems turnout for the school administration and for the teacher and the students as well.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Even though secondary schools administrators also have been organizing seminars, training, and workshops and have implemented human resource policies in order to have competent teaching staffs that are to provide good services to pupils in terms of teaching the applications for employees transfer in secondary school is exist, the performance of pupils in secondary schools in has been consistently poor due to the rate.

It has been observed that the average total school term employees transfer rate is 4% for the period of starting a year. However rates are varying widely when compared over different period of time. Bad working condition, job dissatisfaction or the pursuit of another job, dissatisfaction with the support received from administrators, political propaganda, religion propaganda, shortage of transport allowance and bad behavior of the employees may be are the among the school employees transfer reasons from one school to another, moving to get a better teaching or working assignment, from these important reasons in their decision to move or to take transfer and hence give effects on school system (Armstrong, 2006).

1.3     Objective of the Study

The main objective of this study is to find out the effect of employee transfer on secondary schools performance, specifically the study intends to;

1.     Find out the factors that influence employee transfer in secondary schools

2.     Analyze the effect of employee transfer on secondary schools performance

3.      Examine the effect of employee transfer on student performance

1.4     Research Question

1.     What are the factors that influence employee transfer in secondary schools?

2.     Is there any effect of employee transfer on secondary schools performance?

3.      What are the effect of employee transfer on student performance?

1.5     Research Hypothesis

Ho: there is no effect of employee transfer on secondary schools performance

Hi: there is effect of employee transfer on secondary schools performance

1.6     Significance of the Study

The findings of this research will be useful to Ministry of Education to know employees transfer in order to avoid its effects on schools as well as to make educational reforms. And to make policies that will be developed, and will mitigate unnecessary employees transfer that resist negative effects and hence boost school performance and management.

The study will further be importance on schools to assist school heads to understand that high performance should be rewarded to retail talented staff. Also the study helps the subject teachers to get information which might be interest, to keep them self to remain at school. And class room students to know if there is employees transfer in their school, their performance will decrease. This will be through key information data that will be obtained to guide in overall educational sector.

1.7     Scope of the Study

The study investigated the effects of of transfer on administrative performance of teachers in government secondary schools. The study therefore looked at how overstay, requested and promotional forms of transfer influences head teachers administrative performance. The research will therefore be conducted in St John High School, Abeokuta.

1.8     Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending more than the necessary time in the research work. Therefore, it is strongly believed that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal, thus, making the objective and significance of the study achievable.