Teachers' Personality Traits and Pupils' Learning Outcomes in Social Studies at Lower Primary Schools in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the personality traits of primary school teachers in South western Nigeria; and investigated the learning outcomes of primary school pupils in Social Studies. The study adopted cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The population for the study comprised pupils, head teachers and teachers of Early Childhood Education centres in South-western Nigeria. A total of 1,920 primary three pupils, 80 head teachers and 240 teachers constituted the sample size which were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. Four states were selected from the six Southwestern states using simple random sampling procedure. In each of the selected states, two out of the three Senatorial Districts were selected using simple random sampling. Also, in each Senatorial District, two Local Government Areas (LGAs) were selected using simple random sampling making a total of 16 LGAs.Three instruments were used to collect data for the study: Social Studies Achievement Retrieval Checklist (SSARC), Social Attributes Checklist (SAC) and The Big Five Personality Inventory (BFPI).Data collected were analysed using frequency counts and simple percentages. The results showed that primary school teachers exhibited the following personality traits: agreeableness (44.6%), openness to experience (30%) and conscientiousness (13.3%). The results of cognitive learning outcomes of pupils in Social Studies also showed that (45.5%) of the pupils performed below group average level while (39.5%) and (15%) respectively performed at average and above average level of performance. Whereas, (64.2%), (27.1%) and (8.7%) of the pupils respectively exhibited high, moderate and low level in affective learning outcomes measured by social behaviour competence. The study concluded that teachers' personality traits are requirements for effective teaching-learning as well as excellent learning outcomes.