Impact Of Teachers’ Occupational Enthusiasm On Effectiveness Of Teaching: A Study Of Public Primary Schools (Ppss) In Kaduna State, Nigeria

Occupational (teaching) enthusiasm is one among others, a pending factor in Public Primary Schools (PPSs) of Kaduna State, which is essential for having adequately effective and quality teachers’—that ought to bring about the intended results or outcome on pupils academic performances in PPSs of Kaduna State.This study therefore examined the impact of teachers’ occupational enthusiasm on effectiveness of teaching in PPSs of Kaduna State, Nigeria. All existing qualified public primary schools (PPSs) teachers in Kaduna State were split into categories of: teachers’ with low occupational enthusiasm—23.45 percent (with below SSCE and SSCE or WAEC qualifications), teachers’ with average occupational enthusiasm—71.25 percent (with NCE and OND or Diploma qualifications), and teachers’ with high occupational enthusiasm—5.3 percent (with HND or Degree and Masters or PhD qualifications), with regards to their respective enthusiastic contribution to teaching effectiveness, obtained from Kaduna State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (Annual School Census Report, 2016). This study however adopted an explanatory research approach of both correlational and causational design and using the classical econometric technique of OLS (ordinary least square), cross-sectional data was analyzed. The result of the study revealed that low and average teachers’ occupational enthusiasm decreases pupils’ academic performances, while high teachers’ occupational enthusiasm increases pupils’ academic performances respectively, with all categories however being statistically insignificant (at 0.01 and 0.05 percents level of significance) to adequately impact on pupils’ academic performance in PPSs of Kaduna State. The study recommended that only high occupational enthusiastic teachers’ should be allowed to teach, or to be employed 100 percent as PPSs teachers’ in Kaduna State, while low and average occupational enthusiastic teachers’ are encouraged or advised to go back to school for higher academic and professional training that would better their occupational enthusiasm for better teaching effectiveness.