RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND TEACHERS EFFECTIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHERS IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Source abstract

Despite numerous studies examining the individual components of teachers' personality traits and effectiveness, a comprehensive understanding of how these factors interact to influence teaching outcomes remains elusive. This study investigated the association between personality traits and teachers’ effectiveness among senior secondary school Mathematics teachers in South-west, Nigeria. The research design was a correlational design. 1,200 students and 60 mathematics teachers were sampled through purposive sampling techniques. Personality and teachers’ effectiveness scales were validated, and Cronbach's alpha values of 0.75 and 0.72, respectively, were determined. Percentages, frequency, mean, and standard deviation were used to answer all the research questions, while regression was used to analyse the hypotheses, which were tested at a p-value of 0.05. The study findings revealed that secondary school Mathematics teachers in South-West, Nigeria have good personality traits, with scored personality traits in extroversion 2.71, agreeableness 2.58, conscientiousness 2.80, and openness 2.66 which is above the mean value of 2.5, but they scored below the mean in neurotic personality traits of 2.09. Most (55.5%) of the senior secondary school mathematics teachers in south-west Nigeria were highly effective; there is a significant relationship among extroversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and teachers’ effectiveness (P<0.05). Therefore, the study concluded that Mathematics Teachers were favorably disposed to their responsibility because the results revealed that the teachers involved in the study exhibited the personality traits of the Big Four except neuroticism. It was recommended that education policies in Nigeria be informed by research findings to promote an environment conducive to teacher growth and effectiveness.