Success Chinyere ANURIGWO

The study investigated the influence of teachers’ qualifications and experience on students’ academic achievement in Biology in public secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. It specifically determined the influence of teachers’ qualifications on students’ achievement, assessed the impact of teachers’ experience, examined teaching methods used by qualified Biology teachers to enhance performance, and identified challenges faced by teachers affecting student outcomes. The descriptive survey design targeted SS2 Biology students and teachers across public schools, with a population of 1120 students and 32 teachers. A sample of 120 students and 20 teachers from 6 schools (3 urban, 3 rural) was selected via stratified and simple random sampling. Data were gathered using a validated questionnaire (4 sections, 20 Likert-scale items, Cronbach Alpha 0.703) and an academic performance checklist, analyzed with mean scores, standard deviations, and t-tests (p<0.05) via SPSS. Findings revealed significant challenges like lab shortages, power outages, textbook deficits, large classes, and funding gaps, yet students showed improved Biology scores. Teachers’ qualifications positively correlated with achievement (p<0.05), rejecting the null hypothesis, as degree-holders enhanced content delivery. Experience (over 10 years) also significantly boosted performance (t-calculated > critical, p<0.05), with veterans adapting to constraints for 15-20% higher pass rates. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations urged principals to prioritize qualifications training, state governments to incentivize experienced teachers, local authorities to supply labs and textbooks, and stakeholders to fund motivation and smaller classes for sustained gai.