Teachers' Communication Skills as Predictor of Students Academic Achievement in Financial Accounting in Public Secondary Schools in Anambra State

Abstract: This study examined teachers’ communication skills as predictor of students’ academic achievement in Financial Accounting in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research question guided the study and two null hypothesis formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 569 senior secondary school SS2. Accounting students in 267 public secondary schools in the six Education Zones of Anambra State. The entire 569 SS II students were used as the population was manageable as a result, census sampling technique was adopted. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled: Teachers’ Communication Skills Questionnaire (TCSQ). The scores of the students were used to measure students’ academic achievement. The instrument was subjected to face and construct validity. The reliability was established using Cronbach Alpha correlation coefficient. The coefficient value of 0.81 was obtained. The data collected were analyzed using simple linear regression. The findings of study revealed the verbal and non-verbal teachers’ communication skills play a critical role in students’ academic achievement in financial Accounting. Strong verbal skills enhance clarity, engagement and comprehension, while non-verbal communication supports effective classroom interactions. The study recommended among others that accounting teachers in the SS II schools should strategize their efforts towards using effective verbal and none-verbal engagement for better academic achievement. The study contributed to the body of knowledge by highlighting the necessity for effective teacher-student communication such as verbal, non-verbal and listening communication skills for better students’ academic performance in Financial Accounting.