TEACHERS' SELF-CONFIDENCE, SOCIAL SKILLS, AND STRESS MANAGEMENT AS DETERMINANTS OF TEACHERS' JOB PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract Biology is an important subject in senior secondary school and prerequisite subject for many fields of learning which involves medicine and surgery, anatomy, nursing and basic medical sciences, forestry and agriculture, bio-technology and so on. Despite the importance of biology, there are several difficulties associated with the learning of biology in senior secondary schools as identified by WASSCE chief examiners reports. These identified weaknesses and recommended solutions by the WAEC chief examiner diminish the work done in the classroom and cast doubt on the credibility and quality of biology teachers’ job performance. This study is essential to provide information on how the combination of teachers’ stress management, social ability and self-concept determine biology teachers’ job performance, especially among teachers in Lagos state. This study adopted a correlation survey research design. The study population comprised 800 Biology teachers in public secondary schools in Lagos State of Nigeria. Using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size determination, 350 Biology teachers were selected. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted as the sampling technique procedure. The research instruments for the study are Teachers Job Performance Scale (r = 0.632), Teachers’ Social Ability Scale (r = 0.625), Stress Management Questionnaire (r = 0.786) and Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (r = 0.606). Data was collected and analysed using person product moment correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that 1) there is a significant relationship between teachers’ stress management and job performance; 2) there is a significant relationship between teachers’ social ability and job performance; 3) there is no significant relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and job performance; 4) teachers’ stress management, social ability and self-efficacy are not significant determinants of Job Performance. The study concluded that although psychosocial variables such as stress management, social ability, and self-efficacy contribute to teachers’ professional functioning, they play only a limited role in determining teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Lagos State. These teachers’ variables are not significant or major factors of planning for improved teachers’ job performance in secondary schools of Lagos state.