Influence of Teachers' Age and Gender on Student's Academic Achievement in Economics in Secondary Schools in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract This study examined the influence of teachers' age and gender on students' academic achievement in Economics in secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria. A correlation survey research design was adopted with a population of 6,980 respondents comprising 484 Economics teachers and 6,496 SSII students. Using multi-stage sampling, 360 respondents (324 students and 36 teachers) were selected. Data were collected using the Economics Achievement Test (EAT) validated by three experts and tested for reliability using Kuder-Richardson 20 formula (r = 0.789). Simple linear regression was used to analyze data at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that teachers' age had a positive relationship with students' achievement (R = 0.777, R² = 0.605) but was not statistically significant (F = 0.267, p = 0.606). Similarly, teachers' gender had a positive relationship with students' achievement (R = 0.776, R² = 0.603) but was not statistically significant (t = -0.161, p = 0.872). The study concluded that while teachers' age and gender show positive relationships with students' academic achievement in Economics, these relationships are not statistically significant. Other teacher qualities such as pedagogical competence, subject mastery, and teaching effectiveness may be more important in determining student achievement in Economics.