Improving Students’ Achievement in Yoruba Vocabulary: Implication for Teacher Subject Mastery and Passion for Teaching

This study investigated the relative and joint contributions of teachers’ subject matter competence and passion for teaching to achievement in Yoruba vocabulary among senior secondary school students in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State using correlational design. Four research questions were answered in the study in which the participants were 800 students and 20 teachers. Three instruments: Achievement test in Yoruba language vocabulary (r= 0.78), Teacher subject mastery scale (r= .81) and Questionnaire on teachers’ passion for teaching (0.87) were used in data collection. Data collected were analysed using Pearson product moment correlation and Multiple regression at .05 level. Findings revealed that there were positive significant relationships between teachers’ subject matter competence(r =0.166) and teachers’ passion (r = 0.282) for teaching and achievement in Yoruba vocabulary. The joint effects of the independent variables were also found to be (R = .389 and a multiple R of .184) significant at .05 level. This accounted for 18.4% of the total variance in Yoruba language vocabulary achievement. The findings of the study further showed that teachers’ subject matter competence (β = .064 ) and teachers’ passion for teaching (β = .281 ) contributed to achievement in Yoruba language vocabulary. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that Yoruba language teachers should attend regular workshops, seminars and training programmes that are focused on teachers’ subject area, in order to increase their knowledge in teaching the language. Also, teachers welfare should be improved to engender in them passion for teaching.