Teachers' Pedagogical Competence and Students' Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Selected Secondary Schools in Sierra Leone

Abstract

This study explored how teachers’ pedagogical competence relates to students’ learning outcomes in selected secondary schools. The focus was on understanding whether strong teaching practices translate into improved academic performance, especially in a context where student achievement remains uneven. A descriptive research design was adopted. Data were gathered from students’ assessments of their teachers’ classroom practices as well as students’ academic records, including BECE results and recent test scores. The findings show that teachers were generally viewed as highly competent, with an average score of 3.52 (SD = 0.58). In fact, about 91.1% of students rated their teachers positively in terms of instructional effectiveness. Despite this, students’ overall academic performance was only moderate, with a composite mean score of 2.14 (SD = 1.18), and just 42.3% of students reaching high performance levels. When broken down by subject, students tended to perform better in Biology, while Mathematics recorded the lowest results. These results suggest a clear gap between how teaching is perceived and what students are actually achieving. It points to the idea that good classroom practice alone may not be enough to drive strong academic outcomes. Factors such as learning resources, student background, and school conditions likely play an important role in shaping performance. The findings indicate that student achievement is influenced not only by teacher quality but also by a combination of effective classroom practices and broader educational system factors, including the availability of teaching resources, supportive learning environments, and institutional support. The study recommends strengthening teacher professional development, with particular emphasis on enhancing Mathematics pedagogical skills through continuous in-service training and mentoring.