Influence of Teacher’s Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Competence on the Academic Performance of Upper Basic II Social Studies Students in Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigates the influence of teacher verbal and non-verbal communication competence on the academic performance of Upper Basic II Social Studies students in Karu local government area, Nasarawa state, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised 2,130 Upper Basic II students across public junior secondary schools in Karu Local Government Area. A sample of 333 students was selected using simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher, which was validated by experts in Social Studies Education and Educational Measurement and Evaluation. Reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.87, indicating high reliability of the instrument. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer research questions and one-sample t-test were used to test hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that: teachers’ verbal communication skills have a significant positive influence on students’ academic performance in Social Studies (t = 17.883, p < 0.05) and teachers’ non-verbal communication skills significantly influence students’ academic performance (t = 15.215, p < 0.05). Based on these findings, it was recommended that teachers should continuously improve both verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to foster better learning outcomes. Furthermore, school administrators and policymakers should incorporate teacher communication skill training in professional development programs to improve the quality of Social Studies education in Upper Basic II classrooms.