International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies Volume 1, Issue 2, December 2014, PP 1-6 ISSN 2394-6288 (Print) & ISSN 2394-6296 (Online) ©IJRHSS www.ijrhss.org 1 Improving Students’ Academic Performance in Nigerian Schools: the Role of Teachers 1 Olanipekun, Shola Sunday, 2 Aina, Jacob Kola College of Education (Tech.), Lafiagi, Kwara State, Nigeria 1 General Studies Education Department, 2 Physics Education Department 1 sholexofafrica@gmail.com, 2 akoja64@gmail.com Abstract: The thrust of the study was to examine the extent to which the involvement of teachers in the outcome ofacademic performance of students in schools could be held accountable for virile students’ performance in all subjects, generally in Nigerian schools. While lamenting on the shameful articulation of students’ academic performance in public examinations; it was obviously discussed that students' academic performance without sustained consideration on teachers’ involvement in the teaching and learning processes may not lead to meaningful improvement . It was observed that teachers’ self -efficacy and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) are very important for the teachers to be effective and to be able to improve students’ academic learning. As part of the recommendations it was suggested that short and long term in-service training from developed countries is needed for teachers of all categories in Nigeria. 1. INTRODUCTION Performance is defined as an observable or measurable behavior of a person or an animal in a particular situation usually experimental situation [39]. This therefore means that performance measures the behaviors or an aspect of a feat that can be observed at a specific period. [1]stated that students’ performance is very important because, itappears to be the major criterion by which the effectiveness and success of any educational institutioncould be judged. Considerable research evidence abound, [13];[29];[19];[35],[40];[30];[3] and [11] to showthat poor academic performance at the secondary level of education is a product of the teacher,school and home environment and so on. While the students have their own portion of theblame, a substantial part of it lies at the doorsteps of the nation’s policy makers or leaders, whoover the years treated the sector with levity.This shameful mass failure of students in Nigeria regretfully is a reflection of theprecipice on which the nation has found itself. Thus, poor students’ academic performance in the country has in the recent time being traced to lack of proficiency in English language. This [32] and [6]had earlier separately inferred to when they averred that English language’s proficiency influenced students’ academic performance in vocational and science education, respectively. Yet,[33]in an analysis of course content in General English 11 revealed that students’ performance in General English is in a big mess in the country today. To this effect, [7]suggested that to improve students’ performance generally, the teaching and learning of English language must also be improved. That aside, though many virile factors have been identified to be cogent factors to improved students’ academic performance in the country, yet, the main thrust of this paper will focus only on students’ academic performance in Nigeria with the roles of the teachers in enhancing students’ academic performance in Nigeria. Thus,Teachers have particularly not only been blamed for creating low levels of academic achievement, but they have been held for sabotaging a multitude of reforms designedto reverse the situation. To this end, to improve students’ academic performance in Nigeria, teachers’ roles must be exemplified as a measure for the yarning towards better academic performance in the nearest possible future. 2. PERCEPTION OF POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG THE NIGERIAN STUDENTS Students’ academic performance is one of the current educational problems of public interest based on poor level of student’s academic performance especially in public examination and at schools and