Journals

This study examined the influence of mathematics teachers' content mastery on students' academic achievement in secondary schools across Abuja, Nigeria. Using a correlational research design, data were collected from 30 mathematics teachers, comprising 18 male and 12 female teachers, and 600 SS II students across the six area councils in the FCT. A multistage sampling procedure, which involved simple random techniques were used to select 30 mathematics teachers who took part in this study. The instruments used for data collection were a questionnaire and a mathematics achievement test (MAT), and the term SS II mathematics results. Data was analysed using frequency counts, percentages, and ANOVA statistics. The findings revealed that there were significant differences in the achievement of mathematics students between those taught by qualified and experienced teachers and those taught by non-professional and inexperienced teachers. There was no significant difference in the achievement of mathematics students, among those taught by male and female teachers in Senior Secondary Schools in Abuja. The findings revealed a strong, positive, and statistically significant relationship between teachers' content mastery and student academic achievement. It was also found that both teacher qualification and teaching experience had significant effects on student Achievement. The study recommends INSET teacher training, strict qualification requirements, and continuous professional development to improve teaching outcomes in mathematics.

Environmental education in primary schools faced significant challenges in effectively engaging young learners with sustainability concepts whilst developing their civic responsibility. This research investigated how school- community garden partnerships enhanced sustainability learning and civic engagement amongst primary school children in Southwest Nigeria. The study addressed the problem of limited practical, engaging approaches to environmental education in Nigerian primary schools, where traditional pedagogical methods failed to connect environmental learning with real- world applications, resulting in poor student engagement and limited development of community responsibility. The research employed a mixed- methods approach, examining existing school-community garden partnerships across urban and rural primary schools in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states. Data collection involved surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and observational studies with primary school children aged 6-11 years, teachers, school administrators, and community partners. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were used to measure changes in students' environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, alongside qualitative analysis of civic engagement development through garden-based activities. Findings revealed that school-community garden partnerships significantly improved students' understanding of sustainability concepts, with participants demonstrating enhanced environmental knowledge and more positive attitudes towards conservation practices. The research identified that community-based garden projects effectively fostered civic engagement, as students developed stronger connections to their local communities and demonstrated an increased sense of environmental responsibility. The study established that collaborative frameworks involving structured partnerships between schools, local farmers, environmental organisations, and parent groups created the most sustainable and effective garden-based education programmes. This research contributed valuable insights to environmental education literature and provided practical guidance for educators and policymakers in Nigeria. The findings supported the development of community-engaged sustainability curricula and demonstrated the potential for garden-based learning to simultaneously address environmental education objectives and civic engagement goals in primary education settings.