CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Instructional materials have been observed as a powerful strategy to bring about effective teaching and learning. The importance of quality and adequate instructional materials in teaching and learning can occur through their effective utilization during classroom teaching. Instructional materials here include all the tools that the teachers can use to make the learning more interesting and memorable. According to Farombi, (1998), instructional materials include books, audio-visual, software and hardware of educational technology. He further opines that the availability, adequacy and relevance of instructional materials in classrooms can influence quality teaching, which can have positive effect on students’ learning and academic performance. The insight from Farombi on linking instructional resources to students’ academic performance serve critical in the provision of quality education. The title of this thesis, role of instructional materials in academic performance in community secondary schools in Nigeria originates from such ideas. Efficiency and high productivity in teaching and learning transaction. In my views, start from the access to quality and adequate instructional materials, and these should be prepared well before the class interaction. According to Oni (1992), instructional resources are teachers’ strategic factor in organizing and providing education. This is so because they help to elaborate a concept that the teacher could not, without an instructional material. This allows students to learn more comfortably therefore

The African people had developed their own systems of education even long before the coming of Europeans and Arabs. Although the systems varied from one community to the other, their goals were often strikingly similar (Sifuna & Otiende, 1980). At independence in 1960 education was viewed as the means to eradicating poverty, ignorance, and disease from Nigeria (MOEST 2OO5). Nigeria has had several Education commissions since independence, aimed at improving quality in Education. A lot of policies; EFA, UPE and the recent one, FPE have been formulated, aimed at addressing access, equity, relevance, external and internal efficiencies within education system.

The use of instructional materials in teaching and learning at the primary school level help the learners to explore experiment, create and interact with the environment intensively. Copious uses of instructional materials help to provide learners with an 4 enabling environment to learn Mathematics (Meremikwu, 2008). Instructional materials make teaching and learning more effective. They can be manipulated, seen, heard or talked about as instruments which facilitate such activity. Esu, Enukoha and Umoren (2004) stated that instructional materials are necessary ingredients in the development of any curriculum. Esu (1995) asserted that the main aim of instructional materials in the teaching of Mathematics is to increase the effectiveness of teaching mathematics as a means of preparing learners for future responsibilities as adults. Textbooks and other learning materials may influence teachers‟ beliefs about mathematics (Collopy, 2003).Mathematics is used as a basic entry requirement in any of the prestigious courses such as medicine, architecture and engineering among other degree programs. Despite the important role that mathematics plays in the society, there has been poor performance in Mathematics in Nigeria National Examination (Aduda 2003). Several factors has been attributed to poor performance in mathematics among which are poor methods of teaching (Habour peters, 2001), poor interest in Mathematics (Badimas, 2002 & Bodo, 2004) and lack of appropriate instructional materials in teaching Mathematics at all levels of education(Gambari, 2010). Teaching at any level requires that students be exposed to some form of simulation. Ikerionwu, (2000), refers to instructional materials as objects or devises that help the teacher to make learning meaningful to the learners. Instructional materials, which are educational inputs, are of vital importance to the teaching of any subject in the school curriculum. Wales (1975), opined that the use of instructional materials would make discovered facts glued firmly to the memory of students. A teacher who makes use of appropriate instructional materials to supplement his teaching will help enhance student’s innovative and creative thinking as well as help them become enthusiastic, Ekwueme and Igwe (2001). Instructional materials refer to objects or devises which help the teacher to make learning meaningful to the learners, (Ikenionwu, 2000). Ezegbe, (1994), classified them into two; visual materials made up of reading and non-reading materials, and audio visual materials comprising electrically operated and none electrically operated materials. According to Aduwa Et Al, (2005), these materials and resources include, audio tapes recorders, video tape recorders, slide projectors, still pictures, programmed instructional film strips, maps, chart, graphs and many more; offer a variety of learning experience individually or in combination to meet different teaching and learning experiences. Ngaroga, (2007), talks of teaching and learning materials as those that are accessed in the School environment, collected and brought. They can be three dimensional, two dimensional real objects and others are electronic. The “term mathematical instructional resource” is defined as any form of specific mathematical apparatus (Structured or unstructured), image, ICT game, 10 tool, paper, or everyday material which could be utilized to provide a mathematical teaching or learning (Dorine, Et. Al, 2007).

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Teaching and learning in advance nations such as United Kingdom and United States of America quite differ from teaching and learning process in most of the developing nations like Nigeria. Comparatively teaching job in advance country presently is technologically based, the use of computer in teaching dominate, while in developing countries man power is still in existence, Nigeria for the past two decades had a clamoring for the use of advanced instructional teaching aids in teaching and learning process which has not been fully attained; this arouse the interest of researchers to find out the impact of using instructional teaching aids on teaching and learning process, to compare educational effectiveness for the learner that they are imported systematic information through the use of teaching aids and as well as investigating the problems associated with the use of teaching aids in teaching and also find out the impact it has on the performance of secondary school students.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objectives of this research work is to critically examine the impact of using teaching aids on the performance of academic secondary students, consequently the researcher intends to inform the general public especially the students, teachers, parents and even the government at various level, their quarters that must be contributed to the work of improving and providing important teaching aids in Nigerian schools. The specified objectives are:

·        To discover how exposed are the secondary school teachers to the use of teaching aids?

·        To find out the influence teaching aids has on the performance of the students?

·        To discover the availability of instructional material/aids in secondary schools

·        To determine the level of influence teaching aids has on the effectiveness of teachers.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will guide the researcher to achieve the specific objectives during the course of the research:

1.     How exposed are the secondary schools to use teaching aids?

2.     What influence does teaching aids has on the performance of the students

3.     What is the availability of instructional material/aids in secondary schools?

4.     How can teaching aids influence the teacher efficiency and effectiveness?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work will expose the students, lecturers/teachers, parents, government at various levels and the general public to the impacts of using instructional teaching aids on teaching as well as the national development on the suggestion that would be made if well utilized will reduce teacher’s burden in teaching jobs, also facilitating teaching and learning activities.

 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study cover the entire student of the federal republic of Nigeria but due to financial and time constraint samples are taken from four schools in two local government area of Lagos state and Ogun state. The school used are:

1.     D Ivy College, ikeja

2.     Air force Secondary school, ikeja

3.     Iganmode Grammar school, otta

4.     De Universal Success Academy, Atan otta.

DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This major constraint the researcher encountered in this study is limited time and insufficient fund to visit some important places.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: to have a very strong effect o something

Instructional teaching aid: teaching tools that assist the teacher in taching and learning process

Teaching: process of impacting arranged knowledge on students (whether old, new or existing knowledge) in a formal setting

Performance: the result of a students is in his/her academic aim or goal

Secondary school: the schools in between basic or primary school and college