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THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL IN SOME SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Teaching is a process of assisting a learner to acquire    knowledge and skills or experiences that could foster effectiveness in the later age. Thus, once a child learns what he has been taught teaching is said to have taken place. During the teaching/learning process, the teacher has to adopt a particular method or methods to impact knowledge to the learners coupled with useful materials that could help a learner to learn. The careful selection and orderly arrangement of the various elements of the curriculum materials and the various ways or the general pattern of approach in which they are introduced to the learner constitutes the instructional process.

The idea of adopting and using materials and equipments to enhance effectiveness in the instructional process is as old as mankind. The wise teacher will always use equipments or aids in form of instructional materials to help the learners understand and learn better. This, he does alongside an appropriate method of instruction. Udeh (1994) as cited in Olumba (2007), emphasized that, the Greek mathematics had diagrams drawn on sand and Jesus Christ who was one of the greatest teacher made continued use of materials and illustrations during the course of his teachings. He added that, his special reference was to what they could see, touch, manipulated etc to drive home his message.

Ukwueze (2003) cited that, the use of instructional materials and methods is still being practical in our traditional society. This, he cited those traditional mothers not only teach their daughters the methods of cooking food but also the ingredients (materials to be used in cooking activity and teaching an enterprising venture, Awonji (1998) affirms that, the use of instructional materials and good strategies in teaching and learning environment is very important as they make lesson experiences more concrete and realistic in learners. He added that, if instructional materials and effective methods were used in our traditional society to aid teaching and learning especially social studies, then one can deduced that our present form and provisions of education which instructional materials are almost an abstract subject.

Most often teaching especially in social studies is done with inadequate instructional materials which will result in learners not understanding the lessons taught and if the lesson is not understood, it leads to a qualitative failure in examination. From the above, one can gather that, the use of instructional materials coupled with adequate and effective methods in the teaching of social studies in the learning situation is very crucial.

Ike (2002) referred that, instructional materials are device which present a complete body of information and are largely self supporting rather than supplementary in teaching or learning process. They are information carrying technologies that are used for instructional purpose with the hope of delivering educational information very quickly and very vividly too. These instructional materials / media. This implies that, makers of instructional materials should make sure. That they are prepared in a way that they will be real and meaningful to learners. It is also important to note that though instructional materials can be good and self supporting, it still requires skilled and knowledge teachers to use them to make teaching / learning more effective to the learners and creates clearer conditions for conceptual thinking among learners.

Ikwuzom (2001) opined those instructional materials and methods enables the teacher to widen the experiences of his students. This is done by exposing the students into a variety of experiences that would enable them see things that exist outside their immediate environment. With the use of films for instance, students see far communities and settlements and how people lie there. Thus, when students see things, they could not have seen without instructional materials, their experiences will be broaden and depend.

Social studies on its own is very rich in instructional materials and methods for its effectiveness. This is true because the whole environment of man with all the things in it constitute the laboratory for social studies. The dynamic nature of social studies education makes it paramount for the teachers of social studies to use instructional materials to enable the students quickly relate their classroom to the environment they live in and interact.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Poor performance of Students in Social Studies Public Junior Secondary Schools in Ilorin West LGA may partly be attributed to poor usage or lack of sufficient instructional materials to teach social studies. Lemchi (2001) noted that some students are losing interest in the subject due to the attitudes of teachers towards teaching Social Studies without the use of instructional materials which tends to affect students’ performance in the subject. Research consistently shows that teacher usage of instructional materials is a powerful determinant of student achievement gains.

Many of the school authorities have very lukewarm attitudes over the provision of needed tools, equipments or materials required for effective Social Studies teaching. This non-challant attitude tends to retard genuine efforts of some teachers of Social Studies in the secondary schools (Bello, 2010). Inspite of the emphasis being placed on social studies as one of the integrated subjects in secondary schools. Hence, the prosecution of a functional education in relation to Social Studies in secondary schools still leaves much to be desired. In view of this difficulties, (Omeiza, 2011) opined that most teachers of Social Studies still resort to the theoretical method of teaching the subject (i.e explaining without an object to make learning real) which makes learning not interesting to learners. This undoubtedly, is contrary to the improvement of Social Studies education, which is greatly needed at this period of our development with emphasis on practical oriented learning (Mammudu, 1996).  It is therefore imperative to carry out a study on the effect of instructional material in teaching and learning in Obudu.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The major objective of this study is to carry out an investigation into the effects of instructional materials and instructional methods of teaching social studies on the academic performance of students in secondary schools in Obudu local government area, cross river state. The specific objectives are to:

1. Identify the level of availability of instructional materials being used for teaching social studies in secondary schools;

2. Examine the adequacy of the instructional materials used in teaching in secondary schools;

3. Determine the attitude of teachers towards the use of instructional materials in teaching in secondary schools;

4. Examine the environmental factors influencing the use of instructional materials in teaching in secondary schools;

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions were answered in the course of the study.

1. What are the available instructional materials used in the teaching of social studies in Junior secondary schools?

2. How adequate are the instructional materials used in teaching in junior secondary schools?

3. What is the attitude of teachers towards the use of instructional materials in the teaching in junior secondary schools?

4. What are the environmental factors influencing the use of instructional materials in teaching in junior secondary schools?

1.5 Scope of the Study

The study is aimed at explaining the effects of instructional materials and instructional methods of teaching social studies on the academic performance of students in secondary schools in obudu local government area, cross river state, availability of instructional materials influencing learning of social studies, teachers attitudes towards the use of instructional materials, and environmental influencing instructional materials usage.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This research work “An investigation into the effects of instructional materials and instructional methods of teaching social studies on the academic performance of students in secondary schools in obudu local government area, cross river state is significant and useful in the teaching and learning of social studies.  Subsequently, the findings from the study will help Social Studies teachers in choosing an appropriate instructional material(s) capable of releasing students’ tension towards the subject thus improving students’ learning in social studies. It will motivate Social Studies teachers to develop interest towards utilizing suitable teaching materials that will be a possible means towards reducing failure in the teaching and learning of social studies. Findings of this study will also help clarify among the teachers the need for continuous and regular improvisation of suitable instructional materials for teaching and learning of social studies.

Moreover, the results of this study will be of great significance to the Social Studies curriculum planners. The curriculum developers will find the work useful in reviewing the Social Studies curriculum by seriously laying emphasis on utilization of instructional materials so as to meet up with emerging needs of the society. This study will be of immense benefit to researchers in the field of Social Studies by forming a basis for further studies on the usage of instructional materials and teachers’ quality.

This study will also be of benefit to principal as they would understand more on where their Social Studies teachers’ ineffectiveness comes from in the area of instructional material usage and this would set the base for what they can do in order to help the teachers and hence improve their effectiveness toward influencing learners with the use of instructional materials.

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