ENEMS MICROSYSTEMS RESEARCH SPOT: Instructional materials

THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY 1 PUPIL

ABSTRACT

This examined the effects of instructional materials on the performance of primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa state Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study is to determine the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State; ascertain the utilization of instructional materials among teachers teaching primary 1 pupils and to examine the effects of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State. The study sample was selected through simple random sampling technique. The data collection instruments were questionnaire and observation. One hundred and fifteen respondents were administered the questionnaire which include head of teachers, teachers and pupils. The data analysis was done using statistical tools such as percentages, frequencies, means, correlation and scattered plot graph. Research result showed that the availability and adequacy of most of the instructional materials and instructional materials were just a little. More so, utilization of most of the instructional materials also just a little. The correlation analysis for the relationship between Instructional materials and pupils’ academic performance were significant (P<0.01) with a moderate positive relationship of 0.5 and 0.45 respectively. Inadequate and low quality instructional materials in primary school impedes effective teaching and learning process and hence affect pupil’s academic performance negatively.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Information

Education is generally seen as an instrument for effective national development. In the teaching and learning process, the goals of education in Nigeria include a united, strong and self-reliant nation, a free and democratic society, a just and egalitarian society, a great and dynamic economy and land full of bright opportunities for all citizens, they are given cognizance (FGN, 2014). Education is therefore a connective tissue in the society. Okongo, Ngao, Rop & Nyongesa, (2015) revealed that the standard of education in Nigeria is falling, the problem of education emerged from the neglect which the sector suffered from the 1980s leading to the gradual erosion of the system. The problems include among others inadequate learning facilities such as lack of teaching tools and moderate classrooms and the acute shortage of qualified teachers (Okongo, Ngao, Rop & Nyongesa, 2015).

For a teacher to attain the set goals of education and for students to gain from such teaching experience, the use of instructional materials is important. Instructional materials are all types of materials or facilities used in the teaching and learning process. These include books, government documents, artifacts, instructional sheets, computers, radio sets, television sets, social media and magazines among others (Janovsky & Brooks, 2015). They are used for teaching at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

Instructional materials in primary schools enhance and improve teachers’ competence; they also make learning more useful and meaningful to the pupils as they are being presented with a real life experiences and materials for learning. The use of instructional materials is seen to determine the academic performance of pupils in schools. Yusuf (2012) disclosed that academic performance is the knowledge and skills that pupils or students have mastered in a subject or a course, it is basically a measure of how well students have performed in the various assessment items set for them based on some educational criteria determined by professional educators.

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 Atanda, and Jaiyeoba (2018), 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 Atanda, and Jaiyeoba on linking instructional resources to students’ academic performance serve critical in the provision of quality education.

According to Adeogun, schools, whose teachers use more instructional resources perform better than schools, whose teachers do not use instructional materials. This corroborated the study by Babayomi (2019) that private schools performed better than public schools because students and teachers are provided with sufficient and quality teaching and learning resources. From this importance, schools at all levels of education have been advised to have quality and adequate instructional facilities to raise academic performance of their students. The advice emanated from the fact that instructional facilities have a potent factor to qualitative education. The dictum is that “teaching is inseparable from learning but learning is separable from teaching.” This means that teachers do the teaching to make the students learn, but with quality and adequate instructional facilities, students can learn without the teachers. It is against this background that this study seek to examine the effect of instructional materials on the performance of primary one (1) pupils

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

The rate of pupils poor academic achievement in primary schools today is really disturbing. The poor academic achievement of pupils has attributed to many factors which are lack of instructional material and skills needed for effective teaching and inability to provide or improvise material relative to the topic depending on the school type. Unqualified teachers and teacher’s attitude towards effective teaching and learning, lack of student interest in setting subject. It is observed that most pupils complain of being taught principles that seem to be abstract in nature because materials such as textbooks, most board and essential equipment like computer, projector, television and video are not readily available in many schools. In Indian axioms that says, what I hear, I may forget but what see, hear and touch I will never forget. This is because teachers adopt the verbal and theoretical method as a way of teaching and learning thereby making pupils to lose interest. In Nigeria, for example experience has shown that spoken words alone in the communication of ideas are grossly ineffective and inefficient in producing desired learning outcomes. One of the major problems facing education sector in Nigeria is the low level of the performance of primary school pupils in both local and standardized examinations. It has become a great concern for researchers, educators and all education stake-holders over the years. It was observed that pupils usually fail in examinations owing to improper teaching methods and lack of essential teaching aids for instructional delivery. (Afolabi, 2019). This study therefore deemed it necessary to look specifically at the effects of instructional materials on the performance of primary one (1) pupils in Nigeria Primary Schools.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the effects of instructional materials on the performance of primary one (1) pupils in Nigeria.

The study specifically aims at finding out the following:

To determine the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State.
To ascertain the utilization of instructional materials among teachers teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa state.
To examine the effects of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

To what extent is the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa State.
To what extent is the utilization of instructional materials among teachers teaching primary 1 pupils in Nasarawa state.
What are the effects of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary 1 pupil in Nasarawa State.

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following hypotheses will be tested at (p < 0.05) significance level:

Null hypothesis (H_o): There is no significant relationship between the available instructional materials and primary 1 pupil’s academic performance.

Alternative hypothesis (H₁): There is a significant relationship between the available instructional materials and primary 1 pupil’s academic performance.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The study has both theoretical and practical significance. In the theoretical aspect, it is the use of Jean Piaget on the cognitive development and behavioral learning theory which center on the child development knowledge, intelligence and high level of thinking that allows the child to acquire problem solving skills by inventing or constructing reality out of experience and thus mix their observation with their ideas about how the world works. It also provides individual with a certain behavioural management plan or change based on observation in the classroom.

On the practical aspect, the findings of the study will benefit the followings, the pupils, schools, computer studies teachers, textbook writers, curriculum planners and government. Constructivist teaching is based on the belief that learning occurs as learners are actively involved in a process of meaningful and knowledge construction as opposed to passively receiving information. Through interaction with the physical situations, or concrete objects, a child’s physical experience accumulates and he is able to conceptualize, think creatively and logically. The child therefore develops skills to abstract problems. According to this theory, learners are the makers of knowledge and meaning Constructivists believe that “learners construct their own reality or at least interpret it based upon their perceptions of experiences, so an individual’s knowledge is a function of one’s prior experiences, mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and events.” “What someone knows is grounded in perception of the physical and social experiences which are:

Pupils: The study will change pupils attitude to learn computer studies since the use of instructional materials during teaching and learning made the lesson very interesting by having direct contact with the material by touching, smelling or tasting of the object thereby enhancing their performance in the subject in question.

School: It help the school have a well equipped laboratory and a good environment on production of improvised and standardize resource material suitable for teaching and learning without waiting for government to provide it for them. It also helps to know the number of pupil in the classroom and proper monitoring of teachers or pupils teacher on the use of instructional material.

Textbook writers: Inclusion of instructional material needed to teacher the particular topic base on specific objectives.

Government: Production and provision of resource instructional material to school base on the subject offered. Organizing seminar and workshop on the utilization of instructional material especially in the area of science and technology. And parent teacher their children on how to embrace technology.

Curriculum planner: When developing syllabus and scheme of work, space for the provision of instruction material should be made with related topics and days of supervision of teachers with instructional material.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

This study is focused on examining the effect of instructional materials on the performance of primary 1 pupils. It was carried out in primary 1 among the primary schools in Nasarawa town but due to the population of public and primary schools in Nasarawa the scope of the study is limited to Destiny Kings and Queens Nursery and Primary School Nasarawa.

1.8 Operational Definition Of Terms

Learning: Learning is the relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience in the learners’ environment.

Education: It is the process by which knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits are being acquired or transferred from one person to another.

Instructional materials: It is the means through which information (knowledge, skills, and values) is being transferred to the pupils.

Academic performance: It is the extent to which the student has achieved the predetermined educational objectives after evaluation using examination or continuous assessment.

Pupils: Is a person in a particular schools usually primary or pre-primary school who want to acquire knowledge, skills, value or competence.

Monday 1 May 2023

THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY 1 PUPIL

THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY 1 PUPIL