CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
The
primary school is foundation of the child’s formal educational development. The
quality of teaching at this stage will not only influence the child’s rate of
learning, but will to a very large extent determine the quality and direction
of his academic achievements and career later in life. This underscores the
need to make teaching and learning very interesting, stimulating and meaningful
to the child. One of the ways of achieving this is through the proper
utilization or assessment of instructional materials.
Agugbem
E.O. (2008) view instructional materials as the equipment, devices, objects,
and formation materials which the teacher uses to facilitate learning process.
In other words, they are the specific things used by the teacher in the
classroom to make the pupils learn easily and quickly.
Learning
process is an expensive article on the part of the pupils but what make it
attractive and acceptable is the nature of instructional materials through
which the topic is presented by the teacher.
Instructional
materials are important to the teaching-learning process, but often teachers do
neglect them during their lesson when instructional materials are used
effectively, they help to simplify what is being taught, motivate the learners
and make the lesson meaningful. The idea of make teaching and learning
meaningful, functional and purposeful is to enable the pupils see what they are
to learn clearly and also afford them the opportunity of making use of
instructional materials. Learning tend to be more effective when individuals
activity participate in learning experience in selecting what he/she is to
learn and receive feedback or result soon after response is made having made
use of specified instructional materials.
Meaningful learning
is said to be possible through the active involvement of a learner in the
learning situation. It is what the learner sees or does that he/she is likely
to learn meaningfully. In a class where instructional materials are used, the
learner is an active participant in the learning process.
1.2
PROBLEM
STATEMENT
It
has been observed by many researchers that most pupils have difficulty in learning
and understanding due to lack of instructional materials. It is therefore very
important to ensure that instructional materials are used in teaching to arouse
pupil’s interest.
In view of the
above statement, the researcher aimed to study the assessment of the effect of
instructional materials on the pupils.
1.3
PURPOSE
OF THE STUDY
The
aims of this research work are to;
i.
Assess the effect of instructional
materials on the pupils in teaching and learning process.
ii.
To find out if a better performance can be achieved
in using instructional materials toward teaching pupils in Mater-Dei Nursery
School and Primary School.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The
significance of this study will bring into light the importance of
instructional materials toward teaching pupils in primary and nursery
school. It is also believed that this
study will be useful to teacher, if properly followed i.e. if instructional
materials are effectively used in teaching, it will enhance better performances
in pupils learning and easy delivery of lesson.
This study will
also be useful to NTI Post-Graduate students trainee teachers in the sense that
it will aid them develop a positive attitude towards the use of instructional
materials.
1.5
RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
1.
Is there any difference in the academic performance
of pupils taught using instructional materials?
2.
Is there any relationship between the use
of instructional materials and attitude of pupils in learning?
3.
What are the teachers’ interest and
attitude towards the use of instructional materials in teaching?
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
i. There is no significant difference in
the academic performance of pupils taught using instructional materials.
ii. There is no significant relationship
between the use of instructional materials and the attitude of peoples in
learning.
iii.
There is no significant difference in
teacher interest and attitude towards the use of instructional materials in
teaching.
1.7 SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This
study was restricted to only Mater-Dei Nursery and Primary School in Satellite
Town. This was done in order to look effectively in the use of instructional
materials in teaching and learning process in nursery and primary schools.
Furthermore, the researcher intended to assess the effect of instructional
materials on the performance of nursery and primary school pupils.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
1. Assessment:
A process of gathering information and organizing the information obtained into
interpretative forms.
2. Instructional
Materials: It is those aids used in any teaching exercise to promote greater
understanding of the learning experience.
3. Teaching:
Giving instruction to an individual and practicing the need in order to learn
job or skill.
4. Primary
Schools: Education given an institution for children aged between 6-11 years
plus.
5. Educational
Districts: Education units of a Local Government Area.