INVESTIGATION ON SCHOOL LIBRARIES’ AUDIO- VISUAL TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON  ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Primary education provides as a foundation upon which later levels of education can be built with confidence. It is a level of education at which students acquire the fundamental abilities in reading and mathematics that will determine their performance in higher levels of learning (UNESCO 2008). Just as the firmness and solidity of a structure are dependent on the strength of its foundation, so is a child's educational career dependent on the strength of his or her foundation. The success and stages of a child's educational career are determined by his or her performance in elementary school. As a result, primary education is a critical component of the Nigerian educational system that must be handled with great attention and consideration. The haphazard administration of elementary education not only lowers the educational level, but it also encumbers the nation's socio-political, cultural, and economic activities, all of which are detrimental to national progress. In the country, the compulsory admittance of students into Primary one and the easy promotion of students into the next class, even when they fail, has resulted in a decline in the overall quality of education (Andzayi, & Ikwen 2014).

One of the shortcomings of the Nigerian educational system has been linked to the insufficient utilization of libraries and their resources. The library in this context is the school library, which may be found at institutions such as nursery, primary, and secondary schools, and has the goal of developing and increasing the intellectual ability of students in these institutions.

 A school library is an information center that is positioned within a school setting with the goal of providing information services to assist the school's teaching and learning processes, as stated by Ramesh and Maranna (2016) in their article. Book collections and non-book materials are usually arranged in a spacious manner so that pupils/students and teachers can easily access them in order to improve teaching and learning, be involved in recreational activities, develop personal interest and interpersonal relationships, and to improve teaching and learning in general. It is the goal of this study to draw attention to the non-print items that are available in the school library, including audiovisual resources.

Audio-visual resources are nonprint instructional tools that demand the attention of the dual sense organs in order to improve the efficacy of the teaching and learning process. They are also known as multimedia resources. They are the result of cutting-edge technology, and some of them require the use of specialized equipment to function properly. Television, computers, and films, among other things, are examples of audio-visual resources. These materials are capable of ensuring effective instruction, which in turn promotes the acquisition and retention of skills among learners, particularly at the primary school level. It is anticipated that the use of audio-visual resources in teaching and learning would lead to the transition from rote learning (the teacher center technique) to an enhanced and more inventive method known as the "child center method." It is possible to overcome the constraints of the traditional technique of teaching by using a child-centered approach to learning. As a result of the employment of audio-visual materials and other instructional equipment, the child center technique promotes children to be active participants in a classroom environment, resulting in joyful learning experiences.

Although audio-visual resources are important in teaching and learning, Adakole, Eiriemiokhale, and Nnaji (2016) found that the resources are always supplied at a very low level in most schools in the nation, which has a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning in the long term. A lack of adequate audio-visual tools in the study area has resulted in the majority of primary schools continuing to use the teacher-centered mode of instruction, which pays less attention to the requirements of individual students and encourages them to behave as passive learners. The abstractive aspect of this teaching style is described by Gibson (1997). It is explained by Gibson that abstract character of instruction has no connection to the actual world and does not assist learners in thinking about practical situations or encouraging them to create and present their own solutions. The majority of students feel demotivated and disconnected as a result, and they acquire a bad attitude toward learning, which has a detrimental impact on their academic performance as a direct consequence\.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The age of digitalization and globalization has given unprecedented impetus to the development audio-visual technology. Audio-visual instructions in schools have therefore continued to accelerate students’ understanding and appreciation of learning.

The value of audio- visual media is further underscored by their positive impact in school libraries, the libraries positive influence of the academic performance of students and the enhancement of teacher’s performance.

Research evidence has shown that audio-visual resources is a key factor to effective teaching and learning at primary level of education. According to Adebowale and Adekanye (2013), the importance of resources in the teaching and learning process cannot be overstated due to the wide range of benefits they provide. It piques the child's attention, keeps him or her engaged in the learning process, encourages imaginative play, and reduces the abstract nature of the subjects under discussion, making it simpler for teachers to transfer substantial information to the students. Additionally, it individualizes learning and encourages the student to acquire the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork, among other things. However, despite the positive contributions of audio-visual resources in teaching and learning, the majority of schools in the study area have yet to realize their full potential, most likely due to a lack of funds to provide the resources, inadequacy of the resources, and incompetence in their utilization. Poor utilization of audio-visual materials hinders effective teaching and learning at the elementary level, resulting in worse academic performance of students and a decreased interest in pursuing further education. If nothing is done to raise awareness about the importance of using audio-visual resources in primary school teaching and learning, the nation's labor force will be negatively affected in the long run, and the entire nation will suffer from poor socio-political and economic development, as will the entire world. In this context, the purpose of this study is to investigate the use of audio-visual technology in school libraries, as well as its influence on students' academic performance in school.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Generally, the study investigates school libraries’ audio- visual technology and it’s impact on  academic performance. Specifically the study seeks to:

i.          To identify the extent of audio visual materials available in primary school library.

ii.        To assess the relevance of audio visuals resource in teaching and learning process.

iii.      To ascertain factors that impede adequate use of audio-visual resources to promote effective teaching and learning at primary school level.

iv.      To determine the if inadequate use of audio-visual resources significantly impact primary school  pupil’s academic achievement.

1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The study is guided by the following tentative statement:

Ho1: The extent of audio visual materials available in primary school library is low.

Hi1: The extent of audio visual materials available in primary school library.

Ho2:  Inadequate use of audio-visual resources does not significantly impact   pupil’s academic achievement.

Hi2:  Inadequate use of audio-visual resources significantly impact  pupil’s academic achievement.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The desire to carry out this work is consequent upon the new wave of educational technology sweeping across the globe. The study investigated how school libraries in Nigeria could brace up the challenges posed by education technology.

This study is particularly important to school managers and government as it would enable them to know the various A/V materials and media that can be used in school libraries and possibly come to realize the positive impacts the use of A/V technology has on students academic performance and hence take positive steps to develop our school libraries and position them to encompass these media in their holding so as to meet the challenges of this information age.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

            This study is limited to how A/V materials and equipment are used and assessed in IELC/DISS library for effective use on the academic performance of students. There is no comparative  analysis as it is purely an experimental research. It rather tested the impacts of the use of the A/V media on students of the school studies. The study is delimited to selected primary schools in Ikot-Ekpene local Government Area in Akwaibom State.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only selected primary schools in Ikot-Ekpene local Government Area in Akwaibom State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other primary schools in other  States within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

To properly grasp the content to his work, some concepts used need operational definition. Some of the concepts are Audio-visual  technology, school libraries, students and academic performance.

 Audio-visual Technology:  Audiovisual is a combination of audio and visual materials which are used in the instructional or learning process to facilitate teaching and   as a general term for non-book materials that can be viewed or listened  to such as films filmstrips, tapes, and overhead transparencies. There are a wide categories of there materials and equipment as have been briefly high lightened in the preamble.

 School Libraries:  A school library is an information center located in a school environment for ht purpose of providing information services to support teaching and learning process of the school. A  school library is a collection of wide variety of library materials and resources housed in each school, centrally agonized by a staff professionally to offer services to students and teachers that will enrich and support the education programmes of the school.

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