THE IMPACT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

It is undeniable that instructional materials have an impact on students' academic performance, as well as teaching and learning in educational development. Economics education in Nigerian secondary schools must be effectively managed. At the basic and secondary school levels of our educational system, the materials used by teachers to educate and drive home their subject points are undeniably a critical factor in successful classroom interaction and knowledge transfer from the teacher to the students.

The term "instructional materials" refers to things that help teachers make their courses more plain to students. They can also be used to provide information, thoughts, and notes to students (Ijaduola) (1997). Pictures, flashcards, posters, charts, tape recorder, radio, video, television, and computers are examples of visual and audiovisual instructional resources. These products are meant to augment the traditional teaching methods.

Economics as a discipline was born in 1776 with the publication of Adam Smith, the founder of the classical school of thinking; since then, it has played a variety of roles, particularly in political and educational circles. Microeconomics and macroeconomics are the two primary branches of economics. Microeconomics investigates the behavior and operations of particular economic units (households, businesses, and government agencies), whereas macroeconomics examines the overall economy in aggregates and averages (Umoh, 2007). Three key languages are utilized in teaching and disseminating economic principles, according to Aromolaran (2006). Theoretical or verbal, geometric or pictorial, and algebraic or mathematical languages are examples of these languages.

Students must credit Economics before being admitted to any higher institution, particularly a university, to pursue related courses such as Accountancy, Business Administration, Insurance, and so on. The importance and technicality of this subject necessitates the use of appropriate instructional materials to teach it to students. This is confirmed by Macaulay (1989), who claims that visual aids bring lessons to life and help pupils learn more effectively.

In light of this, the purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which the use of instructional materials can improve the performance of senior secondary school students in Economics.

Poor academic performance in Economics might be attributable to a variety of variables, with the teacher's strategy being one of the most crucial. This means that without the use of instructional materials, mastery of economic ideas may not be fully acquired. Teaching Economics without the use of instructional materials is almost certain to result in poor academic performance. According to Franzer, Okebukola, and Jegede (1992), a professionally qualified science teacher, regardless of how well trained, will be unable to put his or her ideas into practice if the school setting lacks the necessary equipment and materials.

According to Bassey (2002), science is resource intensive, and it may be difficult to find some of the electronic gadgets and equipment needed to adequately teach Economics in schools during a period of economic recession. A situation that is exacerbated by the country's soaring inflation, which causes some imported sophisticated materials and equipment to become prohibitively expensive and obsolete, necessitating the need to produce materials locally.

According to researchers like as Obioha (2006) and Ogunleye (2002), there are insufficient resources for teaching Science topics in Nigerian secondary schools. They went on to say that the ones that are available are usually in poor condition, necessitating improvisation. However, Adebimpe (1997) and Daramola (2008) noted that improvisation requires adventure, creativity, curiosity, and perseverance on the part of the teacher, and that such skills can only be acquired through a well-planned improvisation training program.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The essential goal of teaching is to transfer ideas, skills, and attitudes from the teacher to the student. For example, in Nigeria, experience has shown that using spoken words alone to communicate ideas is ineffective and inefficient in achieving desired learning outcomes. Every year, when the results of public examinations are revealed, there is usually a large number of students who fail in Economics. The reason for this might be due to the fact that there are some concepts in Economics that students struggle to understand. Without the use of suitable instructional resources to make learning practical, these concepts cannot be effectively taught. As previously stated, scholars such as Mutebi and Matora (1994) have emphasized the impact of instructional materials on teaching and learning. According to them, we learn and remember 10% of what we hear, 40% of what we talk about with others, and up to 80% of what we directly experience or practice. However, the question here is whether or not using instructional materials has an impact on students' academic performance. Is the usage of instructional materials beneficial to teaching effectiveness? Could the use of instructional materials help students learn more effectively? The entire problem of this study is to find answers to these and other problems.

1.3 OBJECTIES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of instructional materials on teaching and learning of economics in senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Specifically, the objectives of this study are:

i.  To examine the impact of instructional material utilisation on the teaching of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in Lagos State;

ii. To ascertain the extent to which Senior Secondary School student’s learning of Economics can be influenced by the use of instructional materials

iii. To determine whether there will be any difference in the academic performance of secondary schools students in Economics due to the use of instructional materials.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In order to achieve the objectives of this study, the following research questions were raised to guide the investigation:

i. Will the use of instructional materials impact the teaching and application of Economics in senior secondary schools?

ii. To what extent can senior secondary school students’ learning of Economics be influenced by the use of instructional materials?

iii. Will there be any difference in the academic performance of senior secondary school students in Economics due to the use of instructional materials?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

In the teaching and learning process, the use of instructional materials allows the learner to touch, smell, and taste objects. As a result, knowledge imparted to students at various levels of educational instruction should be well-planned and accompanied by appropriate instructional materials for clarity and comprehensibility. As a result, this research is important to students, teachers, curriculum planners, the educational system, and society at large.

Students would benefit from effective use of instructional materials because they would be able to learn and retain more information, thereby improving their performance in the subject. This is because, according to Nwadinigwe (2000), learning is the process of acquiring, retaining, and applying information, skills, habits, facts, ideas, and principles, and the only way to do so is via the use of instructional materials.

The research would aid teachers in improving their teaching efficacy and productivity. This is in keeping with Ekwueme and Igwe's (2001) statement that instructors are the only ones who can ensure effective and appropriate use of instructional resources and hence support achievement. As a result, a teacher who supplements his education with suitable instructional resources will aid in the development of students' original and creative thinking as well as their ability to be spontaneous and passionate. According to Oremeji (2002), any teacher who takes use of these tools and understands how to utilize them appropriately will discover that they offer an almost immeasurable contribution to education. He goes on to argue that instructional materials are extremely useful for importing knowledge, clarifying difficult and complex concepts, sparking cognition, sharpening observation, generating curiosity, and gratifying individual differences.

The research has ramifications for both the educational system and society at large. This is because when professors utilize instructional resources to consolidate their teaching and students learn well, the information gained has a beneficial impact on society. Students will be able to grasp how the economy works, analyze the government's economic policies and activities, and perform better economically in their life and job choices.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to look at the impact of using instructional materials on improving senior secondary school students' economics performance in Oyo State. The study is confined to the Ogbomosho south Local Government Area of oyo state due to time and funding restrictions. This is due to the fact that the researcher lives in this local government area and thus has a thorough understanding of the area and its surroundings. Furthermore, the study only includes S.S-2 students from senior secondary schools in Ogbomosho south Local Government Area.

1.8 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

The only limitation faced by the researcher in the course of carrying out this study was the delay in getting data from the various respondents. Most respondents were reluctant in filling questionnaires administered to them due to their busy schedules and nature of their work. The researcher found it difficult to collect responses from the various respondents, and this almost hampered the success of this study.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

The relevant terms below were operationally defined relative to their usage in this study.

v  Effect: This is the change (outcome) that is brought about in a person (s) or something by another person (s) or thing; that is the way in which an event, action or person changes someone or something.

v  Academic performance: This is regarded as the display of knowledge attained or skills, shown in the school subjects such achievements are indicated by test scores or by marks assigned by teachers. It is the school evaluation of students’ classroom work as quantified on the basis of marks or grades.

v  Utilisation: The act of using something to achieve a purpose

v  Instructional Material: What the teacher uses to make the lesson more interesting and understandable.

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