AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF ECONOMIC STUDENTS
ABSTRACT
This study was based on an investigation into the impact of instructional materials on economics teaching in secondary schools in Ojo Local Government Areas.
A sample population of 120 students was taken, as well as a sample population of 24 teachers, in eight schools chosen at random in Ojo LGA. The questionnaire was the primary tool used. The T-test and simple percentile were also used in the analysis.
The results show that there is a significant difference between existing instructional materials and student performance in the classroom, but no significant difference between instructional material and teaching learning effectiveness.
However, according to research analysis, among other things, available instructional materials should be maintained on a regular basis because materials make learning more real and concrete, which aids students in focusing attention and motivation.
Furthermore, materials, (reading or teaching) resources, should be made available and updated on a regular basis.
CHAPTER ONE
THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
1. INTRODUCTION:
Economics is a fascinating subject. Economics is a subject that cannot be overstated as a senior secondary school subject. It is so important that every senior secondary school student must offer the subject from senior secondary school one (S.S.S 1) to senior secondary school three (S.S.S 3) when the senior school certificate examination (S.S.C.E) and National Examination Council (N.E.CO) are taken. The policy has placed Economics in the same group as core subjects such as mathematics, English language, science, and so on.
However, Economics is a broad subject that includes production, distribution, and consumption. It should be noted that this scope encompasses every activity that a society engages in. The advantages of studying economics are numerous, and they include the following:
a. Economics teaches consumers how to use our resources wisely.
b. It enables us to apply its principles to practical problems, thereby avoiding unnecessary and costly errors.
c. It enables us as individuals to make sound financial decisions.
d. It enables planners to adequately plan for the nation’s economic development.
e. Finally, it prepares students for life in general. It prepares students to have a better understanding of society’s problems and, as a result, to offer effective solutions to them.
These are just a few of the advantages of economics for individuals and students.
In recent years, the study of Economics has faced numerous challenges. One of the most visible of these challenges is the issue or problem of instructional materials used in secondary school economics instruction. Teachers differ in their personality, behavior, and attitudes toward work.
They also differ in their teaching methods and how they present their materials to students. These teachers, on the other hand, all have one thing in common: they force their students to learn.
A teacher’s primary role in any instructional situation is communication. The teacher tries to change the learner’s behavior by representing facts and information, teaching rules and procedures, gaining the learner’s attention through activity, involving them in meaningful participation, propelling that thinking, and stimulating their imagination for effective knowledge transfer.
The proper selection of a teaching method includes taking into account class size, equipment, and facilities. Many secondary school students are taught economics through the traditional lecture method or through the use of outdated and inadequate instructional materials. As a result, students learn economics out of necessity rather than genuine interest.
It is still common to see teachers employing the traditional teaching and chalking ‘method of teaching at the expense of non-traditional approaches such as scientific inquiring or the use of relevant instructional materials and learning. They assist the teacher in teaching more effectively and make learning more enjoyable and less taxing. They’re also known as educational instructional media.
In other words, instructional materials are any type of information carrier that can be used to promote and encourage effective teaching and learning activities.
The materials range from simple materials such as chalk markers and textbooks to more complex materials such as projectors, tapes, records, and videos.
Instructional materials can be classified based on which sense organs they appeal to (hearing or sight). These are visual (sight) aids, audio (hearing) aids, and audio-visual aids (sense of hearing and sight).
Farrant (1988) stated that the quality of any selected and applied instructional material can be assessed in terms of its relevance, adequacy, neatness, validity, applicability, and the number of senses it appeals to. It has been observed that many of the existing instructional materials used in teaching economics in senior secondary schools, if assessed using the above criteria (as stated by Farrant (1988), will perform poorly. As a result, students either learn through abstract memory or do not learn at all.
1.1 SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEMS:
One of the major challenges that economics students face is the method of instruction used and the instructional materials available for use in their learning process.
The teaching methods and instructional materials used can influence how much a student learns. The importance of instructional materials in helping students learn to ask good questions, search for acceptable and reasonable answers, confront reality,
and reflect on economic problems in creative and challenging ways cannot be overstated. The purpose of this search is to evaluate the current instructional materials used in teaching economics in senior secondary schools in the Ojo Local Government area of Lagos State.
It does, however, delve into the following assessment areas, which include.
a. The usefulness of instructional materials.
b. The instructional materials’ sufficiency.
c. The veracity of the available materials.
d. The materials’ neatness and
e. The materials’ adequacy.
1.2 The following are the study’s objectives:
i. Recognize the various types of instructional materials used in the teaching of economics.
ii. To justify the use of instructional materials in order to promote effective Economics teaching and learning.
iii. To ascertain the levels of usage of instructional materials in selected secondary schools in our local government area.
iv. To evaluate the instructional materials that are available for use
v. Examine the materials’ relevance and effectiveness, as well as the students’ performance.
1.3 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
a. To what extent does the availability of instructional materials influence economics teaching and learning in senior secondary school?
b. How useful are the available instructional materials for teaching Economics?
c. To what extent does the attitude of students and teachers play a role? How can the use of instructional materials be used to improve Economics lessons?
d. What kinds of materials are available for teaching Economics in senior secondary school?
How effective are the instructional materials used in Senor Secondary School’s Economics class?
HYPOTHESIS
i. There is no discernible difference between instructional materials and teachers’ student teaching and learning effectiveness.
ii. There is no statistically significant difference between instructional materials in terms of student performance in class.
1.5 THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
The research is significant in the following ways: it will make the learning environment more realistic and likely. The study will demonstrate the value of existing instructional materials in teaching Economics. The research will identify areas where the use of instructional materials is lacking in the teaching of economics.
The study will reveal which instructional materials are currently in use and which are required. The study will provide teachers with guidelines on how to effectively use the available instructional materials in Economics classes.
1.6 STUDY SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This research is limited to five selected secondary schools in Ogo Local Government Areas of Lagos State due to intervening variables such as the researchers’ limited time available for conducting the research and financial constraints.
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AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF ECONOMIC STUDENTS
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