CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The word geography is coined from two Greek words ‘Geo’ meaning earth and ‘grapghy’ meaning to describe. Therefore, geography can also be defined as description of the earth (Ijaduola (1997). Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία, geographia, literally “earth description”) is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, the features, the inhabitants, and the phenomena of Earth. Geography is unique in bridging the social sciences (human geography) with the natural sciences (physical geography).

Geography is simply defined as a science that deals with Earth’s surface. People who study geography are called geographers. Geographers are interested in Earth’s physical features, such as mountains, deserts, rivers, and oceans (Ijaduola (1997). They are also interested in the ways that people affect and are affected by the natural world. Geography has everything to do with our Everyday Life.

Historically, according to Raiser (2001), in 1900s teachers were the primary means through which instruction was presented to learners. But in 1905, the first school museum was built in St. Louis. School museums housed supplemental instructional materials that could aid teachers when teaching different topics. Increased interest in visual media and instructional films led to the visual instruction movement. In 1910, the first catalogue of instructional films was developed to be used in the classroom.

Thomas Edison predicted in 1913 that books will soon be obsolete in schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of knowledge with the motion of picture. Our school system will completely be changed in the next ten years. As a result, five national professional organizations were established visual instruction, five journals began to publish information about visual instruction, and more than 20 teacher-training institutions began offering visual instruction courses.

During the 1920-1930s, technological advances increased interest in instructional media and as a result the audio-visual instruction movement began. In 1923, the association for educational communications and technology was founded. Also, by the 1930s people believed, that due to the advances in radio broadcasting, that the radio would be a medium that would revolutionize education. Unfortunately, the radio did not have as big of an impact on instructional practices as audio-visual enthusiasts predicted.

Moreover, Reiser (2001), recounted that in the 1940s, World War II led instructional designers to design and develop instructional films that would train military personnel for combat. Instructional films were also developed to aid US citizens that were entering the business and industry field. The films were success because they could train individuals quicker without taking away training effectiveness.

At the end of World War II the German chief of General staff stated they had everything calculated except the speed America used to train its people. He reiterated that their major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education.

Given the success in military films, there was a renewed interest in instructional films for classroom use in schools. Media comparison research studies compared how much students learned after being presented with instruction via a specific instructional medium, films and radio, with how much students learned through teacher-led instruction on the same topic.

During the 1950s leaders in the audio-visual movement became interested in theories and models of communication. Authors of the models stated that when planning for communication, it is important to think about each stage of the communication process. The process involved sending through a channel or instructional to reach the receiver of the information. In 1963 David Berlo emphasized that communication was primary and media was secondary. Communicating is essential for learning to occur.

Instructional television made a huge growth during the 1 950s as well. In 1952, the Federal communications commission set aside 242 channels for educational purposes unfortunately, some people believed that the instructional quality of some of the programs were mediocre. Along with teacher resistance, installation expenses and the meritocracy of the instructional television programs instructional television was discarded by the mid1960s. By the early 1970s, instructional media still had not made a big impact on educational practices.

Also, according to Reiser (2001), in the 1950s, computers were utilized by researchers at IBM. The researchers developed computer-assisted instruction (CAI) author language and developed the first CAI program to be used in public schools. In elementary schools, computers were mostly used for drill and practice or they were utilized to teach computer-related skills such as typing but, the wide-spread interest in computers as a medium of instruction did not occur until the 1980s.Since then, the instructional technology field has expanded and changed.

The field is constantly evolving with the introduction of new technologies. Some technological advances have revolutionized how instructional technology is being utilized. These modern instructional developments are: utilization of the internet, distance education opportunities, learner centered learning environments, virtual environments such as second life, wikis and blogs.

Before the coming of missionaries in Cameroon, traditional societies in Cameroon had their own means of providing education to the new generation, which was growing up. There was no formal education, however the young ones were taught through storytelling, and through tribal traditions. Under this system of education, the youth grew to become brave and skilled men and women; men became hunters, soldiers and craft workers, while women became good mothers and food gatherers and craft workers, (Ajayi, et al. 1999).

Formal education which was introduced in Cameroon by the missionaries became the responsibility of colonial masters (Germany, Britain, and France). The Baptist missionary were the first to visit Cameroon and the first school was opened by Joseph Merrick in 1844 in Bimbia, and the second was opened by Alfred Saker in Bethel in Douala in 1845. Schools were also opened in Bota for craftsmanship, local pastors acted as teachers in these schools. Students were also taught carpentry and how to make blocks. In financing the schools, they were financed by the missions themselves and the home board of London Based Baptist Missionary society, (Oni 1992).

Contextually, The Cameroon Ministry of Basic Education (2004) had distinguished three main components of the competence to be taught: subject competence (knowledge), transversal competence (knowledge resulting from all the subjects in a child‟s learning) and life competence which results from the development of the right attitudes, behaviour, and problem solving skills for real life situations. Richard (2006) for his part identifies the nature of objectives according to the CBA. To him objectives are broken into narrowly focused sub objectives, sothat both teachers and students can get a clear sense of progress. Richards and Rodgers (2001) further opines that each approach needs specific teaching materials in order to realize the aim of its foundation.

Therefore, for the implementation of the CBA to be effective, the instructional materials must be the ones that can motivate the learners and provide information in interesting way, bring the real life situation and cultural information to the classroom, supply learner with real exposure to the target language, and meet the needs of the learner. The CBA advocates the learner-centred approach in which the learning process is central. Field and Drysdale (1991) point out some of the aspects of a learner-centred approach such as the use of individualized materials, flexible learning time and continued feedback.

In this regard, the implementation of CBA should ensure that all aspects of a learner- centred approach are included in the learning process. The Learning environment in the CBA is therefore directed towards the development of competencies at the end of any study program (Kirschner et al, 1997. In this study strategy for making quality instructional materials available are suggested as an attempt to increase performance in secondary schools in Buea municipality. Inadequacy of quality instructional materials is not confined to the Buea municipality,

Geography is the study of place, and seeks to understand the ways in which humans influence their environment, and in turn explore the influence the environment has on humans. Quite simply, it is the study of the world around us. Instructional materials are materials which assist teachers to make their lessons explicit to learners. They are also used to transmit information, ideas and notes to learners (Ijaduola (1997). Instructional materials include both visuals and audiovisuals such as pictures, flashcards, posters, charts, tape recorder, radio, video, television, computers among others.

These materials serve as supplement to the normal processes of instruction. Instructional materials according to Emma and Ajayi (2004) are those things which help teaching and learning process. It helps to promote understanding of the concept and generalization by making lesson practical and realistic. Any teacher who has the interest of the student at heart is bound to think of the ways and means he will employ to make his teaching and learning process moiré effective and more interesting to students. Bassey (2002) opinioned that Science is resource intensive, and in a period of economic recession, it may be very difficult to find some of the electronic gadgets and equipment for the teaching of geography in senior secondary schools adequately.

According to Adeniyi (2000), the effect of instructional materials is to communicate more permanently, health related issues, and information is retained when supplemented with aid. Certainly instructional materials when carefully selected and skillfully used will make learning more effective. Therefore it becomes necessary to investigate the importance of instructional materials in teaching and learning of geography.

However, man and animal possess the necessary abilities for learning. In other words, they are potential learners. Certain factors within and outside the learner determine how effectively each individual learn. Instructional materials can be in different forms such as textual and non¬textual, the visual the auditory and audio¬visual.

Witwoth and Benson (2003), indicate that there is a need for research on the use and effectiveness of visual instructional materials in geography classroom that would enhances its teaching. With these concerns in mind and the educational development, the current study is carried out to address the issues associated with the effect of instructional materials on the teaching of geography in Secondary schools. Schools should provide enough instructional materials to enable teachers clarify their lesson.

Adequate infrastructure facilities and contusive atmosphere for effective teaching¬ learning of geography and retention of what is learnt. Schools should send their geography teachers to seminars and workshops in order to update their knowledge.

Statement of the Problem

For quite some times now, the teaching of Geography has suffered in the hands of un-resourceful and un-motivated teachers, especially at the secondary school level. Many teachers at this level feel that Geography lesson does not necessarily need to be accompanied by the use of instructional materials. There has been general outcry of poor performance of learners in Geography in secondary school in Buea municipality.  Geography teaching therefore appear very abstract and difficult for the learners as they used their sense only.

Also looking at the environment it is spectacled that Geography students applied their knowledge in geography as a prove of proper learning to help mitigates some environmental challenge like pollution (which is the order of the day in Buea), causes of climate change and all the likes, but rather the pressing environmental challenges is on an increase rate in our society where in there are many Geography learners who can apply their knowledge  Geography to create or suggest temporal solutions to some of this problems.It has been observed that Geography teachers find a very herculean task to accompany their lesson. It is on this premises that the researcher is prompt to investigate more on the effect of instructional material in the teaching of Geography in some schools in the Buea Municipality.

Objectives of the Study

The objective of the study is classified into general and specific objective of the study.

 General Objective

The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of instructional materials on the teaching of Geography in some schools in the Buea municipality.

Specific Objectives

The study is guided by the following research objectives:

1. To find out the influence of textbooks on the teaching of Geography in secondary school in the Buea municipality.
2. To examine the influence of audio visual on the teaching of Geography in secondary school in the Buea municipality.
3. To assess the influence of photographs as on the teaching of Geography in secondary school in the Buea municipality.
4. To find out the influence of real objects on the teaching of Geography in secondary school in the Buea municipality.

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