Abstract

This study examined the Effects of Instructional Materials on the Academic Performance of Primary School Pupils in History in Bamenda II Sub-Division. Four specific objectives, four research questions and four working hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The cross-sectional survey research design was used and samples of 60 teachers were selected from six primary schools in Bamenda II Sub-Division.

The purposive and simple random sampling technique was used to select the schools and the teachers needed for the study. A questionnaire for teachers was the main research instruments used for data collection in the study. Data collected were analyzed using one sample t-test, with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0.

The study revealed that audio visual media significantly affect pupils¶ academic performance in History and this was significant at the 0.01 level, print media materials significantly affect pupils¶ academic performance in History and this was significant at the 0.01 level, visual display devices significantly affect pupils¶ academic performance in History and this was significant at the 0.01 level and audio media devices significantly affect pupils¶ academic performance in History and this was significant at the 0.01 level.

From the findings of this study, it is highly recommended that the Regional Delegation of Basic Education should make available modern instructional materials and replace them with the old one in schools, educational seminars on the effective use of instructional materials in teaching particularly an abstract subject like History should be carried out at the start of each academic year.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Educational systems of various countries of the World today are highly tilted towards the acquisition of skills by learners. This is quite pertinent because Education is a fundamental human right as well as a catalyst for economic growth and human development (Okumu, Nakajjo & Isoke, 2008).Education is concerned with the transmission not only of what we know, but our manner of knowing, that is our approved standard of competence in performance, in inquiry and in intellectual criticism(Scheffer,1978).

Various techniques and modalities have been put in place by various educational systems in order to ease learner¶s learning. Thus, teachers who are at the centre of teaching are charged with the duty of transmitting knowledge, concepts and skills to learners.

In the process of trying to pass on these knowledge, attitude, and skills to learners, teachers use enabling materials (didactic materials) in order to ease students¶ understanding. Moreover, instructional materials serve as a channel between the teacher and the students in delivering instructions; they may also serve as motivation on the teaching- learning process (Stephen, Adalikwu & Isaac, 2013). Teaching in the primary schools or at the basic educational sector seems to be more demanding in the passing on of knowledge to very young learners (pupils), consequently, the educational system of Cameroon has adopted many strategies in order to mitigate the challenges.

Background of the study

Historically, according to Raiser (2001), in 1900¶s 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 1930¶s 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 1940¶s, 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 WarII 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 1950¶s 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 mediocracy 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.

Conceptually, 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 (Tchombe, 2004). This underscores the need to make teaching and learning very interesting, stimulating and meaningful to the child.

According to Tchombe (2009), teaching methods and techniques used determine how pupils learn. In other words, to ensure understanding, teaching methods and strategies must be based on learning theories including other factors having psychological implications. The theories of learning that encourage more rote learning than have short term effects. In a teaching context, the focus is not to provide specific stimulus response connection.

The essence is to give pupils the necessary elements for continued learning even after school. Pupils are not merely to parrot answers to questions. They should be able to act on problems and solve these problems by making use of what they have learned. The behaviourist theories as observed emphasise direct teaching, while the cognitive stress on indirect methods that would provide pupils with occasions to manipulate learning.

But strategies of learning of learning vary greatly in their efficiency, although this depends on what the child is trying to learn. If for example, pupils are to be taught a theory, the teacher explains the theory, demonstrates, gives examples and illustrates. In this approach, the emphasis is on the pupil¶s understanding. Learning could take place with a greater understanding on the part of the learner.

Teachers could considerably ease learner¶s understanding through teaching with the use of instructional materials. Instructional materials bring life to learning by stimulating students to learn. The use of instructional materials in the classroom has the potential to help the teacher explain new concepts clearly, resulting in better student understanding for the concepts being taught.

However, they are not ends in themselves but they are means to an end (Kadzera, 2006).It is held that good teaching resources can never replace the teacher but the teacher uses them to achieve their teaching and learning objectives. Some of the instructional materials necessary for effective teaching and learning of social studies include the chalk board, models, graphs, charts, maps, pictures, diagrams, cartoons, slides, filmstrips, radio and television (Kochhar, 1991).

This has been emphasized by a number of scholars. Lockheed (1991) says that instructional materials are critical ingredients in learning and that the curriculum could not be easily implemented without them. Kochhar (1991) adds that a teacher who has adequate and relevant teaching facilities is more confident, effective and productive. Similar sentiments are share by Steel (1983) who asserts that relevant instructional materials enable the learners to have a clear understanding.

Agugbem (2008) views instructional materials as the equipment’s, devices, objects, and information materials which the teacher uses to facilitate the learning process. The learning process is an expensive article on the part of the pupils but makes 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 making 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 individual¶s 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. Instructional materials are essential since they help the teacher and learners avoid overemphasis on recitation and rote learning that can easily dominate a lesson. Resource materials allow learners to have practical experience which help them to develop skills and concepts and to work in a variety of ways. The work of Sampath (1990) graphically explains that people learn more through the senses of sight and hearing compared to other senses.

Montessori (1870-1952), purports that sensory deprivation is known to cause mental retardation. In extreme cases where psychotic parents kept children in closets all of their lives, by the time the authorities discovered the children, they had become idiots.

It is through the sensory functions that the child lays the foundation of his intelligence by continually observing, comparing and judging. In this way, he grows his intelligence as he gradually becomes acquainted with his environment. An environment that richly provides sensorial experience that is aimed at sensory education accelerates the formation of intelligence.

Moreover, In the Cameroonian context, various primary schools make use of the instructional materials at their disposal. That is each school head tries to provide instructional materials within the financial means of his or her institution. Thus, some schools will have more instructional materials than others, depending on the financial strength of each institution. Also, the utilization of these instructional materials depends on the disposition and skills of the teachers to use these instructional materials.

Statement of the Problem

In recent years, emphasis in education in Cameroon particularly in the basic education sector has been on the institutionalisation, that is, the application and practice of the competency based approach from the objective based approach of teaching. The competency based approach lays emphasis on the acquisition of competencies and skills by learners and how they apply these skills to bring up new and concrete developments (Bralavsky, 2003).

Teachers who are being given the responsibility to transform or concretise knowledge to skills have the arduous tasks of easing their jobs with instructional materials. In History, knowledge gained and explained is through inquiry with an element of judgement (Taylor, 2012).

Since History deals with facts pertaining to past events, maximum clarification of these factsin order to ease students¶ understanding with the use of instructional materials like charts, pictures, maps, videos and audio tapes could be quite pertinent. This therefore means that teaching history in primary school requires that the teachers should have a high sense of the choice and use of instructional materials in order to ease the teaching process and facilitate learning.

In Cameroon, the schemes of work for primary schools are designed in such a way that teaching should be done with the use of instructional materials. But this is not the case in all Schools, as some schools are not adequately equipped with instructional materials, and in some cases, some Schools can afford for instructional materials only for subjects with high coefficients like Mathematics and English, and consequently allowing subjects like History to the mercy of the chalk board as lone instructional material.

Moreover, there could be some cases where schools have instructional materials, but some teachers are not conversant with the use of some of these materials. In such cases there will either be poor of usage or non-usage at all of the instructional materials.

Furthermore, each instructional material affects the teaching-learning process differently in different contexts, and in different learning environments. Thus, in the case of History the use of the various instructional materials affects¶ students¶ academic performance in different ways. But which instructional materials should be laid more emphasis on in the teaching and learning of History in primary schools?

It is against this backdrop that the researcher set out to determine the effect of instructional materials on Pupils¶ academic performance in History in Primary schools of Bamenda II Subdivision.

General Objectives

The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of instructional materials on the academic performance of primary school pupils¶ in History in Bamenda II sub-division.

Specific objectives

Specifically, this research intended:

1. To investigate the extent to which the use of audio visuals affects academic performance of primary school pupils in History.
2. To assess the extent to which the use of the print media affects academic performance of primary school pupils in History.
3. To find out the extent to which visual display devices affect academic performance of primary school pupil in History.
4. To determine the extent to which the use of audio media devices affect academic performance of primary school pupils in History.

Research questions

This study was constructed around the following questions:

General research questions

To what extent do instructional materials affect the academic performance of primary school pupils in History?

Specific research questions

1. To what extent does the use of audio visuals affect academic performance of primary school pupils in History?
2. How does the use of print media affect academic performance of primary school pupils in History?
3. To what extent does the use of visual display devices affect academic performance of primary school pupils in History?
4. How does the use of audio media devices in teaching affect academic performance of primary school pupils in History?