CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Historically, the use of teaching and learning materials has been observed as a powerful strategy to bring about effective teaching and learning. The importance of quality and adequate teaching materials in teaching and learning can occur through their effective utilization during classroom teaching.

Teaching materials here include all the tools that the teachers can use to make the learning more interesting and memorable. Per Farombi views (1998), teaching materials include books, audio-visual, national park, museums, software and hardware of educational technology. He further opines that the availability, adequacy and relevance of teaching materials in classrooms can influence quality teaching, which can have positive effect on students’ learning and academic performance.

The insight from Farombi on linking of teaching resources to students’ academic performance serve critical in the provision of quality education. The title of this thesis, teaching materials on history students’ Academic Performance in secondary schools in the Buea municipality originates from such ideas. In my views, start from the access to quality and adequate teaching materials, and these should be prepared well before the class interaction.

Writing on the influence of instructional materials in teaching and learning, Balogun (1982) commented that science education programs cannot be taught effectively without the existence of equipment for teaching. This is because teaching materials help those who learn to develop problem-solving skills and scientific attitudes. Elaborating further on the same point, Ajayi and Ogunyemi (1990) emphasize that when teaching materials are provided to meet relative needs of teaching process, students will have access to the reference materials mentioned by the teacher, and also each student will be able to learn at his or her own pace. The overall result is that students will perform much better.

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.

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.

The curriculum in these schools focused on subjects like English, Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Post-colonial education in Cameroon came as the indigenes in Cameroon needed to gain independence. The education in Cameroon now is been divided into Basic, Secondary, and Tertiary levels. The basic level is made of a course that cover a time period of 6 years, the secondary level covering a time period of 7 years and the tertiary level which is the university level covers a curriculum of 3 years.

On the other hand, selection and enrollment into secondary schools is attained when the students in the basic level pass their First School Leaving Certificate. The selection is done into the tertiary level after students’ attainment of appropriate credits in the final secondary examination (Advanced Level General Certificate of Education). In all cycles the emphasis has been on development in terms of access and improved quality of teaching and learning.

Teaching materials are considered important in teaching and learning in all levels of education because textbooks and other resource materials are basic tools. Absence or inadequacy makes teachers handle subjects in an abstract manner, portraying it as dry and non-exciting (Eshiwani, 1984). For example, textbooks, charts, maps, audio visual and electronic teaching materials such as radio, tape recorder, television and video tape recorder contribute much in making learning more interesting (Atkinson, 2000). The importance of teaching materials is also evident in the performance of students (Adeogun, 2001).

Contextually, from these facts on the ground, efforts to improve the quality of provision of education in community secondary schools in the Buea municipality have appeared to slow down, as some of these challenges were not prioritized. If the country aims at producing a competitive economy to meet global market demand, availability of quality and adequate teaching facilities in Buea secondary schools should be given a high priority. In this study strategy for making quality teaching materials available are suggested as an attempt to increase performance in secondary schools in Buea municipality. Inadequacy of quality teaching materials is not confined to the Buea municipality, as this is a worldwide phenomenon. Even in developed countries for example, United States of America especially in schools whose majority of population are the poor and minority students are less funded and lack essential quality teaching materials. In addition, policies associated with school funding, resource allocations, and tracking leave minority geography students with fewer and lower-quality books, curriculum materials, laboratories, and computers.

In most African countries, there is an endemic lack of adequate teaching materials most especially in rural areas. A research done by Gogo (2002) on the input of cost sharing on access, equity and quality of secondary education in Rachuonyo district in Kenya indicated that the quality of education had not changed much for a number of years due to inadequate teaching and learning materials and equipment. Further studies done in other parts of Africa reveal the same problem.

Statement of the Problem

For quite some times now, the teaching of history 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 history lesson does not necessarily need to be accompanied by the uses of instructional materials. There has been general outcry of poor performance of learners in history in secondary school in Buea municipality.

This poor performance stems from the mare fact that there are inadequate instructional materials or resources that will facilitate the teaching of the basic concept.  Learning therefore appear very abstract and difficult for the learners as they used their sense only. It has been observed that teachers find a very herculean task to accompany their lesson with relevant instructional materials such as textbooks, photographs, television and real objects aids.

This is perhaps due to lack of textbooks or resourcefulness or lack of innovativeness or gross incompetents of the teachers. Whichever is the case, this lack of instructional materials constitutes a great deal of problem for effective teaching and learning of the subject. It is on this premises that the researcher is prompt to investigate more ion the impact of instructional material on secondary school students academic performance in the Buea Municipality.

Objectives of the Study

 General Objective

The general objective of this study was to examine the extent to which the use of instructional materials affects secondary school’s students’ academic performance in the Buea municipality.

Specific Objectives

1. To find out the influence of textbooks on secondary school students academic performance in the Buea municipality.
2. To examine the influence of photographs on secondary school students academic performance in the Buea municipality.
3. To assess the influence of television on secondary school students academic performance in the Buea municipality.
4. To find out the influence of real objects on secondary school students academic performance in the Buea municipality.

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