Influence of Instructional Materials on Facilitating Adult Literacy in Aniocha North LGA, Delta State

Influence of Instructional Materials on Facilitating Adult Literacy in Aniocha North LGA, Delta State

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of instructional materials on facilitating adult literacy in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. Four research questions guided the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. Population of the study consisted of 79 adult learners and 12 facilitators teaching in Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State which is the only functional adult literary centre as at the time of this study. The sample of the study comprised 79 adult learners and 12 facilitators that made up the population of the study. Due to the manageable nature of the population the researcher used the entire population as sample. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Influence of Instructional Materials on Facilitating Adult Literacy in Aniocha North Local Government Area.”  The draft copy of the questionnaire was validated by a lecturer from Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba. The validator inspectd the questionnaires to ensure that the items were in line with the research questions. The researcher administered 79 copies of the questionnaire to adult learners and 12 copies to facilitators in Anioch North, Delta State by hand and 87 copies were retrieved and analyzed. Data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation statistics. Findings of the study revealed among others that instructional materials play crucial role in facilitating adult learning and the use of various instructional materials for delivery lessons promotes effective learning leading to higher achievement. It was recommended among others that facilitators should use of instructional materials in teaching adult learners which is compulsory for improved learners’ motivation and engagement.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Individuals and the society have deemed education as the key to success in life. In all human societies, past and present, education has been instrumental to impacting positively to the survival of individuals and the society. The capacity of development in any country can be measured through a properly planned and well directed education. Thus, Education is a behavioral characteristic. It impacts skills, attitudes, belief, ability to reason, knowledge and any other form which enable one to adjust and interact effectively with other individuals. Through the acquisition of skills, it enable an individual and the group to proceed into the actualization of the individuals destiny. Indeed, Instructional materials provides concepts and attitudes to the student which improved his skills, ability to reason and makes him/her informed about what is going on in the global village.

Education has helped to bring the entire world into an entity through the information and knowledge education has helped us to achieve. Education has helped to reduce the problem of language barrier. Through instructions and teaching by your teacher, Individual has acquired different languages outside the traditional language. This has led the individual to associate properly with people from different countries. It has helped one to adjust from his traditional behaviour to a more modest behaviour that makes the individual to be accommodated any part of the world he visits. Education has been a means to an end. That a country is developed is as a result of instructional aid created by education. It serves as a catalyst to governmental principles, policies and laws. With the acquisition of knowledge, and the society structured their means of livelihood. Instructional material is an aid to teaching and learning. It helps to raise learning from verbalization to practical aspect of teaching and learning. Instructional materials makes teaching and learning interesting, easy and amusing. It makes learning more effective (Johnson, 2020).

Instructional materials have been observed as a powerful strategy to bring about effective teaching and learning. The importance of quality and adequate instructional materials in teaching and learning can occur through their effective utilization during classroom teaching. Instructional materials here include all the tools that the teachers can use to make the learning more interesting and memorable.  According to Farombi, (2019), instructional materials include books, audio-visual, software and hardware of educational technology.  He further opines that the availability, adequacy and relevance of instructional materials in classrooms can influence quality teaching, which can have positive effect on students’ learning and academic performance. The insight from Farombi on linking instructional resources to students’ academic performance serve critical in the provision of quality education. According to Oni (2018), instructional resources are teachers’ strategic factor in organizing and providing education. This is so because they help to elaborate a concept that the teacher could not, without an instructional material. This allows students to learn more comfortably therefore influencing positively their academic performance. Instructional materials are sometimes lacking, not available or not suitable. This is because they are very expensive and some are sophisticated to come by in our local environment. However, the student teachers should endeavour to improvise most of the materials with available materials in and around the school and in the domestic environment. Improvisation of instructional materials and equipment becomes necessary when their originals are not readily available. For this reason, students teachers should make use of raw materials in the environment, waste and realizable material, and students’ collection, and assistance from the local repairers like carpenter, painter, blacksmith, etc in facilitating improvisation of instructional materials to aid meaningful teaching and learning.

Learning is facilitated and consolidated effectively when instructional materials are selected, properly organized, relevant and adequately structured into the lesson activities. When students have access to instructional materials, learning retention has more permanent impression created in their minds than when verbal instructions are given out like the lecture methods often used by teachers in Nigerian institutions (Agogo, 2020). The task of the student teacher therefore is to realize that verbal language is no longer enough, he must master the use of concrete materials to present concepts, principles, laws and theories to the students.

Writing on the role of instructional materials in teaching and learning, Balogun (2020) commented that science education programmes cannot be taught effectively without the existence of equipment for teaching. This is because instructional materials help those who learn to develop problem-solving skills and scientific attitudes. Elaborating further on the same point, Ajayi and Ogunyemi (2021) emphasize that when instructional 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. instructional materials are essential tools in learning every subject in the school curriculum. They allow the students to interact with words, symbols and ideas in ways that develop their abilities in reading, listening, solving, viewing, thinking, speaking, writing, using media and technology. According to Faize and Dahan (2011) instructional materials are print and non-print items that are designed to impact information to students in the educational process. Instructional materials include items such as prints, textbooks, magazines, newspapers, slides, pictures, workbooks, electronic media, among others. Instructional materials play a very important role in the teaching-learning process the availabilities of textbook, appropriate chalkboard, Mathematics kits, Science kit, teaching guide, science guide, audio-visual aids, overhead projector, among others are the important instructional materials (Yusuf, 2018), However many facilities are missing in approximately almost all secondary schools in the state. According to Raw (2017) the first instructional material is the textbook. Various definitions to textbook emphasize the role of textbook as tool for learning. Textbook is the nucleus to all the learning activities related to a particular curriculum. Textbook plays a vital role in imparting knowledge to the students in the third world countries.

Yusuf (2018) further said that, the next instructional materials are the chalkboards. The chalkboard is the teaching aid that teachers frequently used; particularly during the lectures and discussions. There are different kinds such as, blackboard, maker board, write board, felt board and magic board. The teachers use it in classrooms to write the important words, statement, to draw diagrams, figures and maps. Other prominent instructional material include; mathematics kits. This is usually study kit; it is a box containing a variety of visual aids artistically assembles and displayed pertaining to a single topic (Nichollos, 2020). There are also science kits. Science kit is a study kit for science subjects such as; physics, chemistry, and biology. It includes all the necessary aids useful for the teaching of science subjects like charts, maps, and apparatus, among others. According to Raw (2017), teaching guide as an aid or material is a booklet provided to teachers. It provides guidance to teachers about the matters regarding teaching learning process completely. Raw (2017) also said that Audio-visual aids are the teaching aids use for the teaching learning process. It assists in the teaching-learning processes. The use of audio visual aids. It can be used to encourage teaching and learning activities. It can also help to reduce the rate of forgetting example of this, include maps, graph, diagrams among others.

In another development, the use of instructional materials makes dierent continents to shape their rules and regulations, to accommodate the other. This they do by providing them with the socio-cultural and political differences and how to adjust the traditional socio-cultural and political ways and accommodate another. An instructional material makes adult learners understand more easily when the teacher makes use of working model. It makes the teachers task easier and more effective. Olardi (2019) has highlighted the impact of instructional materials that teachers use to improve the adult learners from understanding and perception of the subject as an enhanced aids. It brings clarity and creates recognition that allow them to have a realistic hand and a total knowledge of the subject. It enhanced learning, improve the competence of learners and makes learning more meaningful to adult learners. Teaching and learning through the use of instructional materials facilitates, stimulates and aids adult learners to take active interest in any topic introduced by the teaching. In structural materials has emotional impact on the adult learners of and affects their attitude towards what is presented as the topic to study by the teacher. It provides both the teacher and adult learners with relevance and meaningful source of information. Kay (2018), Instructional materials stimulate the adult learners desire to learn. It assist learning process by making assimilation and memorization of materials easy. Also, it helps to hold attention, include greater acquisition and, as well as objectives which may be in accessible to many adult learners.

Finally, an instructional material makes learning available to a wider audience, control the pace of learning, promote better understanding and help to overcome physical difficulties in presenting the subject content.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The use of instructional materials has lots of general benefits that guides a greater impact in teaching and learning process. The teachers level of resourcefulness, creativity, and imagination is credited to the achievement of quality education. These are expressed in how well the teacher is able to perceive, create and use the relevant information that can enhance and promote effective teaching and learning activities. There is a fair use of instructional materials which makes teaching and learning activities mere theoretical, abstract and ineffective. The issue of whether instructional materials provide the necessary knowledge is widely recognized in the central role the assimilation and retention of information it makes available to a wider audience. Instructional materials is a major determining variables that control the pace of learning. It has to do with the creation of an environment in which adult learners can develop their full potentials and lead productive lives in accordance with the demands of their interest and needs either as individuals or as group within the society. The Nigerian government, at all levels has over the years placed enormous emphasis on instructional materials in shaping efforts and strategies aimed at improving adult learner’s standard of learning in the country but both theoretical and empirical literature failed to captive the real factors as to why the standard of education in the country still remain very low. Okereke (2019) observes that many schools in the state cannot boast of instructional materials. He contends that every government should contend with the issue of making education her priority to help improve our standard of learning by providing the required instructional materials to schools. Obasi (2019) holds the view that government should provide funds to those who monitor the needed by their adult learners at all time.

The role of instructional materials in enhancing students’ academic making teaching and learning process more concrete and real cannot be overemphasized. This is because instructional materials have been found to be viable tools in the hands of facilitators for enhancing students’ academic performance. It helps to arrest and sustain learner’s attention all through the lesson thereby bringing about positive change in behaviour.

Adult learning, just like any other level of learning also requires certain kinds of instructional materials to make it lively and enjoyable. But there has been mixed reaction among stakeholders as regards the power academic outcome of adult learning centers in Anoich North (Obi, 2019). Many have attributed to facilitators’ methods of teaching, some have attributed it to students interest while others are of the opinion that it could be as a result of non-utilization of instructional materials. It is against this backdrop that this study is carried out to ascertain influence of instructional materials on facilitating adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA, Delta State.

2.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to ascertain influence of instructional materials on facilitating adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA, Delta State. Specifically, the study sought to ascertain:

1. The impact of instructional materials on the motivation and engagement of adult learners in Aniocha North LGA.
2. The types of instructional materials currently available and used in adult literacy programs in Aniocha North LGA.
3. The Specific instructional materials that have shown to be more effective in facilitating adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA?
4. The challenges or barriers to the access and use of instructional materials for adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA.

2.4 Research Questions

The following research questions guided the conduct of the study.

1. How does instructional materials impact the motivation and engagement of adult learners in Aniocha North LGA?
2. What are the types of instructional materials are currently available and used in adult literacy programs in Aniocha North LGA?
3. Are there specific instructional materials that have shown to be more effective in facilitating adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA?
4. What are the challenges or barriers to the access and use of instructional materials for adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA?

2.5 Significance of the Study

The study could be of immense benefit to adult learners, facilitators, government, society, curriculum planners and researchers.

The study could be of immense benefit to the adult learners because the effective use of instructional materials would enable them to effectively learn and retain what they have learnt and thereby advancing their performance academically.

The study could also be of immense benefit to the facilitators because it will help them understand how important instructional materials are required in the classroom by making teaching and learning process easier.

The study could also be significant to the educational system and society at large. This is because when facilitators solidify their teaching with instructional materials and the students learn effectively, the knowledge acquired will reflect in the society positively.

Finally, the study could be of immense benefit to the curriculum planner because it will help them understand the influence of instruction materials on academic performance of adult learners and with that there will see how they can provide those instructional materials needed while planning for the curriculum of adult learner.

2.6 Scope/Delimitation of the Study

This study focused on influence of instructional materials on facilitating adult literacy in Aniocha North LGA, Delta State. The variables of interest are print, audio, visual, audio-visual and electronic interactive instructional materials.

1.7 Area of the Study

The study was carried out in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. Aniocha North is one of the 25 Local Government Areas of Delta State, Nigeria, with its headquarters in Issele Ukwu. It comprises the Igbo subgroup of Anioma and towns. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp for Delta state is located at Issele Ukwu town. It has a land area of 406.00 km² and a population of 104,711 according to the 2006 census 1. The choice of the area was necessitated due to the thick population of illiterate adults.

2.8 Definition of Terms

Influence: Influence refers to the capacity or power to have an effect on someone or something, often shaping their thoughts, behavior, or actions. It involves the ability to persuade, sway, or impact the decisions and attitudes of others. Influence can be exerted through various means, including communication, persuasion, leadership, authority, expertise, and social interactions.

Instructional materials: Instructional materials are resources designed to facilitate teaching and learning processes. They can take various forms and serve different purposes, catering to diverse learning styles and objectives.

Adult Literacy: Adult literacy refers to the ability of adults to read, write, and use basic numeracy skills. It encompasses a range of abilities, from basic literacy skills to more advanced levels of proficiency that allow individuals to engage effectively in various aspects of life, such as work, community participation, and personal development.

Pages:  111

Category: PGDE

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.