Relevance Of Instructional Material On Academic Performance Of Students In Economics In Senior Secondary Schools In Oshimili South Local Government Area Of Delta State

ABSTRACT

The study was to examine the relevance of instructional material on academic performance of students in economics in senior secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. To achieve the purpose, the study was divided into five chapters. Three research questions were raise and answered in the study, related literature were reviewed in the study. The study used a descriptive survey. The population comprised of all the economics teachers teaching in public senior secondary schools which consist of twenty five (25) economics teacher in Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. There was no sample because the population was a manageable one. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire which was validated by two lecturers from the school of business education and a lecturer in measurement and evaluation. The method of data collection was mean statistics to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that the use of chart influence the performance of economics students, the use of flashcard influences the performance of economics students and the use of computer influences the performance of economics students. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that economics teachers should try as much as possible to use various means of instrument such as chart, flashcard and computer that will help to facilitate learning in the classroom.     

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Over the years, the poor performance of students in public examinations has been blamed on the wrong choice of teaching methods by teachers. Teaching and learning activities have a lot to do with other variables, such as instructional materials, teacher’s qualification, school environment variables, students’ factors and so on. In this study, instructional material is the main focus in order to unveil their effects on the academic performance of students. The importance of Instructional Materials in any teaching/learning Process cannot be over emphasized. This is for the fact that such materials enhance, facilitate and make teaching/learning easy, lively and concrete. Instructional materials are the devices developed or acquired to assist or facilitate teachers in transmitting an organized knowledge, skills and attitudes to the learners within an instructional situation (Nwachukwu, 2016).To be precise, instructional materials are educational resources used for illustrating the content of instruction, thereby making learning more concrete and less abstract. The sequence in which learners encounter materials has direct effect on the achievement of the task. In providing closer experience to real situation, instructional material enhances acquisition and retention of factual information. Instructional materials not only provide the necessary concrete experience but also help students integrate prior experience.

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.

According to Harper (2015), Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Current economic models emerged from the broader field of political economy in the late 19th century. A primary stimulus for the development of modern economics was the desire to use an empirical approach more akin to the physical sciences. According to Clark, (2014) “Economics is the science which studies human behavior as a relationship between given ends and scarce means which have alternative uses.”

Jam (2014) opined that academic performance is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your knowledge verbally or on paper. In other words, academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers.  Academic performance generally refers to how well a student is accomplishing his/her tasks or studies. Therefore, the relevance of instructional materials on student’s academic performance cannot be over emphasized. The material used by most teachers in teaching and learning process helps both the teacher and students for easy understanding in the classroom. Instructional materials are used to assist teachers to make their lessons explicit to learners. They are also used to transmit information ideas and notes to learners (Ijaduola 2015).

Irrespective of the relevance of instructional materials in teaching/learning process and its relevance to student’s academic performance, most Economics teachers hardly make use of instructional materials in teaching within the classroom. These prompt the researcher to investigate on the relevance of instructional material on academic performance of students in Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Statement of Problem

Most Economics teachers are not well grounded in the use and selection of a viable instructional material and as such the teaching and learning of Economics in secondary schools has not been optimal. Despite the efforts being made by Economics teachers to overhaul the performance of students, it appears that much is still left to be done (Ankomah and Kwarteng, 2010). Many teaching methods and approaches have been introduced but could not improve the achievement of students in Economics. Teachers teach the subject matter in abstraction thereby making it comprehensive and arduous task for learners and this has militated against the maximization of academic performance. Also, teachers are not conversant with the current trend in education in relation to the teaching and learning of Economics (Mbadugha, 2014). In developed nations, Economics in colleges is taught using practical processes involving the use of computer and its programmes such as Microsoft Excel. This is not obtainable in Nigeria as teachers only make the students to memorize economics format without really understanding its relevance to real life situation. This study will be designed to examine the relevance of instructional material on the academic performance of students in Economics in senior secondary school.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study was to determine the relevance of instructional material on academic performance of Economics Students in Senior Secondary Schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Specifically, the study sought to:

1. Find out how teachers can use chart to influence the performance of students in teaching and learning of Economics.
2. Find out how teachers can use flashcards to influence the performance of students in teaching and learning of Economics.
3. Find out how teachers can use computer to influence the performance of students in teaching and learning of Economics.

Research Questions

The following research questions guide the conduct of the study.

1. How does the use of chart influence the performance of students in Economics?
2. How does the use of flashcards influence the performance of students in Economics?
3. How does the use of computer influence the performance of students in Economics?

Significance of the Study

The study could be of immense benefit to students, teachers, government, society, curriculum planner and researchers.

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

The study could also be of immense benefit to the teachers 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 teachers 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 relevance of instruction materials on academic performance of students and with that there will see how they can provide those instructional materials need while planning for the curriculum of the students.

Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the relevance of instructional material on academic performance of students in economics in senior secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. This study examines how teachers can use chart to influence the performance of students in teaching, how teachers can use flashcards to influence the performance of students and how teachers can use computer to influence the performance of students in teaching and learning of Economics. Economics teachers only were used as respondents for the study.

Pages:  67

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.