THE EFFECT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF ECONOMICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

1.1 Introduction

Instructional materials are the teaching aids employed by the teacher to improve the effectiveness of instruction. According to Eya and Ureme (2011) instructional materials are teaching materials which a teacher utilized in the course of presenting a lesson in order to make the content of the lesson understandable to the learners. The implication is that the use of instructional materials is inevitable if effective teaching and learning must be achieved. Instructional materials are the backbone of whole range of the classroom communication and expedite teaching and learning through various senses of the teachers and learners (Okeke 2013). Hazel (2014), made it clear to show the value of visual materials. Visual materials includes: charts, chalkboard, textbook, models, pictures and flashcard among others.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

---

1.2 Background of Study

The influence of instructional materials in promoting students’ academic performance and teaching and learning in educational development is indisputable. The teaching of Economics in Nigerian secondary schools needs to be properly handled. The materials used by teachers to teach and drive home their subject points at the primary and secondary school levels of our education system is incontrovertibly a paramount important issue in practical classroom interaction and successful transfer of knowledge from the teacher to the learners.

Instructional materials are further categorized into diagrams, models, charts toys, cartoons, and maps among others. Others include radio, television, chalkboard, and sustention boards (Eze 2012). The author also gave brief history of instructional material in education and the importance such as gaining of information, retention, recall, thinking, reasoning, interest, imagination as well as better assimilation.

Economics as a subject came into existence in 1776 via the publication of Adam Smith - the protagonist of the classical school of thought; and since then, it has assumed many roles especially in both political and educational circles. The study of Economics is dichotomised into two major parts, namely microeconomics and macroeconomics. While microeconomics studies the behaviour and operations of the individual units (households, firms and government agencies) in the economy, macroeconomics studies the entire economy in aggregates and averages (Umoh, 2007). According to Aromolaran (2006), three major languages are used in teaching and communicating Economic ideas. These languages include theory or verbal, geometric or graphical, and algebraic or mathematical language.

Economics is an important subject that must be credited by students before gaining admission into any tertiary institution especially the university to study relevant courses like Accountancy, Business Administration, Insurance, etc. The importance and technicality of this subject makes it necessary that relevant instructional materials should be used to teach it to the learners. This fact is supported by Macaulay (1989) who asserts that visual aids make lesson come alive and help students to learn better.

It is against this background that this study attempts to examine the extent to which the utilization of instructional materials could advance senior secondary school students performance in Economics.

Poor academic achievement in Economics could be attributed to many factors among which teacher’s strategy itself was considered as an important factor. This implies that the mastery of Economics concepts might not be fully achieved without the use of instructional materials. The teaching of Economics without instructional materials may certainly result in poor academic achievement. Franzer , Okebukola and Jegede (1992) stressed that a professionally qualified science teacher no matter how well trained, would unable to put his ideas into practice if the school setting lacks the equipment and materials necessary for him or her to translate his competence into reality.

Bassey (2002) opined 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 Economics in schools adequately. A situation that is further compounded by the galloping inflation in the country and many at times, some of the imported sophisticated materials and equipment are found expensive and irrelevant; hence the need to produce materials locally.

the effect of instructional materials on the learning and teaching of economics in secondary schools (a case study of some selected secondary schools in bauchi metropolis)

Therefore, in Bauchi Metropolis where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the effect of instructional materials on the learning and teaching of economics in secondary schools.

---

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the act of teaching is fundamentally concerned with passing ideas, skills and attitude from the teacher to the learner. In Nigeria, for example experience has shown that spoken words alone in the communication of ideas are grossly ineffective and inefficient in producing desired learning outcomes. Every year, when the results of public examination are released, there has always been mass failure in Economics. The reason for this could be ascribed to the fact that there are topics in Economics that pose serious problem of comprehension to students. These topics cannot be taught effectively without the use of relevant instructional materials to make the learning practical.

In most teaching and learning situations, teacher does not make use of instructional materials. They prefer “chalk and talk” method which rarely appeals to pupils’ sense of vision and learning. However, the use of instructional materials has not received the necessary attention desired in economics education. Where there were instructional materials, pupil learns a lot because they see, touch and feel.

---

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of instructional materials on the learning and teaching of economics in secondary schools using some selected secondary schools in bauchi metropolis as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To ascertain the extent to which Senior Secondary School students learning of Economics can be influenced by the use of instructional materials;
2. To determine whether there will be any difference in the academic performance of secondary schools students in Economics due to the use of instructional materials;
3. To examine the influence of instructional material utilisation on the teaching of Economics in Senior Secondary Schools in bauchi metropolis.

---

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Will the use of instructional materials influence the teaching and application of Economics in senior secondary schools?
• Will there be any difference in the academic performance of senior secondary school students in Economics due to the use of instructional materials?
• To what extent can senior secondary school students’ learning of Economics is influenced by the use of instructional materials?

---

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: The use of instructional materials will not have significant influence on the teaching of Economics in senior secondary schools.
• H1: The use of instructional materials will have a significant influence on the teaching of Economics in senior secondary schools.

Hypothesis Two

• H0: The use of instructional material will not have significant influence on secondary school students’ learning of Economics.
• H1: The use of instructional material will have a significant influence on secondary school students’ learning of Economics.

Hypothesis Three

• H0: There will be no significant difference in the performance of students in Economics due to the use of instructional materials.
• H0: There will be a significant difference in the performance of students in Economics due to the use of instructional materials.

---

1.7 Significance of Study

The use of instructional materials gives the learner opportunity to touch, smell or taste objects in the teaching and learning process. Consequently, knowledge passed unto the students at different levels of educational instructions should be well planned and properly allied with relevant instructional materials for clarity and comprehensibility. Hence the significance of this study to the students, teachers, curriculum planners, educational system and the society at large.

To the students, 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. This is because according to Nwadinigwe (2000), learning is a process through which knowledge, skills, habits, facts, ideas and principles are acquired, retained and utilized; and the only means of achieving this is through the use of instructional materials.

The study would help enhance teachers’ teaching effectiveness and productivity. This is in line with assertion of Ekwueme and Igwe (2001) who noted that it is only the teachers who will guarantee effective and adequate usage of instructional materials and thereby facilitate success. Consequently a teacher who makes use of appropriate instructional materials to supplement his teaching will help enhance students’ innovative and creative thinking as well as help them become plausibly spontaneous and enthusiastic. Oremeji (2002) supportively asserts that any teacher who takes advantage of these resources and learns to use them correctly will find that they make almost an incalculable contribution to instruction. He further says that instructional materials are of high value in importing information, clarifying difficult and abstract concepts, stimulating thought, sharpening observation, creating interest and satisfying individual difference.

The study is also significant to the educational system and society at large. This is because when teachers solidify their teaching with instructional materials and the learners learn effectively, the knowledge acquired will reflect in the society positively. Students will be able to understand the functioning of the economy, interpret government’s economic policies and activity and perform economically better in the choice of life and work.

---

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the effect of instructional materials on the learning and teaching of economics in secondary schools using some selected secondary schools in bauchi metropolis as a case study.

---

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

---

1.10 Definition of Terms

The relevant terms below were operationally defined relative to their usage in this study.

Effect: This is the change (outcome) that is brought about in a person (s) or something by another person (s) or thing; that is the way in which an event, action or person changes someone or something.

Utilization: The act of using something to achieve a purpose

Instructional Material: What the teacher uses to make the lesson more interesting and understandable.

Academic performance: This is regarded as the display of knowledge attained or skills, shown in the school subjects such achievements are indicated by test scores or by marks assigned by teachers. It is the school evaluation of students’ classroom work as quantified on the basis of marks or grades.