THE ROLE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON LEARNING AND TEACHING CRS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1.1 Introduction

Instructional materials serve as a channel between the teacher and the students in delivering instructions. They may also serve as the motivation on the teaching-learning process. It is use to get the attention of the students and eliminate boredom. Instructional materials are highly important for teaching; especially for inexperienced teachers. Teachers rely on instructional materials in every aspect of teaching. They need material for background information on the subject they are teaching. Young teachers usually have not built upon their expertise whenever they enter into the field. Teachers often use instructional materials for lesson planning. These materials are also needed by the teachers to assess the knowledge of their students. Teachers often assess students by assigning tasks, creating projects, and administering exams. Instructional materials are essential for all of these activities.

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Christian Religious Studies (CRS) as known at secondary school level is a subject that has always played an important role in human history. It is one of those subjects that provide opportunities for the full development of the child's cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. It is a process by which children understand the religious traditions of life and thought. It also helps one to be sensitive to the ultimate question posed by life and to the dimensions of mysteries and wonders that underline human experiences. Christian Religious Studies serves as a foundation of moral and spiritual guidance for the pupils/students. It gives a sense of direction and ability to differentiate between what is right and wrong (NERDC, 2007).

Effectiveness of Christian Religious Studies (CRS) teaching becomes very important when one considers the indispensable position of the discipline in human socio-cultural, economic, spiritual and moral development. This feat is acknowledged by Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) which placed Religious Studies as one of the core subjects in Group A at the Senior Secondary level. This is probably because Religion goes a long way to determining individual behaviour and aspiration, which in turn determines not only developmental strides of the society but also its internal harmony.

Christian perspective to Religious Studies does not deviate from the general functional roles of religion in the society, such as its efficacy in transcending personal and divisive forces in human society. Through shared symbols, values, norms and doctrines, religion, including Christian religion, provides a forum for people to unite to form integrated groups based on seemingly unfathomable mysteries of human existence.

Specifically, CRS teaching is believed to be capable of instilling in the Nigerian youth the required and desired knowledge, values, behaviours, attitudes and skills that would ensure their effective adaptation in an ever-changing multi-faith and multiethnic society, Nigeria, (Eluu, 2011). Obilom in Eluu (2011) equally holds that CRS curriculum is designed to teach not only the content of the holy book but also the moral lessons desirable there from.

Religion and moral education have been widely accepted as determinants of national development in modern society, hence, the inclusion of the subject in the school curriculum. Also, Christian Religious Studies has its foundation in the National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004). It is advocated in some sections of the policy for all levels of learning. The policy emphasized that religious instruction and moral education shall be taught and learnt in schools. The national curriculum for religious education evolved over time as a reflection of the needs, perceptions and historical development for the societies concerned. The methods of teaching Christian Religious Studies in the Senior Secondary School comes under focus when its effect on the moral and spiritual dimensions. Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Role of Instructional Materials on Learning and Teaching CRS in Senior Secondary Schools.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation showed that religion generally, plays an important function in the lives of people in the society, especially in the lives of pupils/students at the lower-post-primary institutions in Nigeria. However, the problems inherent in the wrong application of teaching methods, improper exploration of subject-content, and unclear delineation of the objectives, non-application of correct teaching materials, teachers' poor attitudes, teachers' poor quality in terms of lack of qualification which leads to non-mastery of content and non-mastery of methodology, poor personality and so on, in teaching and learning of the subject, have been of immense concern to the stake-holders in the subject. No wonder, the Christian Religious Studies, education and instruction, have failed to play the major role of serving as fountain of moral and spiritual guidance for the pupils/students in the primary and the lower post-primary schools in Nigeria.

This can be seen in the general decadence of our youths, and even the adult members of the society who are in one religion or the other but have failed to be good role models to the youths, despite religion being taught and studied both in the school and outside of it. The above identified problems, gave rise to the evaluation of the implementation CRS curriculum content, objectives, methods of teaching, teachers' qualification, teaching materials applied in presentation of the subject in the classroom and so on.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Role of Instructional Materials on Learning and Teaching CRS in Senior Secondary Schools. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to:

1. Examine the implementation of the content of CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.
2. Evaluate the implementation of the objectives of CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.
3. Investigate the implementation of the methods of teaching CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.
4. Evaluate the implementation of the materials applied in the teaching of CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.
5. Find out the qualification of teachers in CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Mainland Education District IV, Lagos State.

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:

• Can the teaching materials applied in teaching CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State be assessed?
• Are the CRS teachers at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State qualified to teach the subject?
• To what extent can the implementation of the content of CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State be examined?
• How can the implementation of the objectives of CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State be investigated?
• To what extent can the implementation of the methods of teaching CRS at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State be evaluated?

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.

• H₀1: The implementation of the objectives of CRS will not significantly affect the moral values of students at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.
• H₀2: There is no significance difference in the mean scores of male and female teachers in the use of instructional materials in teaching and learning of Christian religious studies at the Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.
• H₀3: There will be no significant relationship between application of teaching materials and students' learning outcomes in CRS at Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State.

1.7 Significance of Study

The findings and recommendations of this evaluative study, will be beneficial to the followings:

1. Teachers: Will benefit from this study, because, its findings/recommendations would go a long way in giving them crucial insights to the importance of implementation of the content, objectives, teaching materials, teaching methods, teachers' possession of good personality, teachers' possession of good attitudes and possession of requisite qualification(s) for teaching CRS at the secondary school level.
2. Students: Students would no doubt, be able to benefit from the study, because, it will help them to be in-the-know, concerning the importance implementation of good content, clarity in objectives, effective application of correct teaching methods and teaching materials in teaching CRS. Not only that, students in Senior Secondary Schools would appreciate the benefits of teachers good personality, high qualities, positive attitudes etc in the teaching/learning of CRS as a school subject.
3. School Authority / Ministry of Education / NERDC: The above agencies/educational bodies, would gain much beneficial insights from the findings/recommendations adduced in this study. For instance, the above mentioned education/research bodies would gather veritable information regarding the variables that are crucial to designing a holistic and all-encompassing CRS curriculum for Senior Secondary Schools, knowing its importance in the life of the Nigerian child and the society.
4. Society / Researchers / Scholars: This study will be of immense benefit to the above mentioned individuals in the academia and the society. While members of the society would appreciate the importance of good and effective implementation of curriculum in CRS, scholars and researchers in the subject would make objective reference to this study in their future studies.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of this research is focused on the Role of Instructional Materials on Learning and Teaching CRS in Senior Secondary Schools. The study will cover some selected Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State, Nigeria.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

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. 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).

Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Definition of Terms

Relevance:

This is the degree to which something is related or useful to what is happening or being talked about

Instructional materials:

Instructional Materials, also known as Teaching/Learning Materials (TLM), are any collection of materials including animate and inanimate objects and human and non-human resources that a teacher may use in teaching and learning situations to help achieve desired learning objectives

Teaching:

Teaching is an instruction or delivering a particular skill or subject or something that someone tells you to do. For Teaching in this case may refer to showing or explaining to a student how to do something.

Learning:

Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. … Some learning is immediate, induced by a single event (e.g. being burned by a hot stove), but much skill and knowledge accumulate from repeated experiences.

CRS:

This is an acronym for Christian Religious studies, also known as the study of religion, is an academic field devoted to research into religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions.

Secondary School:

A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. … Secondary schools follow on from primary schools and prepare for vocational or tertiary education. Attendance is usually compulsory for students until age 16.

Students:

A student is a person who goes to school and is learning something. Students can be children, teenagers, or adults who are going to school, but it may also be other people who are learning, such as in college or university. A younger student is often called a pupil.