INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS UTILIZATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN ETIM EKPO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      Background to the Study

Education according to Archibong (2007) cited in Coombs (1970) consists are classified into inputs and outputs. By his classification inputs consist of human and material resources also known as instructional materials. While outputs are the achievement goals and outcomes of the educational process.

Both the inputs and the outputs form a dynamic organic whole and if one wants to investigate and access the educational system inorder to improve it performance instructional materials utilization must be carefully examined. It is true that education is generally accepted as a great and very important tool for civilization of a nation, which is regarded as the excellent catalyst for national development.

For critical and genuine actualization of the objectives of education in Nigeria especially Etim Local Government Area, as clearly stated in national policy on education NPE (2004) serious effects must be made to ensure that proper instructional material take place and utilized effectively. The mode of instructional materials utilization have been noted by various educationists to have great effects on the academic performance of primary school pupils in English Language in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area (Etim, 2009).

Instructional materials which are educational inputs are of vital importance to the teaching of any subject in the school curriculum Wale (2008) was of the opinion that instructional material utilization makes one to discover facts glued firmly to the memory of pupils. A well planned and immaginative use of instructionla materials in lesson should do much to banish apathy, supplement inadequate of books as well as arouse pupils interest by giving them something practically to see and do.

Selection of instructional materials which are related to the basic concepts of a course or  a lesson helps in-depth understanding of such a lesson by the pupils in that, they make lesson attractive to them, thereby arresting their attention also motivating them to learn. He a suggested a catalogue of materials which could be used to teach English Language. He advocated the use of chart which will help children grounding their thought. By so doing, chart is used alternative as visual material on where it is possible to show pupils the real object. They do serve effectively in teaching and learning. Therefore teacher is seen as the implementing factor for the goal of education to be achieved. In order to obtain a just and egalitarian society as clearly spelt out in National Policy on Education (2004) schools should be properly and uniformly equipped with instructional materials to promote sound and effective teaching.

Scarcity of suitable textbooks, teachers and libraries constraint educational system from responding to new demands and development, quoted from the educational researchers like Oluyori (2007) Balogun (2006) Fayemi (2007) Beye on the findings of the author ementional  above it becomes justifiable to examine the effects of instructional materials utilization on academic performance and achievement of primary school pupils in English Language in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.

1.2      Statement of the Problem

The act of teaching is fundamentally concerned with passing ideas, skills and attitudes from teachers to the learners. In Nigeria spoken langauge in the communication of ideas are grossly ineffective in producing desired learning outcomes, this has been the major concern to the researchers, teachers and parents especially in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.

The failure in primary school pupils especially English Langauge  examination has been of a great concern to the research, teachers, parents and even the pupils in general. This poor learning outcome of pupils in English  Examination is as a result of non-instructional material utilization in teaching and the gender disparity on the utilization of instructionals Wale (2008).

Therefore this study is an attempt to determine the effect of instructional materials utilziation on academic performance of primary school pupils in English Language in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.

1.3      Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of instructional material utilization on academic performance of primary school pupils in English Langauge in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.

Specifically, the study sought to:

(i)                  Determine the effect in the academic performance of pupils taught English language with model and those tuaght with realia.

(ii)                 Determine the effect in the academic performance of pupils taught English Langauge with chart and those taught with picture

(iii)                Determine the effect in the academic performance of pupils taught English langauge using audio-visual and those taught using audio materials

1.4    Significance of the Study

The study was design to determine the effect of instructional material utilization on academic performance in English Language. Consequently, knowledge passed into pupils at different levels of educational should be well planned and properly allied with relevant instructional materials for clarity and comprehensibility.

To the pupils, the effective utilization of instructional material will enable them to thereby learn and retain what they learnt thereby advancing their performance in the subject in question.

To the teachers, it will help the teachers to teach effectively in the class. Finally, the intrcutional material utilization study will enhance and have high values in importing information to the learners and the teachers at large.

1.5    Research Questions

For proper facilitation of this investigation the following research questions were addressed to guide the study

(i)                  To what extent does the utilization of model and realia affect academic performance of pupils in English Language

(ii)                 What is the effect between the academic performance of pupils taught English language with chart and those taught with picture

(iii)                To what extent does the utilization of audio-visula and audio instrutional material performance of pupils in english language.

1.6        Research Hypotheses

i.          There is no significant effect in the academic performance of pupils taught English Language using model and those taught using realia.

ii.          There is no significant effect in the academic performance of pupils taught English Language with chart and those with picture.

iii.         There is no significant effect in the academic performance of pupils taught English Language using audio-visual and those taught using audio.

1.7        Limitation of the Study

Limitation are bound to occur in writing research o9f his kind such as:

i.             Poor Road Network: means of transportation in the area was inadequate to convey the researcher to the school in time. Due to this the researcher always report to school late which result in shortage or limited time and duration for the delivery of work.

ii.            Time: the limited time given to carry out this research work also posed a great constraint as such many schools that were supposed to be included were eliminated.

iii.          Financial Constraint: due to financial constraint, the study was specifically limited to only two schools in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area.

1.8    Delimitation of the Study

The study only concentrated on the instructional material utilization and academic performance of primary school pupils in English Language in Etim Ekpo Local government Area.

For the success of this research, the researcher used verb to carry out the study which 92 primary6 pupils in English Language from two selected public primary schools in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area were used.

1.9    Definition of Terms

Wall-chart: is a poster designed for display on a wall as a teaching material or source of information.

Utilization: This is the act of making use of something

Instructional Materials: These are materials that stimulate teaching and learning in the class situation.

Academic Performance: This is the outcome of education or the extent to which a pupil achieved his goal.