Instructional Materials Utilization and Adult Learners’ Academic Performance
ABSTRACT
The study investigated Instructional Materials Utilization and Adult Learners’ Academic Performance in Eket Local Government Area. The population for the study was 400. A sample size of 100 Adult Education Learners was chosen for the study through a sampling procedure. Two research hypotheses and questions were formulated to guide the study. The instrument for data collection was computer Achievement test (CAT). An independent t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. This technique was adequate in examining the performance of two groups of learners. The result of the study showed that instructional materials utilization enhances learners’ academic performance. It was therefore recommended among others that facilitators or teachers should be resourceful in the selections and utilization of instructional materials that are useful in the concepts that they teach in each lesson. It was therefore concluded that learners taught with instructional materials perform better than those taught without instructional materials
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
The influence of instructional materials in promoting adult learners’ academic performance, teaching and learning in educational development is certain. The teaching of adults in Nigerian adult education programme needs to be properly handled. The materials used by facilitators to facilitate and drive home their points at the adult education programme of our education system is incontrovertibly of paramount importance in practical classroom interaction and successful transfer of knowledge from the facilitators to the learners.
Instructional materials are materials which assist teachers to make their lessons explicit to learners. They are also used to transmit information, ideas and notes to learners according to (Yaduala 2001), instructional materials include both visuals and audio-visuals such as pictures, flashcards, posters, charts, tape recorders, radio, video, television, computers, among others. These materials serve as supplement to the normal processes of instruction. (Awotua-Efebo, 2001) posit that the success in the skill and knowledge acquisition in an instructional situation depends on the suitability of the instructional materials, adequacy and effective utilization of the available materials. (Olaitan and Agusiobo, (2002) also opine that the relevance of instructional materials to the objectives of the lesson and the ease of use of the instructional materials utilization to better the learners performance.
Instructional Materials Utilization and Adult Learners’ Academic Performance
The performance of the learners in adult education programmes is not encouraged according to (Ikot, 2008) He observed that the poor performance of learners in adult education result may not be unconnected with non-utilization of suitable instructional materials. Many facilitators go to classroom to teach adult learners as liberal arts without any materials to assist them or the learners. Learning is facilitated when the learners make use of at least three of the sense organs namely; seeing, hearing and touching.
Literature in methodology of teaching or pedagogy and instructional communication have explained and illustrated the effectiveness of instructional materials as a tool for improving learners performance in the learning of difficult concepts according to (Ibe-Bassey 2001), in spite of the roles of instructional materials in facilitating learning, learners have failed to acquire the needed knowledge and skills in adult education programmes.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
There have been several studies on instructional materials and academic performance, for instance Momoh (2010), conducted a research on the effects of instructional materials on students’ performance in West Africa School certificate Examination (WASCE) in kwara state. He correlated instructional materials with academic performance of students in ten subjects. Data were collected from the subject teachers in relation to the resource employed in the teaching. The performances of students in WASCE for the past five years were related to the resources available for teaching each of the subjects.
He concluded that instructional materials have a significant effect on learners’ performance in each of the subjects. In the same manner, Moronfola (2001) carried out a research in Ilorin local government area of Kwara State. She used questionnaires to collect data on instructional material available for the teaching of some selected subjects and to the amount of resources available for the teaching of the subjects. Findings showed a significant effect of instructional materials on the students’ academic performance in these subjects.
In the same vein Popoola (2001) investigated the effect of instructional materials on the academic performances of students in Ogun state; five secondary schools in Abeokuta were used for the study. Questionnaires were designed to elicit response on instructional materials that were available for the teaching and of each of the three school subjects he examined.
He collected WASEC examination results for five years and compared performance of students in schools with adequate materials resources and performances of student in schools with inadequate materials resources. Little or no research has been conducted on instructional materials utilization and adult learners’ academic performance in recent time in the area. This therefore opens a gap for investigation which prompted the researcher to investigate instructional materials utilization and adult learners’ academic performance in Eket Local Government Area.
Instructional Materials Utilization and Adult Learners’ Academic Performance
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to investigate instructional materials utilization and adult learners’ academic performance in Eket local government area. Specifically the study intend to;
- Determine the difference in academic performance of adult learners taught with instructional chart and those taught without instructional chat
- To determine the difference in the performance of adult learners taught with instructional pictures and those taught without instructional pictures
1.4 Research Question
The following research questions were raised in line with the specific objectives of the study. They are.
- What is the mean achievement score of adult learners taught with instructional chat and those taught without instructional chat?
- What is the mean achievement score of adult learners taught with instructional pictures and those taught without instructional pictures?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were postulated to guide the study, namely:
- There is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of adult learners taught with instructional chart and those taught without it
- There is no significant difference in the mean achievement score of adult learners taught with instructional pictures and those taught without it.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study will contribute enormously in the following specific ways;
- It will reveal if the utilization of instructional materials in teaching and learning process will improve students’ academic performance
- It will educate and enlighten instructor on the relevance of instructional materials in the teaching – learning process.
- It will contribute to the body of existing knowledge on instructional materials in relation to the academic performance of students.
- Finally this study will serve as a springboard, a data bank and a reference material to researchers, educationists, instructors and the students in conducting further research on instructional material.