Teaching Resources Utilization And academic Performance Of Pre-Primary School Pupils
Abstract
The research study was carried out to investigate teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. Two research questions and hypotheses were postulated to guide the study. The target population was all the pre-primary school pupils in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Ten (10) Pre-primary Care and Education Centres were randomly selected out of the available primary schools; twenty pupils were selected to give a total of two hundred (200) respondents which formed the sampled population of the study. The instrument that was used in this study was a Basic Science Achievement Test (BAT). Findings revealed that the utilization of audio and audio-visual aids significantly affects the academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in Basic Science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended among others that teachers should use audio and audio-visual teaching resources in the teaching of Basic science as this will help to arouse pre-primary school pupils’ interest in the learning of Basic Science.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Teaching and learning materials are crucial to any successful teaching and learning process worldwide. This is because these resources aid the teacher to effectively transfer the content to the preschool learner, Karaka (2013) and Fabian (2015). In Nigeria, primary schools are the recipient of innocent innate children as they transit from home to school. As they move to school, they need to adapt to the new environment which they must meet a conducive atmosphere right from home to school. Among the fears which tend to enhance children to like schooling are teaching and learning materials which children learn new experiences from (Rolleston, 2012). These materials tend to assist children to open up in many areas which leads to holistic learning. He noted that when children are exposed to various teaching and learning resources, they tend to be active and involved in the learning process. Therefore it is worth noting that preschool teachers can testify that teaching becomes easier with such materials, Mwonga and Wanyama (2012).
Learning and teaching is the concern of a trained teacher but learning is a complex process. It can however be defined as a change in disposition, a relative change in behaviour over time and this is brought about by experience. Learning can occur as a result of newly acquired skill, knowledge, perception, facts, principles, new information at hand (Adeyanju, 2012). According to Agun (2013), learning can be reinforced by the teacher with teaching resources of different variety because these learning aids stimulate, motivate as well as arrest learners’ attention for a while during the instructional process.
Teaching Resources Utilization And academic Performance Of Pre-Primary School Pupils
Moreover, teaching resources are instructional materials and devices through which teaching and learning are done as far as primary school as a subject is concerned in schools. Okunrotifa (2007) has examples of teaching resources to include visual aids, audio aids, audio-visual aids, real objects and many others. The visual aids are designed materials that may be locally made or commercially produced. They come in form of wall charts, illustrated pictures, pictorial materials, puppets and models. There are also audio-visual aids. These are teaching machines like radio, television and all sorts of projectors with sound attributes.
Akanbi (2012) specifically notes that whenever teachers taught with some teaching resources, their pupils get more stimulated because the learning aids are used to make the learners (pupils) to become more attentive. In addition, pupils’ positive attitude towards the subject generates more interest for the lesson the teacher teaches. As a result, pupils participate better in-class activities. This in-turn enhanced the academic performance of pupils in class in primary school. In the opinion of Agun (2013), there is a need for teachers to utilize teaching resources (visual, audio, and audio-visual) for effective delivery of lessons effectively in the classroom especially in the pre-primary classroom.
Consequently, the dwindling of economic affluence of the country makes it imperative that teachers should utilize teaching resources, especially resources available within the local environment. This is because most government educational institutions cannot afford to provide imported materials; hence, there is need for teachers and their pupils to also improvise teaching and learning resources. This can enhance effective teaching and learning thus improving the academic performance of pupils in any subject.
Audio-visuals mean something related to sound and visual or light. They include printed materials and audio equipment. Audio-visual material can be categorized into audio teaching resources and visual materials. Audio includes Radio, Audiotape/cats cassette, Compact Disc, Telephone, etc. Visual material can be identified by grouping them into two ways 2 dimensional and 3-dimensional projectiles and non-projectiles.
Audio-visuals are a combination of audio media packages and even computer programmes. Some cannot be treated without the equipment for using them as projectors, televisions, receivers, microreaders, record players, photocopying machines, cameras with accessories etc. They can also exist in some other forms as slides of computer screens, down leading of computer search, interactive videodisc which requires the image storage medium, a monitor or receiving inputs. Its use as a teaching resource for pre-primary children helps to retain the interest of the learners during the delivery of lessons in the classroom (Green and Brain, 2015). However, as put forward by Fred, (2014) visual such as charts, textbooks, pictorials, dioramas, models and graph teaching resources when utilize in teaching children makes teaching/learning relatively cheaper than the imported or standard resources, because they are easily available for use by teachers. With these backgrounds and more, the study examines teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
Teaching Resources Utilization And academic Performance Of Pre-Primary School Pupils
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Basic science as a subject is activity-oriented and resource-based. This suggests that the mastery of Basic science concepts cannot be fully achieved without the use of teaching/learning materials in teaching the subject. So the teaching of basic science without teaching resources such as audio-visuals and visual resources might result to poor academic performance and lack of interest in the subject among pupils.
It should be noted that many basic science teachers lack the skills and basic tools for designing and producing of teaching resources as well as the will or determination to utilize teaching resources in their teaching. This is because the culture of the utilization of teaching resources has not been well developed in teachers in the teacher education programme in teachers’ training institutions. This has greatly resulted in poor academic performance among basic science pupils. The study, therefore, attempts to investigate the influence of teaching resources utilization on academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to examine teaching resources utilization on academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
Specifically, the study intends to:
- Investigate the relationship between audio teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
- Investigate the relationship between audio-visuals materials utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
Significance of the Study
It is hoped that the findings of this study shall be significant in the following ways:
It will highlight what effect teaching resources improvisations have on the academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science. It will be significant to pre-primary school pupils as it will enable teaching resources utilization by teachers which will make the abstract lesson real, practical and so enhance the understanding of the pre-primary school lessons. To the teachers, it will enhance innovational thinking, creativity, and resourcefulness as they will have to think of and select relevant teaching resources utilization. It will expose pre-primary school teachers to the need of improvising teaching resources in the teaching-learning of pre-primary school children. To the government; it will enable them through the ministry of education to assess the provision of teaching resources in our pre-primary school for the teaching of basic science in schools. To the parents; the findings of the study will enable them to know the need of providing teaching resources for their children at home. The study will serve as the reference point to other pupils/scholars who will be researching the same topic.
Teaching Resources Utilization And academic Performance Of Pre-Primary School Pupils
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were postulated to guide the study:
- Is there any significant relationship between audio teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science?
- Is there any significant relationship between audio-visuals materials utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were postulated to guide the study:
- There is no significant relationship between audio teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science.
- There is no significant relationship between audio-visuals materials utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science
Teaching Resources Utilization And academic Performance Of Pre-Primary School Pupils