UTILIZATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE

UTILIZATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE

Abstract 

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of audio-visual aids on the academic performance of students in Integrated Science in Ini Local Government Area. From the population, two (2) public secondary schools were randomly selected from eight (8) public secondary schools in the area. One school was used for the experimental group and the other school was used for the control group, in which experimental group was 50 students and the control group was 50 students making a total of 100 students for the study.

The experimental group was further divided into two groups “male and female”. Of which the researcher used intact class for the study. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. While data were collected using Integrated Science Performance Test (ISPET) as the instruments. Research design was quasi experimental. results obtained from the analysis using t-test statistics revealed that, one (1) Ho tested was rejected at P =0.05 level of significance, while the other Ho tested was accepted at P=0.05 level of significant.

This implies that audio- visual aids have effects on academic performance of students while gender difference has no effect on academic performance of students. Following the above findings, it is recommended that, adequate audio-visual aids should be provided in schools by government; parents should ignore the belief of gender disparity among their children; Teachers should be encouraged to improvise instructional materials for effective learning.

CHAPTER ONE 

1.1 Background of the Study 

A child’s science education really begins in his first year of life and his pre-school science experience constitutes to a large extent the determining factor of his science ability in school (Churchill, 2001).

Ausubel (2005) maintains that every normal child can learn practically everything, if given the right quality of instruction at the appropriate time. A very important variable which has direct bearing on instruction is the amount of instructional materials and resources available to the teacher and students in schools. The art and meaning of learning processes, retentive learning can be greatly enhanced and assisted by understanding that governs meaningful learning.

Osafehint (2009), argued that children who have been advantaged to being exposed to scientific situation in their immediate surrounding can gain accelerated knowledge of science before reaching the school age. Thus a child’s attitude and motivation to learn science are determined by social and economic factors.

Alcorn kinder and Schunert (2002), pointed-out that the amount of materials that can be re-called varies with the sensory stimulation emphasized during the process of learning. Instructional materials that stimulate both the auditory and visual senses simultaneously, without completely relying on either, belong to the group called audio-visuals. They include the television, audio-slide, audio-pictorial, video-tape and audio-transparency presentations among others. Learners can recall 50 percent of what they learn by hearing and seeing at the same time.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It has been observed that while Integrated Science remains one of the core science subjects in secondary schools, the performance of students in examinations has not been very impressive. A lot of people have attributed the poor performance of students to a number of factors including the unavailability of instructional material like audio-visual aids.

It is on this premise that the researcher is motivated to conduct a research on the utilization of audio-visual aids and students academic performance in Integrated Science in secondary schools in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to assess the utilization of audio-visual aids and students academic performance in Integrated Science in Ini local Government Area.

Specifically, the study sought to

1. Compare the academic performance of students taught Integrated Science with audio-visual aids and those taught without.
2. Compare the academic performance of male and female students taught Integrated Science with audio-visual aids.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This research has a vivid significance, most importantly; it will bring to our awareness the relevant infrastructure which has bedeviled the effective Integrated Science teaching and learning.

 Consequently, it will make parents to see the need of providing audio-visual aids like television, computers, videotape at home for use by their children.

The study shall alert the government on the urgent need to provide these materials to schools for effective implementation of the programme.

1. It will make teachers to be aware of the place of audio-visual aids and students academic performance in Integrated Science.
2. It shall also bring to the awareness of the teachers constraints in procuring and utilizing audio-visual aids.
3. Finally, the school of science, Akwa Ibom State College of Education, Afaha Nsit and other tertiary institutions will derive immense benefits accruing from this study.
4. If the recommendations about the re-planning and re-structuring of the training programmes shall be affected from these, institutions will be proficient to face the challenges of Integrated Science teaching in our secondary schools.

1.5 Research Questions

To facilitate this research, the following research questions were addressed;

Is there any significant difference in the academic performance of students that are taught Integrated Science with audio-visual aids and those that are taught without audio-visual aids?

Is there any significant difference in the academic performance of male and female students that are taught Integrated Science with audio-visual aids?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

For the purpose of this study the following null hypothesis were postulated to guide the study;

There is no significant difference in the academic performance of students that are taught Integrated Science with audio-visual aids and those that are taught without audio-visual aids.

There is no significant difference between the academic performance of male and female students taught Integrated Science with audio-visual aids.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

In writing a research work of this nature, limitations are bound to occur. They include among others;

Bad Road Networks: means of transportation was inadequate to convey the researcher to school in time as a result of this, the researcher always arrive late in some days which result in limited time for the work to be carried out.

Lack of Interest by The Learners: the students had no interest to what the researcher was teaching and by so doing did give in their best, and as a result of this the number of students who gave in their best interest were not much.

Language: Most students were unable to cope with the common language of the researcher (English language) and as such, they were unable to understand what the researcher was doing.

Inadequate Instructional Material:  The instructional material was inadequate as there was not enough instructional material to be use to carry-out the research.

1.8 Delimitation of the Study

The study only concentrated on the utilization of audio-visual aids and students academic performance in Integrated Science in Ini local government area. For the success of this research the researcher used “reproduction in humans” to carry-out the research which only 100 students from 2 selected secondary schools in the local area to be use. The researcher decided to use and intact class for his research study. The research was subjected to Jss3.

1.9 Definition of Terms

The task of getting universally accepted definition of a particular word or concept is not an easy one. Consequently, the following are taken as the definitions to suit the purpose of this study;

Audio-Visual Aids: They are devices like television, computers video-game, audio-slide, audio-pictorial etc, which appeal to the senses of hearing and sight.

Academic Performance: This means the learning outcome of the learner after he/she is being taught.

Integrated Science: this is the combination of all science subject including physic, chemistry and biology.