Teaching Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Pre-Primary School Pupils in Basic Science

Teaching Resources Utilization and Academic Performance of Pre-Primary School Pupils in Basic Science

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.

Two Pre-primary Care and Education Centres were randomly selected out of the available primary schools; one hundred pupils were selected from each school 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 affect 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 towards 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 the 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 where children learn new experiences from (Rolleston, 2012). These materials tend to assist children to open up in many areas which lead 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 become 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 relatively 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 learner’s attention for a while during the instructional process.

Moreover, teaching resources are instructional materials and devices through which teaching and learning are done as far as primary school as a subject is concern in schools. Okunrotifa (2007) have 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 used make the learners (pupils) to become more attentive. In addition, pupils positive attitude towards the subject generate more interest for the lesson the teacher teaches.

As a result, pupils participate better in class activity. This in-turn enhanced academic performance of pupils in class in primary school. In the opinion of Agun (2013), there is need for teachers to utilize teaching resources (visual, audio and audio-visual) for effective delivery of lessons effectively in the classroom especially in 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 improves academic performance of pupils in any subject.

Audio-visuals mean something related to sound and visual or light. They include printed materials and their audio equipment. Audio-visual material can be categorized into audio teaching resources and visual materials. Audio include Radio, Audio tape/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, receiver, microreader, record player, photocopying machine, camera with accessories etc.

They can also exist in some other forms as slides of computer screens, down leading of computer search, interactive video disc which requires the image storage medium, a monitor or receiving inputs. Its use as teaching resources for pre-primary children helps to retain 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 background and more, the study examine teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.

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 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.

1.4 Significance of the Study

It is hoped that the findings of this study shall be significance the following ways:

It will highlight what effect teaching resources improvisations have on 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 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 in the same topic.

1.5     Research Hypotheses 

The following research hypotheses were postulated to guide the study:

1. Is there any significant relationship between audio teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science?
2. 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:

1. There is no significant relationship between audio teaching resources utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science.
2. There is no significant relationship between audio-visuals materials utilization and academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science

1.7     Delimitation of the study

Due to certain constraints like time, the study was delimited to the following: teaching resources (audio and audio-visual) utilization on academic performance of pre-primary school pupils in basic science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Only pre-primary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area were involve in the study and only  pre-primary school pupils who registered in the 2017/2018 academic session in pre-primary two (ECCE. 2) were use in the study.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

This research was limited by a number of factors, hence there were many problems encountered. Some of the problems include:

1. Lack of finance to go round all the pre-primary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
2. Geographical factors limited the study to ten (10) pre-primary schools in the study.
3. The study was constrained by limited time frame for its execution and completion.
4. Added to the above, the pre-primary sources of information on teaching resources were not readily available. It required movements from one library to another to obtain necessary information.

1.9     Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined in the way they have applied to the study:

Teaching Resources: These refer to the different means of information dissemination and materials by which effective teaching and learning process can be achieved. This usually contains educational information.

Academic Performance: This means ones level of progress in the schools subject. That is the score in test, assignment and examination.

Audio-Visual:  Audio-visual teaching resources are devices that make use of sense of hearing and seeing, such as television and the computer.

Audio:  Audio teaching resources are devices that make use of sense of hearing only, like radio and audio tape recording.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter is concerned with the review of related literature with regards to the following sub-titles:

• Concept of teaching resources
• Audio teaching resources utilization and Academic performance of pupils
• Audio-visual Material utilization and Academic performance of pupils
• Summary of Related Literature