AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY ON THE AVAILABILITY AND USE OF TEACHING AIDS IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
This study was geared towards finding out the availability and use of teaching aids in mathematics teaching by upper basic teachers in Port-
Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Instructional materials are instruments that facilitate learning, they accelerate the rate at which students learn and also make teaching and
learning interesting and comparatively easy. They are collections of materials and equipment that can be used to communicate between
two or more systems. Teaching aids are vital to teaching and learning process. They are potent in reducing abstraction that characterizes
mathematics concepts. However, research reports have shown that these materials are grossly unavailable in most schools. Few available
ones are either inadequate or underutilized. This research study was carried using descriptive study of the survey type. Ten (10) secondary
schools were randomly selected and the population of the study consisted of teachers of mathematics. It was discovered that visual
materials like chalk and chalkboard, charts, pictures and posters were available and used very often in all the sampled schools while other
visuals like steel pictures, slides and film were not available in all the sampled schools. Use of teaching aids should be encouraged in
schools. Fund should be made readily available to purchase or produce instructional materials.
AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY ON THE AVAILABILITY AND USE OF TEACHING AIDS IN TEACHING MATHEMATICS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
