INFLUENCE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON TEACHING OF BASIC SCIENCES IN PRE SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
The  study  examined  the  influence  of  instructional  materials on the teaching of Basic Science in Selected schools in, Makurdi.  This study made use of Survey Research Design. TEN (10) Government and private pre schools were used. It had the population of 2,150 basic science students and 30 basic science teachers.  Sample of 206 students were randomly selected with 10 basic science teachers.  The instrument used for collection of data was a questionnaire designed by the researcher for the teachers and students of basic science. Based on this study, instructional materials was seen as possessing characteristics of visibility, simplicity, attraction, and clarity. That instruction material is important to influence students academic performance in basic science.  Recommendations were made in line with the findings, which include the basic science teachers should endeavour to use and try to improvise instructional materials for effective teaching of basic science in pre schools.  Government should ensure the adequate employment of dedicated and qualified basic science teachers and make funds available and sponsor the teachers  attendance  at  conferences,  seminars,  and  workshops  on  utilization  of basic science instructional materials. In conclusion, students perform better when appropriate and improvised materials were made available and utilized in teaching basic science. The basic science knowledge and subsequent performance of students in both pre and pre pre schools and basic science as a subject becomes more interesting to learn when it was taught by experienced, well committed, dedicated and qualified basic science teachers.   Teaching of basic science will not be completed if the instructional materials needed to facilitate learning are not sourced for, and properly utilized for each basic science topic designed to be taught and construct others using available local materials.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â Â Â Â Â Â Background to the Study
The influence of instructional materials on teaching of basic science has being noted in promoting students’ academic performance, teaching and learning in educational development. The teaching of Basic Science in Nigerian pre schools needs to be properly handled. Creativity contributes to the nation’s economic development, hence, the need to be taught thoroughly if it is to meet the educational and economic development.  Basic Science is one of the subjects in Pre Schools, it cannot be taught effectively without the use of appropriate instructional materials (Ajayi, 1988. Learning by doing was emphasized in the curriculum so that the students should be able to understand the simple basis of science and learn to be creative.  A series of activities were suggested in the curriculum to ensure the development  of  psychomotor  skills  in  basic  science  by  the  students. Students achievement should be continuously assessed through various forms of tests and their experiments’s should be well organized in class and laboratories. Also individual assessments should be carried out to ascertain those students who are educationally sound, so that proper attention can be given more on those still struggling to meet up. From research, educational materials when given to students, especially books with pictures of inventions, it spurs the wide thinking of students to take their academics seriously. Hence  for  effective  and  positive  creative thinking to be done by children in pre schools, there is suppose to be teaching aids that this students will accept and learn faster with.(Oyedun, 2000).
