THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL FOR EFFCTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF CRS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL
CHAPTER ONE
 INTRODUCTION
 Background of the Study
Instructional material is crucial to teaching and learning processes. A dedicated classroom teacher feels satisfied when he realizes the objectives he has set out to achieve for every lesson. In order to achieve this, a trained teacher employs a number of methods, design and actions, one of which includes the use of instructional material. Instructional materials are referred to as the resources which both the teachers and students use for the purpose of effective teaching and learning. Okwo (1996) defined instructional materials as those materials that teachers can use in teaching to facilitate the learning of a particular subject or lesson. The list of instructional materials are inexhaustible and their limit is the teacher’s level of resourcefulness, creativity and imagination. Rominszowski (1996) listed instructional material to include newspaper, magazines, pictures, textbooks, chalkboard, laboratory equipment, posters, bulletins, journal, radio, television, audiocassettes, tapes, film scripts and slides. Others are overhead and opaque projector, real objects and computer. Okebukola (2003) described instructional materials as information multipliers because they are capable of providing learners with opportunities to learn beyond teachers’ capabilities when utilized for instruction.
Utilization of instructional material is the act of using and applying the available instructional material in the actual teaching/learning process. Where resources are supplied for instructional use, teachers are expected to utilize them to support a
smooth and meaningful flow of instruction and promote
understanding of the content being taught. To facilitate the teaching and learning of Christian Religious Studies in Secondary school schools, the skillful teacher can select those instructional materials that are relevant to the Christian Religious Studies curriculum. This could be implemented from the numerous instructional materials that abound in the market or that are available in the school. When instructional materials are not utilized, effective teaching and permanent learning are difficult to take place because students cannot actively participate in a way that challenge them to think creatively. Despite the intention of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Programme, adequate provision and utilization of instructional material for effective teaching and learning of Christian Religious Studies has not been attained.
The Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme of Nigeria is designed among other things, to facilitate the standard of literacy, and improve societal development. The UBE is a nine-year programme that covers six years of primary education and three years of junior Christian Religious Studiess. The three years of junior Christian Religious Studies is known as Secondary school (Upper Basic).
Christian Religious Studies is taught at the upper basic Secondary
School Level (Basic 7- 9) under the Universal Basic Education Programme, as an integrated subject, which comprises Food and
Nutrition, Clothing and Textile and Home Management. Olaitan (1992) noted that the essence of Christian Religious Studies education is to enable pupils to explore a vast array of occupations in the field before making a career choice. According to the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC, 2008), the aim of Secondary school Christian Religious Studies curricular is to teach the learners how to strategically plan and use available resources in their environment to improve their homes, families and society. The new Secondary school curriculum differs from the previous JSS Christian Religious Studies curriculum in that contemporary socitial issues have been integrated, more practical lessons are introduced, the lessons are organised in modules and each module specifies a variety of instructional materials including instructional technologies for teaching. Christian Religious Studies is an activity-based and practical orientedsubject,and is better taught using a variety of instructional material.
