AVAILABILITY AND USAGE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF INTEGRATED SCIENCE (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of the study
Science is the bedrock of technological development. Ogunleye(2002) defined science as a dynamic human activity concerned with understanding the working of our world today. Countries all over the world are striving to improve their technological know-how and this can only be achieved through a solid foundation in science and technology studies. Having a solid foundation in sciences entails making students have keen interest in science (by extension Integrated Science) right from their Junior Secondary School level of education. Many research findings have shown that Secondary School Students exhibit dwindling interest in science subject (Esiobu, 2005).
Afuwape et. al. (2004) cited by Oludipe (2001) reported that researches on the reasons for the lack of interest in science among students included: lack of qualified teachers, lack of practical works, insufficient allotment of time for Integrated Science on the school time-table and poor method of teaching, non/poor use of instructional materials etc. These he maintained were among the major factors militating the successful implementation of the core curriculum in Integrated Science. For a start, there was therefore, the need to investigate the effects of the use of instructional materials on students‟ performance in Integrated Science.
Instructional materials are print and non-print items that are rested to impact information to students in the educational process.Instructional materials include items such as: kits, textbooks, magazines, newspapers,pictures, recording videos etc.Instructional materials play a very important role in the teaching and learning process. Itenhances the memory level of the students. At this time that education has spread wide and entirely,oral teaching cannot be the key to successful pedagogy; therefore the teacher has to useinstructional materials to make teaching and learning process interesting (NIC hulls, 2003; Raw 2006).
According to Abdullahhi (2010), instructional materials are tools locally made or importedthat help to facilitate the teaching/learning process. Obanga (2005) view them as materials thingswhich are use to composed ported that could make tremendous enhancement of intellectual useimpact the instructional materials. The use of instructional materials can enhance the learning achievement. Cronbach (2009)states the important elements of behaviour that provides the base for learning theory situation whichconsists of all the objects, persons and symbols in the learning environment
