AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF IMPROVISED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

 INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background to the Study

The application of instructional material to then teaching – learning process as a supportive device to information from texts and verbal presentation has gained grounds in educational practices. The selection and procurement of instructional materials are strictly guided by the content of the curriculum and the teacher’s method of instructional delivery.

Instructional material are those device developed or acquired by the teacher to assist or facilitate the process of imparting knowledge and skills to the learners with in an instructional situation (Nwachukwu, 2006). Teachers often make use of text book, charts, models, graphics, and regalia and locally sourced improvised materials to motivate learning.

AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF IMPROVISED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Instructional materials are of several kinds. They are classified on the basis of the type of sense they appeal to printed materials such as text books, laboratory manuals, work books, cartoms, photographs, maps, charts, microfilm, journals, newspapers and model specimens are visual aids. Those that stimulate the sense of hearing, such as radio, tape, recorders, compact discs, record player etc are classified as audio materials. Instructional materials which appeal to both the sense of hearing and sight are called audio- visual materials such as television, video tapes and player, compact disc (UCDS), still or motion pictures with sound tracts.

However, the teaching – learning process in schools is a complex activity which unites together processes such as instructing and training with the over all intention of getting learners not only to acquire knowledge and skills, but to acquire them in a manner which involves understanding and evaluation of the underlying rationale for what is presented as learning  materials (Olisaemeka, 2007). Accordingly, the success of the teaching – learning process depends to a large extent on availability and effective utilization of both standard and improvised Instructional materials to facilitate Instruction. Learning is facilitated when the learners make use of at least three of the sense organs namely, seeing, hearing and touching. This agrees with popular Chinese proverb that states: I hear – I forget, I see – I remember, I do – I understand (Ogwuazor, 2008).   The need for improvisation in the absence of standard materials or real objects cannot be over – emphasized. Improvisation occurs when the teacher on the ground of inadequacy or lack of standard. Instructional materials, makes a step or move to develop, construct, design and utilize alternative material to aid his/her Instructional delivery and facilitate students understanding of concept taught (Ogunsaju 2007). It is an essential innovation in the educational process. Therefore, it is indisputable that the realization of the objective of any teaching learning encounter will be an illusion in the absence of Instructional material and where the teacher fails to improvise.

Improvised material therefore, plays a significant role as substitute for real object or materials in facilitating effective lesson delivery.  An effective teaching is one where the objectives of the lesson been achieved, that is where students have learnt (Isola, 2010).

AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF IMPROVISED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

There are times teachers teach but no learning takes place. This because something was missing that makes the students not to understand the lesson and therefore learning did not take place. That constituted a wasted time and energy. Students at the secondary school level have invariably had excessive use of words to convey meaning when Instructional materials are not used. Student at this need a rich store of concrete sensory experiences to aid understanding of what they learned. The development of modern technology, science and the richness of the environment have placed within the reach of teachers a vast array of improvised materials to provide for effective teaching and learning.

Agricultural science as a science and vocational discipline that needs a variety of Instructional materials and where standard materials are not readily available, the teacher should source for alternative through improvisation to enhance his teaching effectiveness and facilitate students understanding of lessons taught especially, those lessons that have practical components. This will go along way in improving student’s academic performance in the subject.

Originally posted on April 19, 2021 @ 3:59 pm