
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AND PUPILS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BASIC SCIENCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
In today’s world, attention is focused on education as an input of launching nations into the world of science and technology and with the hope of human advancement, in terms of living conditions and development of the environment. This is because in the life of a nation, education is the live-wire of its industries; it is the foundation of moral regeneration and revival of its people.
Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2008), viewed Education as the bedrock of any nation’s defense, it is that process that helps to develop the whole man physically, mentally, socially and technologically to enable him to function effectively in any environment in which he may find himself. Therefore no nation can afford to pay lip service to the education of its people.
A nation that thinks lightly of education does so at its own peril. In this regard, Ogundele (2000) maintained that no nation rises above the level of its education and no educational system out-grows the quality and status of its teachers. This is so because, the teacher is at the center of the teaching-learning process. Hence, the success or otherwise of the process is attributed to him. Accordingly, teaching is an objective and activity driven exercise. It involves the passage or transfer of knowledge or ideas by the teachers to the learners.
Teaching and learning do not happen by chance, it takes processes methods and strategies. As the teacher sets out to implement the curriculum contents at the classroom level, he/she uses a number of strategies that will facilitate the learners’ understanding of instruction given. It is however; it is obviously true that the realization of the objectives of any teaching-learning encounter which will be a false impression if the teacher fails to use appropriate strategies. As the teacher sets out to implement the curriculum contents at the classroom level, he uses a number of instructional strategies that will facilitate the learners’ understanding of instruction given. Therefore, the role of teacher’s instructional strategies in the success of the teaching – learning process cannot be overemphasized. Instructional strategies are used in the presentation of lesson to help the pupils’ learn by ensuring the smooth delivery of the instruction. The availability of qualified and experienced teachers only does not guarantee the success of the teaching-learning process, but also the strategies adopted by teachers and their application (Dyer, 2005).
In organizing for lesson, the teacher should be more concern about what to teach, how to teach and when to teach his/ her learners. He/she should adopt good strategy of instructions that will guarantee better understanding of what he intends to teach his learners. pupils’ negative attitude towards some school subjects might not be unconnected with the teachers’ strategies of instruction vis-à-vis his method. Not fully appreciated by most teachers is the importance of instructional strategies in the teaching-learning process. Although there are teachers with good subject matter mastery, the learners ability to comprehend the knowledge imparted by teacher depends to a greater extended on the strategies applied by the teacher.
According to Foster (2008), several methods of instruction have been employed by teachers to facilitate students’ understanding of instruction but not much success have need recorded due to their wrong application by the teachers. Towari (2006) observed that teaching strategies that encourage students’ centered activities are conspicuously lacking among teachers. Instructional strategies are techniques teachers use to help students become independent, strategic learners. These strategies become learning strategies when students independently select the appropriate ones and use them effectively to accomplish tasks or meet goals. Effective instructional and learning strategies can be used across grade levels and subject areas, and can accommodate a range of student differences O’Connor(2007).
Hence, for effective teaching to take place, the teacher should stimulate, encourage and maintain active participation of the learners through the selection of appropriate instructional strategies. This will ensure a balance between what is taught and how it is taught. Thus, there is no gain saying in the fact that successful instruction does not depend only on the teachers’ mastery of the subject matter but also the instructional strategies employed.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It is beyond doubt that one of the challenges facing the teaching-learning process in schools over the years is the dwindling academic performance of pupils’ both in internal and external examinations. The poor academic performance of pupils’ in school has become a stubborn problem in our educational system and it is fast becoming a recurring decimal especially in public examinations.
This ugly development has been a subject of concern to stake-holders in education. Worried by the continuous decline in student’s academic performance in school, parents have put the blame on the teachers for their low level of commitment on the discharge of their professional duties while teachers in turn point accusing fingers at the government for the falling standard of education in the country. True as this accusation may be one cannot rule out the fact teachers occupy an important position in the teaching-learning process. Hence, the success or failure of pupils’ in schools, centers on them.
However, it has been observed among scholars that most teachers in schools having been using uninspiring and inappropriate strategies of instruction to impact knowledge to their pupils’. They rely on strategies that are easy but mostly inappropriate to the instructional process. There is no gain saying that the realization of the dream of improving academic performance of pupils’ at all levels of education will remain an exceptional task if teachers fail to adopt instructional strategies most suitable to a particular subject matter which will equally facilitate pupils’ understanding of what is taught. It is against this background therefore, that this study “Instructional Strategies and Pupils’ Academic Performance in Basic science in Oruk Anam Local Government Area” becomes imperative.
Instructional Strategies And Pupils’ Academic Performance In Basic Science
Originally posted on May 31, 2021 @ 3:27 pm