EFFECTIVE USE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS IN THE TEACHING OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

EFFECTIVE USE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS IN THE TEACHING OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Abstract

This study examined the effective use of teaching and learning materials in the teaching of business management. Three null hypotheses were formulated in line with specific objectives to guide the study. The survey research study adopted experimental design. The population of the study comprised 364 students offering Business management in the study area: A sample size of 120 SS1 students was used for the study. The major instrument for data collection was “Business management Achievement Test (BMAT)”. The data collected were analyzed using Independent t-test.

The results showed that students taught using realia performed significantly better than those taught without realia in Business management. It was also found that student taught using instructional charts performed significantly better than those taught without charts in Business management. It was concluded that utilization of teaching and learning materials impact significantly teaching of business management and improves student’s academic performance in the subject. It was recommended among other that business management teachers should adopt the use of teaching and learning materials to enhance their teaching and facilitates student’s understanding of concepts taught.

EFFECTIVE USE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS IN THE TEACHING OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The teaching-learning process in schools is a complex activity which unites together processes such as instructing and training with the overall intention of getting learners not only to acquire knowledge skill and modes of conduct but to acquire them in a manner which involves understanding and evaluation of what is taught. This implies that the instructional process in school involves systematic approach of imparting knowledge and skills and mode of conduct by oral speech written language or any way appropriate to the content presented (Nsofor, 2019).

The success of teaching and learning has been linked to availability of resources and that to support poorly performing schools, educational authorities must increase student levels and competencies by use of these resources for students to be ready for National Assessments (UNESCO, 2015). This can be done through instructional material development and allocation of resources. Resources ranging from textbooks to library books to websites, a variety of resources are available to help teachers meet the needs and pique the interest of their learners

Furthermore, the teaching-learning process depends to a greater existence on not just the availability of teaching-learning materials but their effective utilization in the teaching-learning process. Accordingly, it is indisputable that the realization of the objective of any teaching-learning process will be an illusion in the absence of teaching and learning resources.

Teaching and learning materials are the devices developed or acquired to assist or facilitate teachers in transmitting organized knowledge, skills and attitudes to the learners within an instructional situation (Nwachukwu, 2016).

Teachers use different teaching materials to motivate learning, teachers often make use of textbooks, charts, models, graphics realia as well as improvised materials to motivate learners. Teaching and learning materials are therefore materials that aid the teacher to teach effectively. An effective teaching is one where the objectives of the lesson have been achieved. That is, when students have learnt.     There are times teachers teach but no learning takes place. This is because something was missing that made the students not to understand and which constitute a wasted time and energy. The application of teaching and learning materials as supportive information to verbal presentations have gained ground in educational practices and its role in enhancing students academic performance cannot be over-emphasized. 

Business management as a science and vocational subject cannot be taught effectively without the use of teaching and learning materials if better academic performance is to be achieved. It is evident that most business management teachers are still teaching the subject verbally without using teaching and learning materials in boosting students performance in virtually all subjects, the rate of utilization of available teaching and learning materials by teachers has been very low (Ishaya,2017).

Accordingly, Ogwazor (2018), stated that students at the secondary school level have had their imagination stretched too far due to the teachers excessive use of words to convey meanings instead of instructional materials. Students at this level need a rich store of concrete sensory experiences to facilitate understanding of what they learned and their learning experiences. The development of modern technology and the richness of teacher training programmes in modern society have placed within the reach of the teacher, a vast array of teaching aids thus providing an escape from verbalization to concretized learning. 

Provision of teaching and learning materials has been identified as a key factor in the implementation of business management in secondary school curriculum. The initial level of these resource provision in the first schools to teach business management included; a laboratory, business management workshop equipped with metal and woodworking tools, gas and electric welders, power generators, fuel storage tank, tractors, cultivators, combined harvester, science laboratory facilities, the school farm, a departmental vehicle and funds for running the department (Konyango and Asienyo, 2015).

Teaching and learning materials provide a base upon which teachers can guide students in the learning process. However, an analysis on how the resources were supplied and put into use reveals that the level at which the vocational business management project was started was beyond sustainability in a secondary school in terms of costs and level of competence of teachers. Wide range of resources such as machinery and laboratory equipment went into disuse because the teachers could neither service nor repair (Konyango and Asienyo, 2015).

The aim of linking the resources and facilities to the curriculum and syllabus was in a way a move to implement the teaching of business management in a practical manner. Developing rural economy to reduce poverty levels and create job opportunities for rural youth, the provision of the resources was a direct injection of investment in business management, hence an investment for rural development and transformation. Appropriate tools and resources would facilitate innovations in business management. This would multiply employment opportunities; equally, the financial support to business management school programme would promote additional value on agricultural products besides stimulating physical output.

A teacher selects, develops and reorganizes teaching – learning materials for effective teaching. A teacher is therefore the most important teaching – learning resource. UNESCO (1999) observed that lack of financial resources hindered the expansion of facilities that led to specific problems in vocational subjects like business management. Lack of funds prevents schools from developing their farms. It is upon this background that that study aimed at finding out the challenges facing teaching and learning of business management in secondary schools. Classroom curriculum and laboratory exercises provide students with fundamental knowledge in agricultural practices, preparing them for careers in food, fiber and natural resource industries.

Kabugi (2013) found that school farm, agricultural tools and business management classes were inadequate. The study further found that livestock units/tools and agricultural laboratories were not available in most of the schools. From the findings of the study, it can be said that inadequacy of teaching and learning materials in secondary schools in Kakuyuni division poses a challenge to teaching and learning of business management. The findings are in line with the findings of a study done by Temu and Kitalyi (2012) who found that teachers are poorly equipped to deal with some of the challenges that the system poses such as the reality of large class size, unavailability of didactic materials and gender disparities. Kabugi (2013) further found that inadequacy of resources such as school farms, agricultural tools and business management classrooms posed challenges to teaching and learning of business management. Some topics such as business management economic, farm power and machineries seemed very difficult to the learners.

The government, parent teacher association (PTA) and other stakeholders should help in providing the needed resources such as school garden, animal farm, demonstration plots, well equipped laboratories among others to facilitate the teaching and learning of Business management in the schools. The business management science subject involves a lot of practical activities. Therefore, lack of funds to acquire the needed teaching and learning materials for practical work will impede the effective teaching and learning of the subject. According to Konyango (2010), lack of textbooks, poor management, and poor funding are among the factors that impede the teaching and learning of business management.

Similarly, Sekamwa (2019) posits that lack of funds and inadequate funds to run practical education have reduced the effectiveness of undertaking practical education in subjects like business management. Owino et al. (2015) posit that the availability of teaching-learning materials enhances the effectiveness of schools as these are the basic things that can bring about good academic performance in students. According to Cheplogoi (2011), the level of availability of business management teaching and learning materials in the schools has significant influence on students’ performance in the subject.

Mutai (2016) asserts that learning is strengthened when there are enough reference materials such as text books, exercise books, teaching aids and classrooms. Lack of required resources as observed in the Senior High could have a great toll on the students‟ overall performance in business management. Again, according to Amuah (2019) the common challenges bedeviling the agricultural practical lessons in developing country include: inadequate facilities, low professional and efficiency levels of teachers, poor attitudes of teachers, poor funding, poor attitude of school administrators and parents towards agricultural education, and political lapses.

Kidane and Worth (2013) postulated that, the teaching and learning of Business management is greatly impeded by lack of fields for practical experience, laboratories, and libraries to facilitate learning. The availability and utilization of teaching and learning materials during business management lessons positively influenced the students’ attitudes as well as performance in the subject.

Muchena (2013) observes that business management subject involves a variety of tools which are categorized as livestock tools, workshop tools farm tools and farm machinery. From the list mentioned by the students, most schools are able to provide simple farm tools which are a small fraction of business management resources. The researcher also observed that the teaching aids in the schools are partially available and not enough. All schools had few agricultural charts and teachers drawings on the blackboard. The students also used the drawings in the textbooks as illustrations.

Hence teachers should make sure that the available teaching and learning materials are effectively utilized in the teaching-learning process and where standard materials are not readily available teachers should therefore improvise to facilitate understanding of what is taught among students thereby bringing the much desired improvement in their academic performance.

EFFECTIVE USE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING MATERIALS IN THE TEACHING OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The major problem that has necessitated this research is the continuous decline in academic performance of students in Business management. It has been observed with dismay that students in secondary schools have been performing poorly in Business management especially in public examinations.

However, there is no gain saying that most Business management teachers are still teaching the subject without the requisite teaching and learning materials to facilitate students understanding of instruction. This does not augur well for the realization of set instructional objectives. It is against this background therefore, that this study “the impact of teaching and learning materials on academic performance of business management in secondary schools.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study was to examine the effective use of teaching and learning materials in the teaching of business management. The specific objectives include to:

1. examine the academic performance of students taught Business management using realia and those taught without realia.
2. ascertain the academic performance of students taught Business management using instructional charts and those taught without instructional charts.
3. assess the academic performance of students taught Business management with instructional models and those taught without instructional models.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions were raised in line with the specific objectives of the study.

1. To what is the difference in the performance of students taught Business management using realia and without realia.
2. To what extent is the difference in the performance of student taught Business management using instructional charts and those without instructional charts.
3. To what extent is the difference in the performance of students taught Business management using instructional models and those without instructional models.

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated in line with the specific objective and the research question to guide the study

1. There is no significant difference in the performance of students taught business management using realia and those taught without realia.
2. There is no significant difference in the performance of students taught Business management using instructional charts and without instructional charts.
3. There is no significant difference in the performance of students taught Business management using instructional models and without instructional models.

1.6 Significance of the Study

It is anticipated that the findings of this study would be of immense benefits to all stakeholders in the education sub-sector. Teachers, students, curriculum planners, policy makers, Government, schools, colleges and researchers.

      In specific terms, the study will be of great significance in the following ways.

1. It will reveal the importance of teaching and learning materials utilization in lesson delivery and in the improvement of students academic performance in Business management in schools.
2. It will reveal if the utilization of teaching and learning materials by teachers of Business management will guarantee improvement in the performance of student in the subject.
3. It will add to the body of existing literature on teaching and learning materials utilization and students academic performance.
4. Finally, the finding of this study will serve as a spring-board and a reference sources for further research.