ABSTRACT: The study investigated Teaching Methods and Academic Performance of Pupils in Primary Schools in primary schools in Ika Local Government Area. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were stated. The quasi-experimental design was used in the study. The population of the study comprised of 1336 primary four pupils in 18 primary schools in 2018/2019 academic session. The sample size used for the study was two hundred pupils (200) primary four pupils drawn from four public primary schools. English Language Achievement Test (ELAT) was the instrument used to collect data for the study.
Teaching Methods And Academic Performance Of Pupils In Primary Schools
Data obtained for the study were analyzed using independent t-test statistics analysis, and findings showed that: there is a significant difference in the academic performance of pupils taught using play-way method and those taught using lecture method of teaching; and that there is no significant difference in the academic performance between male and female primary school pupils when taught using play-way method of teaching. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Primary school teachers should incorporate play-way method of teaching during lesson delivery in primary schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The quality and intellectual aims of education in the Nigerian society has become the concern of educationists being looked upon to bring to fruition the attainment of a society backed strongly by future citizens who are conscious and innovatively oriented. This is because of this that the teaching activity of the teacher falls under the search light of the larger society. The National Policy on Education clearly recognized the role of the teacher when it declares that teacher’s education shall continue to be given major emphasis in all educational planning and development.
The teaching of subjects in Nigerian pre-primary and primary schools needs to be properly handled. The strategies methods and materials used by teachers to teach and drive home their subject matter at the pre-primary school level of our education system is in controvertibly a paramour important issue in classroom interaction and successful transfer of knowledge from the teacher to the learners. Play-way technique entails the dramatization of real life situation by pupils. It is a natural method of learning that can take different forms such as modeling, games, dramatization, drawing and painting. Teaching can be defined as the action of a person (teacher) and may also refer to instruction of education performed by teacher.
However, teaching is a complex process in primary school because at this to be even more complex because at this level teachers are dealing with infants who needs more attention. The author added that teachers who teach in primary schools must be made to understand that they have a very important role to play in preparing the youngsters for the greater task ahead in primary schools. Teachers therefore should be able to give good start to the pupils at this level to ensure better academic future of the learners. This then formed the background to this study.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The act of teaching is fundamentally concerned with passing ideas, skills and attitudes from the teachers to the learners. Experience has shown that spoken words alone in the communication of ideas are grossly ineffective and inefficient in producing desired learning outcome. The mass failure recorded by First School Leaving certificate examination in primary schools which according to the chief examiners report that out of 1,104,13 pupils who registered for the examination only 571,006 obtained pass.
The reason for this could be ascribed for the fact that many subjects in primary schools pose serious problems of comprehension to pupils these subjects cannot be taught effectively without relevant instructional method. On the forgoing, scholars have investigated on utilization of teaching methods in the pre-primary schools. According to them, we learn and remember 10% of what we hear 40% of what we discuss with others and as high as 80% of what we experience directly or practically.
This motivated the researcher to carry out this study in order to investigate whether there is any effect of using teaching methods especially play-way method on academic performance of pupils in Primary schools in Ika Local government Area.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The study sought to investigate the effect of teaching method on academic performance of pupils in primary schools in Ika Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:
- Compare the academic performance of pupils taught using play-way method of teaching and those taught using lecture method of teaching in primary schools.
- Investigate whether there is any significant difference in male and female pupils when taught using play-way method of teaching.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study;
- To what extent does the utilization of play-way method of teaching influence academic performance of pupils in primary school?
- To what extent does the academic performance of male and female pupils differ when taught using play-way method of teaching?
Teaching Methods And Academic Performance Of Pupils In Primary Schools
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:
- There is no significant difference in the academic performance of pupils taught using play-way method and those taught using lecture method of teaching.
- There is no significant difference in the academic performance between male and female primary school pupils when taught using play-way method of teaching.
