CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Education is probably the basic part in the advancement of any nation on the planet. It is the pillar of development of any country. Education guarantees that the needs and aspirations of people are met. This implies that education can only provide and fulfill the goals and demands of people when it is taught with the right instructional materials to aid the learner understand and learn better. Education is viewed as vital to national development and cannot be accomplished without sustainable investment in human capital with teaching and learning. This is why education reforms in Nigeria have been aimed at making the issue of teacher and student quality and its development the foundation of the technique to enhance education quality and raise learning outcomes.
One of the signs of an efficient and effective teacher is the capacity to channel students' behavior to set academic objectives and goals. Such teacher must be a professional in his field in addition to an excellent classroom manager (Koko, 2013). The author further mentions that every teacher should display acceptable leadership behavior and mastery of the chosen subject area to command the recognition and acceptance of the students. The high quality of a teacher depends on his preparation for professional role as distinct specialist. Efficient teaching of any subject will not just stimulate student's interest in the subject however will likewise improve their achievement in the examination. To attain effective teaching and learning process, there is the need for using instructional materials (Mathew & Onyejebu, 2013).
The accessibility and utilization of instructional materials for efficient teaching and learning of Agricultural science is essential. The teaching of Agricultural Science in Nigerian secondary schools has to be effectively managed. Agriculture greatly adds to the nation's economic development, thus, the need to be taught extensively if it is to meet the educational and economic advancement. Moreso, that Agricultural Science is just one of the subjects in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools; and as a vocational subject, it cannot be taught effectively without using ideal instructional materials (Ajayi,).
The curriculum content of the senior secondary school levels includes three major ideas of production, protection and economics. Learning by doing was highlighted in the curriculum to ensure that the students must have the ability to produce food and other agricultural products on their own and their community. A collection of activities was recommended in the curriculum to guarantee the development of psychomotor skills in agricultural science by the students. The programme further suggested that: each student be guaranteed sufficient equipment, farm space, farm structures and frequent supply of fertilizers and animal feeds. Along with having a farm, each school must keep a minimum of two farm animals. Students' achievement ought to be constantly evaluated with various forms of examinations and during field and laboratory practical and individual evaluation ought to be carried out for activities in crop production while group assessment be limited to performance in animal production activities.
In taking advantage of any instructional materials, such materials should be previewed that is, having complete understanding of the material; prepare the environment where it will be used; prepare audience by ensuring that the materials to be used will draw attention, excite, inspire and provide the rationale that could be used in the beginning, middle or end. The effectiveness of using ideal instructional materials in teaching and learning of agricultural science is not void of quality instructor. In an effort to provide quality education to the younger generation, there is need for employment of more proficient, skilled and qualified agricultural science teachers.
The need to determine the appropriate instructional materials, whereby students can be made to understand the extent of the subject conveniently and intelligibly, is the focus of this study. An extensive look at the secondary schools' agricultural science programmes disclosed that there is the need for improving all phases of the programmes (IMAA, 2004). For instance, there is need for the introduction and use of instructional materials and devices for use in both the classrooms and school farms. The general purpose of any good training materials is to induce and support the learning process that brings about improve on-the-job performance with impacting adjustments in the knowledge, attitudes, abilities and practices of the learners. With the above reasons, it is worth exploring the availability and utilization of instruction materials for teaching and learning of Agricultural science in secondary schools, for better performance of students in their assessment and chosen career in the area of agriculture. If instructional materials are made use of in Secondary Schools, it would certainly help improving the teaching and learning and thus the academic performance of students in Agricultural Science successfully.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The provision and procurement of instructional resources is insufficient if it is not useful nor properly used. There were reports in the past whereby schools' heads simply kept the resources supplied for instruction in the school store or the principals' office. A few of the school heads complained regarding the low quality of some of the resources while some complaint is on teachers' lack of technical know how to operate several of the instructional materials. Sometimes, electricity source to power the resources is deficient. This study therefore investigated the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in the teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council Imo State.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The major purpose of the study is the assessment of the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in the teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council Imo State. However, the specific objectives include:
i) To determine the types of instructional materials being used for teaching in order to achieve students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science.
ii) To examine the characteristics of instructional materials that can be used to influence students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science
iii) To identify the usage of instructional facilities by Agricultural Science teachers for effective teaching and learning of Agricultural Science in secondary schools in Nigeria.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide the study:
i) What are the types of instructional materials being used for teaching in order to achieve students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science?
ii) What are the characteristics of instructional materials that can be used to influence students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science?
iii) What is the usage of instructional facilities by Agricultural Science teachers for effective teaching and learning of Agricultural Science in secondary schools in Nigeria?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were formulated for the study and tested at 0.05 level of significance:
i) There is a significant relationship between the types of instructional materials being used for teaching and students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science
ii) There is a significant correlation between the characteristics of instructional materials and students’ academic performance in Agricultural Science
iii) There is no significant relationship between the usage of instructional facilities by Agricultural Science teachers and effective teaching and learning of Agricultural Science in secondary schools in Nigeria.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This research work is significant and useful in the teaching and learning of agricultural science. Findings from this study will help to assess the effectiveness of the stated objectives of secondary school agricultural science curriculum.
Subsequently, the findings from the study will help agricultural science teachers in choosing an appropriate instructional material(s) capable of releasing students’ tension towards the subject thus improving students’ academic performance in agricultural science. It will motivate agricultural science teachers to develop interest towards utilizing suitable teaching materials that will be a possible means towards reducing failure in the teaching and learning of agricultural science. Findings of this study will help clarify among the teachers the need for continuous and regular improvisation of suitable instructional materials for teaching and learning of agricultural science.
Moreover, the results of this study will be of great significance to the agricultural science curriculum planners. The curriculum developers will find the work useful in reviewing the agricultural science curriculum by seriously laying emphasis on utilization of instructional materials so as to meet up with emerging needs of the society. This study will be of immense benefit to researchers in the field of agricultural science by forming a basis for further studies on the usage of instructional materials and teachers’ quality in order learning aspects of agricultural science as a subject.
The study will also equip our educational administrators in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST), educational test and measurement experts on the need to provide instructional materials for teaching agricultural science in our secondary schools setting particularly in selected secondary schools and the Imo State as a whole.
The study will also be useful in educational policy making. The research will arouse instructional educational funding agencies such as Federal Ministry of Education, Faculties or Schools of Education, National Teachers’ Institutes as well as professional bodies such as Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) to formulate educational polices which may be useful in implementation of agricultural science curriculum.
1.7 Scope of the Study
This study is delimited to the assessment of the availability and adequacy of instructional materials in the teaching and learning of agricultural science in secondary schools, as a result, characteristics of instructional materials, importance and uses of instructional materials and factors affecting instructional materials usage will all be examined for proper understanding of the study. It is also delimited to thirty agricultural science teachers and one hundred agricultural science students from thirty selected Government Secondary Schools in Owerri Municipal Council, Imo State.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
During the course of the study, researcher encountered some hindrances as constraints which included, accessibility to the areas, as roads to many schools are not motorable. Also, the researcher was faced with busy attitudes of some Agricultural Science teachers as some of them did not make themselves available for the study. However, the researcher was able to find a way around it.
