INFLUENCE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA
INFLUENCE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2011-08
Authors
UMARU, KOLO IBRAHIM
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Abstract
The study examined the availability of instructional materials, its adequacy and
relevancy; characteristics of instructional materials, importance of instructional
materials, and factors affecting the use of instructional materials on students’ academic
performance in agricultural science. This study made use of Survey Research Design.
Thirty (30) Government and private secondary schools were used. It had the population
of 8,142 agricultural science students and 73 agricultural science teachers. Sample of
206 students were randomly selected with 30 agricultural science teachers. The
instrument used for collection of data was a questionnaire designed by the researcher for
the teachers and students of agricultural science. The instrument used in this study was
vetted by the supervisors and experts in the field of measurement and evaluation in the
Faculty of Education to determine the face and content validity of the instrument. The
data collected for the pilot study was used to calculate the reliability coefficient using
split-half method and also Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r), which
gave 0.87. Four research questions and four null hypotheses (Ho) were formulated to
guide the study. Contingency chi-square statistical tool was used in testing the
hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The analysis yielded the following findings that
good and relevant textbooks were the instructional materials available to be used to
influence students academic performance in agricultural science. That instructional
materials should possess characteristics of visibility, simplicity, attraction, and clarity.
That instruction material is important to influence students academic performance in
agricultural science. That teachers qualification and experience were the major factors
affecting the use of instructional materials to influence students academic performance in
agricultural science in secondary schools. Recommendations were made in line with the
findings, which include the agricultural science teachers should endeavour to use and try
to improvise instructional materials for effective teaching of agricultural science in
secondary schools. Government should ensure the adequate employment of dedicated
and qualified agricultural science teachers and make funds available and sponsor the
teachers attendance at conferences, seminars, and workshops on utilization of
agricultural science instructional materials. In conclusion, students perform better when
appropriate and improvised materials were made available and utilized in teaching
agricultural science. The agricultural science knowledge and subsequent performance of
students in both junior and senior secondary schools and agricultural science as a
subject becomes more interesting to learn when it was taught by experienced, well
committed, dedicated and qualified agricultural science teachers. Teaching of
agricultural science will not be completed if the instructional materials needed to
facilitate learning are not sourced for, and properly utilized for each agricultural science
topic designed to be taught and construct others using available local materials.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL
FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
MASTERS DEGREE OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
Keywords
INFLUENCE, INSTRUCTIONAL, MATERIALS, PERFORMANCE, AGRICULTURAL, SCIENCE, KWARA, NIGERIA