Dearth of instructional materials and its implications in teaching and learning

Introduction

Teaching at any level requires that the students be exposed to some form of simulation, Adekunle (2008) noted that instructional materials mean anything that can assist the teacher in promoting teaching and learning. When the students are given the chance to learn through more senses than one, they can learn faster and easier.

The use of instructional materials provides the teacher with interesting and compelling platforms for conveying information since they motivate learners to learn more. Furthermore the teacher is assisted in overcoming physical difficulties that could have hindered his effective presentation of a given topic. Larson (2001) quoted Lane (1994) who noted that the use of electronically mediated instruction to duplicate the traditional face to face classroom has resulted in a shift from teacher- to student-centred classes. In this situation the responsibility for learning is shifted to the students. The teacher facilitates the learning by acting as a coach, resource guide and companion in learning.

The use of instructional materials does not only encourage teachers and students to work collaboratively but also results in more cooperative learning activities among the students. Ikerionwu (2000) refers to instructional materials as objects or devices which help the teacher to make learning meaningful to the learners. Similarly, Ezegbe (1994) classified them into two as visual materials, made up of reading and non-reading materials and audiovisual materials comprising electrically operated and non-electrically operated materials.

Osakwe and Itedjere (1993) summarized these resources as textual like books, audio-visual and human resources. They stated that these resources are either used individually or collectively in any meaningful teaching and learning situation. The purpose of instructional materials is to promote efficiency of education by improving the quality of teaching and learning. Incorporating these tools and materials present, support and reinforces teaching.

According to Aduwa-Ogiegbaen and Imogie (2005) these materials and resources including audio tape recorders, video tape recorders, slide projectors, opaque projectors, over head projectors, still pictures, programmed instruction, filmstrips, maps, chart, graphs and many more offer a variety of learning experiences individually or in combination to meet different teaching and learning experiences.

Conceptual framework on instructional materials

According to Nwachukwu (2006), instructional 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. Teachers use different instructional materials to motivate teaching and learning process. Teachers often make use of textbooks, charts, models, graphics, as well as improvised materials.

Ezegbe (2004) defines instructional materials as all the tools teachers use to teach their students. Excellent instructional material has a big impact on the students learning since students learn most by doing. Ezegbe (2004) further stated that instructional materials are a combination of both audio and visual materials since the two senses of hearing and seeing must be stimulated to facilitate adequate teaching and learning process. The instructional material serves as an aid for instruction. Through this, the teacher will be able to make his/her strategies in teaching more effective and meaningful. It is much easier also for students to learn and understand their lesson as well as acquire the skills necessary in the field (Ezegbe, 2004)

Ikerionwu (2010) stated that instructional materials include textbooks, charts, maps, audiovisual and electronic instructional materials such as radio, tape recorder, television and video tape recorder. Other category according to Ikerionwu (2010) of material resources consist of paper supplies and writing materials such as pens, eraser, exercise books, crayon, chalk, drawing books, notebooks, pencil, ruler, slate, workbooks and so on. He also professed that the magnitude of instruction are more scientific base; make instruction more powerful; make learning more immediate and finally make access to education more equal.

The success in the skill and knowledge acquisition in an instructional situation depends on the suitability of the instructional material, adequacy and effective utilization of the available materials (Olaitan & Agusiobo, 2009). Also, the relevance of instructional materials to the objective of the lesson and the ease of use of the instructional materials are serious considerations in instructional materials utilization to better the learner’s performance.

Types of instructional materials

According to Arisi (2008) instructional materials could be classified into:

1. Visual materials: This are materials used in teaching and learning which include pictures, diagrams buildings, projectors, teachers themselves, charts, real objects (realia), etc. These materials such as books, newspapers, journals, magazines, pamphlets, handouts, etc.
2. Audio materials: These are materials such as tape recording, cassette, cartridge, radio, dice, teleture, teleconferencing, language laboratory, teachers’ voice. They appeal to the sense of hearing of the learners.
3. Audio-visual materials: These materials include the television, video recording motion pictures with sound tracks, slide and film trips projection with sound tapes, films and multimedia. They appeal to both the sense of hearing and sight.
4. Materials/software: These include graphic materials, printed materials, slide, filmstrips. Overhead transparency, tapes cassettes and motion pictures.
5. Equipment/hardware: Examples include chalkboards, tape recorders, projectors and video recorders. They are used in presenting materials, static or display such as chalkboard, flannel graph, flip charts, magnetic board are also used in presenting materials or lectures.
6. Electronics: This comprises of radio, computer, e-mail, multimedia. These teaching materials makes teaching and learning process more easy and concrete.
7. Non-projected media: These include books and other printed materials, objects specimens, models, mock-up graphical materials, bulletin boards, buildings, field trips, stimulations and games.
8. Two-dimensional instructional materials: These include flat pictures, graphs, chart diagrams, posters, conics, cartoons, slides, films, trips and films. They are also non-projected materials with characteristics of being flat light and may be either in opaque or transparent form. They have length but no height; hence they are two (2) dimensional aids.
9. Three-dimensional institutional material: These are mock-up objects, specimen, laboratories, stimulation and games. They are non-projected materials. Characteristically, they have length, breath, height, hence they are called three (3) dimensional.

Importance of instructional materials

For learning and teaching process to be effectively carried out, the teacher or instructor must be able to stimulate the students in order to paint a mental picture of what is being referred to. According to Dahar and Faize (2011), the following are the importance of instructional materials:

1. Best motivators: They are the best motivators. Students work with more interest and zeal when instructional materials are used in the course of teaching and learning process.
2. Fundamental to verbal instructions: They help to reduce verbalism which is a major weakness of our schools. They convey the same meaning as words mean. They give clear concepts and thus help to bring accuracy in learning.
3. Clear images: Clear images are formed when we see, hear, touch, taste and smell as our experiences are direct, concrete and more or less permanent. Learning through the senses becomes the most natural and consequently the easiest.
4. Vicarious experience: Everyone agrees to the fact that the first hand experience is the best type of educative experience but such an experience cannot always be provided to the pupils and so in some situations certain substitutes have to be provided. For this we find a large number of inaccessible objects and phenomenon.
5. Variety: Instructional materials provide variety and provide different tools in the hands of the teacher.
6. Freedom: The use of instructional material provide various occasions for the students to move about, talk, laugh and comment upon. Under such an atmosphere the students work because they want to work and not because the teacher wants them to work.
7. Opportunities to handle and manipulate: The use of instructional materials in teaching and learning process provides immense opportunities to the students to see, handle and manipulate things in the course of teaching and learning.

Implications of dearth of instructional materials in teaching and learning

Adeogun (2001) discovered a very strong positive significant relationship between instructional materials and academic performance. According to him, schools endowed with more resources performed better than schools that are less endowed. He discovered a low level of instructional resources available in public schools and stated that our public schools are starved of both teaching and learning instructional materials. He expresses that effective teaching cannot take place within the classroom if basic instructional materials are not present.

Fuller (2006) suggested that the quality of instructional materials and experience in their usage possess by the teacher determines quality the quality of education of the learner. Mwiria (2005) also supports that students’ performance is affected by the quality and quantity of instructional materials used by the teacher. The author noted that institutions with adequate facilities such as textbooks stand a better chance of performing well in examination than poorly equipped ones.

According to Muthamia (2009), teachers can only be effective and productive in their work if they have adequate and relevant facilities. In addition, Makau (2006) stated that instructional materials such as textbook and science equipment for both teachers and students are key variable in student’s learning and performance at all school levels. Furthermore, Maundu (2007) states that instructional resources play an important role in explaining the wide variation in academic performance among the students.

For effective teaching and learning, textbook and resource materials are basic tools, in absence or inadequacy makes teachers handle subjects in an abstract manner, portraying it a dry and non exciting. In addition, Ayot and Briggs (2012) point out that poor results in education relates to the amount of resources and instructional materials allocated to it. This study dwelt more on textbooks and integration of ICT in education as they are critical instructional materials.

Problems associated with inappropriate use of instructional materials

Inside of the increasing popularity that the instructional materials have gained in the educational system, there are certain problems to be faced if they inappropriately used. These are according to Ekpo (2011):

1. Apathy of the teacher: It has not yet been possible to convince the teacher that teaching with words alone is quite tedious, wasteful and ineffective.
2. Indifference of students: The judicious use of instructional materials arouses interest but when used without a definite purpose they lose their significance and purpose.
3. Ineffectiveness of the instructional materials: Because of lack of proper planning and lethargy of teacher as also without proper preparation, correct presentation, appropriate applica­tion and essential follow up work, the instructional materials have not proved their usefulness. A film like a good lesson has various steps-preparation, presentation, application and discussion.
4. Financial hurdles: Most teachers have always complain that the use instructional materials is expensive and most of the time, they are not willing to spend money to acquire these materials, therefore lead to not using them in the process of teaching and learning.
5. Absence of electricity: Most of the projectors cannot work without electric current and so the non-availability of electricity is creating a hurdle in the proper use of instructional materials that require electricity to function properly.

Solutions to dearth of instructional materials

Teacher quality has long been and will continue to be an important issue to parents, educators and policymakers and to that extent therefore, there will be need for a legislation framework to be enacted to act as a watch dog over the teacher preparation programmes across the nation. In the light of the importance of use of instructional materials in teaching and learning process, Adeogun (2001) recommended that the following are some of the solution to dearth of instructional materials in teaching and learning process:

• Principals and the management of schools and colleges should provide adequate instructional materials and learning facilities to their institutions of learning for effective teaching and learning.
• The Ministry of Education should enhance and enforce regular inspection schools and colleges to ensure conformity to standard guidelines in the use of instructional materials.
• There is need for all stakeholders including the Federal, State and Local Governments and the Private sector to contribute financially and materially in the provision of instructional materials and resources for the teaching and learning process
• There should be organization of regular workshops/seminars for teachers, head teachers and principals on the importance and current developments and progress in the use of instructional materials and resources in teaching and learning
• School Heads, Principals and officials of the Ministry of Education should ensure regular supervision to enhance effective use of instructional materials and resources in teaching and learning process.

References

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