CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Historically, according to Raiser (2001), in 1900s teachers were the primary means through which instruction was presented to learners. But in 1905, the first school museum was built in St. Louis. School museums housed supplemental instructional materials that could aid teachers when teaching different topics. Increased interest in visual media and instructional films led to the visual instruction movement. In 1910, the first catalogue of instructional films was developed to be used in the classroom. Thomas Edison predicted in 1913 that books will soon be obsolete in schools. Scholars will soon be instructed through the eye. It is possible to teach every branch of knowledge with the motion of picture. Our school system will completely be changed in the next ten years. As a result, five national professional organizations were established visual instruction, five journals began to publish information about visual instruction, and more than 20 teacher-training institutions began offering visual instruction courses.

During the 1920-1930s, technological advances increased interest in instructional media and as a result the audio-visual instruction movement began. In 1923, the association for educational communications and technology was founded. Also, by the 1930s people believed, that due to the advances in radio broadcasting, that the radio would be a medium that would revolutionize education. Unfortunately, the radio did not have as big of an impact on instructional practices as audio-visual enthusiasts predicted.  Moreover, Reiser (2001), recounted that in the 1940s, World War II led instructional designers to design and develop instructional films that would train military personnel for combat. Instructional films were also developed to aid US citizens that were entering the business and industry field. The films were success because they could train individuals quicker without taking away training effectiveness.

At the end of World War II the German chief of General staff stated they had everything calculated except the speed America used to train its people. He reiterated that their major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education. Given the success in military films, there was a renewed interest in instructional films for classroom use in schools. Media comparison research studies compared how much students learned after being presented with instruction via a specific instructional medium, films and radio, with how much students learned through teacher-led instruction on the same topic.

During the 1950s leaders in the audio-visual movement became interested in theories and models of communication. Authors of the models stated that when planning for communication, it is important to think about each stage of the communication process. The process involved sending through a channel or instructional to reach the receiver of the information. In 1963 David Berlo emphasized that communication was primary and media was secondary. Communicating is essential for learning to occur.

Instructional television made a huge growth during the 1950s as well. In 1952, the Federal communications commission set aside 242 channels for educational purposes unfortunately, some people believed that the instructional quality of some of the programs were mediocre. Along with teacher resistance, installation expenses and the meritocracy of the instructional television programs instructional television was discarded by the mid1960s. By the early 1970s, instructional media still had not made a big impact on educational practices. Also, according to Reiser (2001), in the 1950s, computers were utilized by researchers at IBM. The researchers developed computer-assisted instruction (CAI) author language and developed the first CAI program to be used in public schools. In elementary schools, computers were mostly used for drill and practice or they were utilized to teach computer-related skills such as typing but, the wide-spread interest in computers as a medium of instruction did not occur until the 1980s.Since then, the instructional technology field has expanded and changed. The field is constantly evolving with the introduction of new technologies. Some technological advances have revolutionized how instructional technology is being utilized. These modern instructional developments are: utilization of the internet, distance education opportunities, learner centered learning environments, virtual environments such as second life, wikis and blogs.

Before the coming of missionaries in Cameroon, traditional societies in Cameroon had their own means of providing education to the new generation, which was growing up. There was no formal education, however the young ones were taught through storytelling, and through tribal traditions. Under this system of education, the youth grew to become brave and skilled men and women; men became hunters, soldiers and craft workers, while women became good mothers and food gatherers and craft workers, (Ajayi, et al. 1999).

Formal education which was introduced in Cameroon by the missionaries became the responsibility of colonial masters (Germany, Britain, and France). The Baptist missionary were the first to visit Cameroon and the first school was opened by Joseph Merrick in 1844 in Bimbia, and the second was opened by Alfred Saker in Bethel in Douala in 1845. Schools were also opened in Bota for craftsmanship, local pastors acted as teachers in these schools. Students were also taught carpentry and how to make blocks. In financing the schools, they were financed by the missions themselves and the home board of London Based Baptist Missionary society, (Oni 1992).

The origins of measuring academic performance date back to the 1830s. Education advocates Horace Mann and Samuel Gridley Howe used a standardized test to evaluate student progress in Boston. Kansas school administrator Frederick J. Kelly advanced the idea of standardized testing with the Kansas Silent Reading Test in 1914. This multiple-choice test was used to decrease grading time and standardize student evaluations. IBM employee Reynold B. Johnson developed a grading machine in 1934 that could grade test sheets by picking up the electrical current created by pencil marks. Henry Chauncey developed the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) in 1934 to evaluate scholarship candidates at Harvard University and University of Iowa Professor E.F. Lindquist created the first version of the American College Test (ACT) in 1959.

The Cameroon Ministry of secondary Education had distinguished three main components of the competence to be taught: subject competence (knowledge), transversal competence (knowledge resulting from all the subjects in a child’s learning) and life competence which results from the development of the right attitudes, behaviour, and problem solving skills for real life situations. Richard (2006) for his part identifies the nature of objectives according to the CBA. To him objectives are broken into narrowly focused sub objectives, so that both teachers and students can get a clear sense of progress. Richards and Rodgers (2001) further opines that each approach needs specific teaching materials in order to realize the aim of its foundation. Therefore, for the implementation of the CBA to be effective, the instructional materials must be the ones that can motivate the learners and provide information in interesting way, bring the real life situation and cultural information to the classroom, supply learner with real exposure and meet the needs of the learner. The CBA advocates the learner-centred approach in which the learning process is central. Field and Drysdale (1991) point out some of the aspects of a learner-centred approach such as the use of individualized materials, flexible learning time and continued feedback. In this regard, the implementation of CBA should ensure that all aspects of a learner- centred approach are included in the learning process. The Learning environment in the CBA is therefore directed towards the development of competencies at the end of any study program (Kirschner et al, 1997.

Instructional materials are essential and significant tools needed for teaching and learning of school subjects to promote teacher’s efficiency and improve student’s performance. They make learning more interesting, practical, realistic and appealing to students. They also enable both the teachers and students to participate actively and effectively in lesson sessions. They give room for acquisition of skills, knowledge and development of self-confidence and self-actualization. Ibeneme (2000) defines teaching aids as those materials used for practical and demonstration in the class situation by teachers and students. Ikerionwu (2000) saw instructional materials as objects or devices that assist the teacher to present a lesson to the learners in a logical manner.

In his own perspective, Fadeiye (2005) saw instructional materials as visual and audio-visual aids, concrete or non-concrete, used by teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning activities. Agina -Obu (2005) submitted that, instructional materials of all kind appeal to the sense organ during teaching and learning. Isola (2010) also described instructional materials as objects or devices that assist the teachers to present their lesson logically and sequentially to the learners. Oluwagbohunmi and Abdu -Raheem (2014) acknowledge the fact that the instructional materials are such used by teachers to aid explanations and make learning of subject matter understandable to students during teaching and learning process.

In addition, Ajayi and Ayodele (2001) stressed on the importance of availability of instructional materials to achieving effectiveness in educational delivery and supervision in the school system. Ogbondah (2008) alerted on the gross inadequacy and underutilization of instructional materials necessary to compensate for the inadequacies of sense organ and to reinforce the capacity of dominant organs. He noted that school teachers should try their possible best in the provision of locally made materials in substitution for the standard ones to promote their lessons. Enaigbe (2009) basic materials such as text books, chalkboard and essential equipment’s such as computer, projector, television, are not readily available in many schools.

Furthermore, olumorin (2010) observed that instructional materials help teachers to teach conveniently and the learners to learn easily without any problem. They asserted that instructional materials have direct contact with all sense organ. Kochhar (2012) supported that, instructional materials are very significant learning and teaching tools. He suggested the need for teachers to find necessary materials for instruction to supplement what textbooks provide in order to broaden concepts and arouse students’ interest in the subject. According to Abolade (2009) the advantage of instructional materials is that, they are good and can be used to teach a large number of students at the same time. It also encourages learners to pay attention and enhance their interest.

However, Akinleye (2010) attested that effective teaching and learning requires a teacher to teach the students with instructional materials and use practical activities to make learning more vivid, logical, realistic and pragmatic. Esu (2004) agreed that the instructional materials are indispensable to the effective teaching and learning activities. Ekpo (2004) also supported that teaching aids are always useful in supporting the sense organs. Despite the fact that instructional materials are essential tools that can make learning practical and knowledge acquisition easier, they are not readily available in secondary school leading to low performance of learners in government examination. (Abdu-Raheem 2014)

According to Abiodun -Oyebanji and Adu (2007) instructional materials are all things that are used to support, facilitate, influence, or encourage acquisition of knowledge, competency and skills. Abdu-Raheem (2014) encourage teachers to improvise teaching aids because they are in great measure enhance learner’s full participation in the lesson, gives room for inquiry, problem- solving, discussion and clarification of issues and ideas among students and their teacher. Afolabi and Adeleke (2010) identified non-availability, inadequacy and non-utilization of learning materials as a result of teachers’ poor knowledge as factor responsible for the use of lecture method during teaching. They recommended that, both teachers, students, parent /teachers association, government should be involved in improvising instructional materials for teaching and learning in secondary schools.

Therefore, Ogbondah (2008) advocated for teachers resourcefulness and also encourage them to search for necessary instructional materials through local means to supplement or replace the standard ones.  Oso (2011) also agreed that the best way for teachers to make use of their skills is to improvise so as to achieve their lesson objectives at least to a reasonable extent. Jekayinfa (2012) also identified the importance of instructional materials as making learning concrete and real, allowing students to participate in the production of materials and more teacher student resource oriented.

• Statement Of The Problem

One of the major problems facing the education sector is the low level of performance of students in secondary school both in classroom and national examinations especially in secretariat administration and communication. It was observed that students fail in examinations because of the lack of essential teaching aids for instructional delivery. Teaching aids like computers, real objects and audio-visuals are not available for the teaching and learning process. This therefore affects students the performance  and reduce the rate of acquisition of skills and competence of students of secretariat administration and communication.. Also, students turn to run away from secretariat administration and communication option because of the lack of instructional materials. This is because the use of instructional materials will enhance performance and build competency in the students.

• Research Questions

1.3.1 Main research question

The main research question of this study is to examine the effect of instructional materials on students performance.

Specific questions

1. What is the effect of computer on students’ performance in Bamenda III?
2. How does real objects influence students’ performance in Bamenda III?
3. What is the effect of audio-visuals on students ‘performance in Bamenda III?

• Research objectives

1.4.1 Main Research objective

The main research objective is to find out the extent to which instructional materials affect students performance

1.4.2 Specific Research  objectives

1. To examine the effect of computers on students’ performance in Bamenda III.

2 To find out the influence of real objects on students’ performance Bamenda III.

3 To investigate the effect of audio-visuals students’ performance Bamenda III.