CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Teaching aid according to Jerome (2016), refers to devices that allow the teachers to make his
intention clear enough so that students can grasp them. Dale (2019), see teaching aid as those
sensory objects, images which initiates, or stimulate learning. Teaching aid is an object (such
as a book, picture, or map) or device (such as a dvd or computer) used by a teacher to
enhance or enliven classroom instruction audiovisual teaching aids Walter (2018). Over the
years, researchers have blamed the poor performance of students in public examinations on
the wrong choice of teaching methods. Teaching and learning activities have a lot to do with
other variables, such as teaching aids, teacher‟s qualification, school environment variables,
and students‟ factors. In this study, teaching aids is the focus in order to unveil their effects
on the academic achievement of students. The importance of teaching aids in any
teaching/learning process cannot be over emphasized. This is for the fact that such aids
enhance, facilitate and make teaching/learning easy, lively and concrete. Teaching aids are
the devices developed or acquired to assist or facilitate teachers in transmitting an organized
knowledge, skills and attitudes to the learners within an instructional situation (Nwachukwu,
2006). To be precised, teaching aids are educational resources used for illustrating the content
of instruction, thereby making learning more concrete and less abstract. The sequence in
which learners encounter materials has direct effect on the achievement of the task. In
providing closer experience to real situation, teaching aids enhances acquisition and retention
of information. Teaching aids not only provide the necessary concrete experience but also
help students integrate prior experience.

The place of teaching aids in the effective implementation of any educational programme
cannot be under-mined. Teaching aids perform such functions as the extension of the range
of experience available to learners, supplement and complement the teacher‟s verbal
explanations thereby making learning experience richer and providing the teacher with
interest into a wide variety of learning activities. Teaching aids supplement, clarify, vitalize,
emphasize instruction and enhance learning in the process of transmitting knowledge, ideas,
skills and attitude. This calls for teacher‟s resourcefulness and improvisation on the parts of
the Biology teachers. The ability of the teacher to make us of “local” materials in place of
“standard” ready-made materials makes lesson more effective and improved students‟
achievement. The use of teaching aids is important if one is to successfully deliver a lesson to
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students and make sure that the objective of that lesson is being achieved. This is since
comprehension of anything learnt in school depends on the teacher‟s presentation and the
reality of the subject matter.
According to Moore (2011), the wide use of variety of teaching aids spices up a lesson and
sharpens student‟s attention and interest. Also, the use of videotapes in presenting examples
and non-examples of concepts, for instance, will act as an effective lesson stimulus. Teaching
aids are in various classes, such as audio or aural, visual or audio-visual. Thus, audio teachingaids refer to those devices that make use of the sense of hearing only, like radio, audio tape
recording, and television. Visual teaching aids on the other hand, are those devices that
appeal to the sense of sight only such as the chalkboard, chart, slide, and filmstrip. While an
audio-visual teaching aid is a combination of devices which appeal to the sense of both
hearing and seeing such as television, motion picture and the computer. Among the teaching
aids the classroom teacher uses, the visuals out-numbered the combination of the audio and
audio-visual.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
The study and mastery of Biology is a major objective of Cameroon education. The
achievement of this objective requires the concern of both the government and private owners
of schools in collaboration with classroom teachers. There is a great need for proper
provision materials and Biology science Laboratory Apparatus in the teaching of Biology
also utilization of instructional materials in order to achieve the objective of the emphasis laid
on the importance of biological science laboratory apparatus in the teaching of biology in
senior secondary schools at all levels of our educational system. Provision and improvisation
of Biology science Laboratory Apparatus and their proper utilization instructional materials
(teaching aids) on biology lesson, undoubtedly will improve the teaching and learning
outcome of the subject and the learners. Despite the desire for technological development,
couple with the fact that Biology is a very vital subject for technological development and as
such, its teaching and learning as well as students‟ poor academic performance have become
a source of concern to all stakeholders. Biology remain a fundamental science subject in the
Cameroon‟s curriculum. As a subject, biology is actively related and resource based.
Nevertheless, these objectives are hardly achieved as many biology teachers‟ resorts rather to
giving of bulky notes with less used of teaching aids or hand on training. This has led to many children disliking the subject. This problem prompted this study, which is to investigate
the influence of teaching aids on the academic performance of Biology students .
1.3 Research Questions
Biology remain a fundamental science subject in the Cameroon‟s curriculum. As a subject,
biology is actively related and resource based. Nevertheless, these objectives are hardly
achieved as many biology teachers‟ resorts rather to giving of bulky notes with less used of
teaching aids or hand on training. This has led to many children disliking the subject. This
problem prompted this study, which will arouse interest of students in this subject, which
brings us to questions such as;
 Do teachers use teaching aids in teaching and learning of biology in CCAST
Bambili,GBHS Bayelle and GBHS Bamendankwen?
 What are the teaching aids used in the teaching of biology in CCAST Bambili,GBHS
Bayelle and GBHS Bamendankwen?
 Do these teaching aids affect students‟ academic performance in CCAST
Bambili,GBHS Bayelle and GBHS Bamendankwen?
1.4 The Research Objective of the Study
1.4.1 Main research objective
The main objective of the study is to determine the relations between teaching aids and
students academic performance in biology in CCAST Bambili,GBHS Bayelle and GBHS
Bamendankwen;

1.4.2 Specific Research Objective
 To find out how often teachers use teaching aids in teaching and learning of biology
in CCAST Bambili, GBHS Bayelle and GBHS Bamendankwen.
 To identify the teaching aids used during teaching and learning of biology
 To assess the teaching aids affect students‟ academic performance in CCAST
Bambili, GBHS Bayelle and GBHS Bamendankwen.