TABLES OF CONTENTS
Title
page
Approval
page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table of Content
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Research Problem 6
1.3 Purpose
of the Study 8
1.4 Significance
of the Study 9
1.5 Research
Question 9
1.6 Research
Hypothesis 10
1.7 Scope
of the Study 10
1.8 Definition
of Terms 11
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
2.1 the
concept of improvisation 12
2.2 The
important of improvisation in the teaching of biology 14
2.3 Teachers
use of improvisation in biology teaching
construction
of techniques in improvisation 16
2.3 Problem
faced by teachers when improvising
instructional material 22
2.5 Construction
Techniques in Improvisation 27
2.6 Problem
of improvisation in biology 30
2.7 Theoretical
Framework 31
2.8 Appraisal
of the related literature reviewed 37
CHAPTER
THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
Design 39
3.2 Population
of the Study 40
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Techniques 40
3.4 Instruction
for Data Collection 41
3.5 Validation
of the Instrument 42
3.6 Reliability
of the instrument 42
3.7 Administration
of the Instrument 42
3.8 Data
Analysis Techniques 43
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.0 INTRODUCTION 44
4.1 Analysis
of Research Question 45
4.2 Test
of Hypotheses 53
4.3 Discussion
56
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
of the Study 58
5.2 Conclusion 60
5.2 Implication
of the Study 61
5.3 Recommendation 61
5.4 Limitation
of the Study 62
5.5 Suggestion
for Further Research 63
REFERENCES 64
APPENDIX 72
ABSTRACT
The study intends to findout the effect of improvised instructional
materials on the teaching and learning of biology in some selected secondary
schools in Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State. The sample
comprised of one hundred (100) secondary
school students and thirty teachers randomly sampled from 10 schools in the
local Government Area. The data
collected was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and t-test
statistics. The findings revealed that students taught with improvised instructional
materials performed better than those taught without instructional materials.
Also there is no significant difference in the mean achievement scores of male
and female students. The null hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance
indicated that there is significant difference between the achievement scores
of those taught with instructional materials and those taught without
instructional materials. It was therefore recommended that instructional
materials be used in teaching in secondary schools because it has positive
impact on student’s performance.
CHAPTERONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Innovation in education is the act of producing new things
that are important and that will enhance teaching and learning effectively. Improvisation
is the act of making science teaching and learning materials from locally available
resources.
Eniayeju, (2000) viewed improvisation as the
“art of substituting for the real thing”. Another important view about
improvisation is by Alonge (1990) who sees improvisation as not only the
production of import-substitution of materials of real thing, rather it is an
activity in promoting curiosity, alertness, endurance and perseverance all of
which are indispensable to science scientists and learning as a whole. Johnson (2002)
defines improvisation as the process of productive thinking that can generate tangible
outcome or product.
Similarly for those concerned with appliedfields, improvised
productivity means the quality of output in the form of socially and
technologically recognized products. However, in science it implies another
kind of quantity output as a result of production. The products in
improvisation must be less in cost when they are compared with the commercially
constructed ones. Improvisation could be modeling of an original object, or
copying the construction of an object or equipment to a high degree of accuracy
(Lowe,1990).
Learning is a permanent change in behaviours. Learning is
assumed to have taken place if a change is confirmed. This could be through the
new activity the learner is able to perform. Instructional material simply
means the teaching device that helps the teacher to clarify, establish,
correlate and coordinate various concepts, interpretations and applications.
(Balogun, 1992).
Instructional materials are learning resources that help in
teaching and learning processes, which help the teacher to deliver his lesson
during the course of his teaching. They can also be referred to as relevant and
cheaply selected tools or equipment that are usually incorporated in the
teaching and learning process in order to boost or enhance effective teaching
and learning activities in the classroom or any other environment where formal
educational system take place.
The search for efficient and effective delivery of
instruction to students has always been major concern of science educators.
This is so as a result of repeated mss failure recorded in West African Senior
Secondary School Examination (WASSCE). Among other factors that could be
responsible for this failure are the instructional materials which definitely
must have a significant role to play in teaching and learning process.
Instructional materials are defined by different scholars though they convey
the same meaning when interpreted. Instructional material could be explained as
devices through which knowledge, skills, attitude, ideas, beliefs and values
got transmitted to the learner by the teacher in order to ease
teaching-learning process. Akinbi (1991) defined instructional materials as
materials designed to enrich the teaching and learning processes and hence
contribute to better learning. Leohard (2001) conceived instructional materials
as “ a wide range of materials and devices, designed to provide realistic image
and substitute experiences in order to enrich curricular experiences of many
kinds”. From the above mentioned meanings of instructional materials, the best
way of helping pupils to learn is to bring them face to face with the world
which education intends to introduce to them (Mkpa,(1999)). He stressed further
that one way this can be attained is by using real objects in real life
situations for instruction. Where real lifesituation are not possible, the
alternative is for the teacher to use improvised instructional materials of
real life situation. These improvised instructional materials are materials,
devices and techniques that help the teacher to make realistic approach to his
job. Whether real or substitutes, these improvised instructional materials have
a common goal. They help the teacher to convey the intended message effectively
and meaningfully to the learners so that the learners receive, understand,
retain and apply the experience gained to reach overall educational goals. Some
authors have written to classify the types of instructional materials that may
be used in teaching and learning ( Ezegbe, (1990), Adjai, (2000) Ukeje, (2002)).
Generally, according to the classification, we have audio-aids:-those
resources that appeal to the sense of hearing only; visual aids:-those that
appeal to the senseof sight only; and audio-visual aids those that appeal both
senses of hearing and sight at the same time. While some of these materials are
difficult to procure, on account of their cost and availability, many can be
improvised by the resourceful leader.
In a nut
shell, improvised instructional materials are teaching materialsdesign and
produce from the available local materials in order to enhance effectiveteaching
and learning in schools.Improvised instructional material is a method or way of
minimizing loss ofequipment and materials and an inexpensive method of widening
the scope ofinquiry. Improvised instructional material is a meaningful attempt
towardsfinding suitable substitute or alternative to conventional science
materials. Dueto state of our nation's economy, Teachers, students, school
authorities andcommunities should engage in improvising instructional materials
in order to: develop in
students and teachers adequate skill for improvisation, this will generate
interest and motivation for indigenous technology,have practical and physical
links between science and theory, eradicate
the menace of lack of or inadequate instructionalmaterials for science,sensitize both students and teachers
that alternatives for someof the conventional science teaching materials are
possible and achieve the set out educational objectives through the use
ofimprovised instructional materials in teaching.
Biology teachers should find out those
materials that could beimprovised without; much cost,
many complications in handlingand
losing the originality of the concepts to be taught.
Improvised instructional materials
make teaching biological concepts more interesting to both students and
teachers in the classroom, improvised materials are usually simple and may not
have perfect finishing, because they are made from local raw resources that are
acceptable to students. Improvised instructional materials help Biology and
other science students to realize that science has to do with ordinary things
and will possibly motivate them to carry out experiments and learning
activities themselves using improvised materials, Johnson (2000).
Zarewa (1991) as sited by Johnson
(2000), noted that no matter how rich and generous educational authorities
might be they are not always in position to provide their schools with all the
materials they may need. Therefore, the schools,students and teachers might be
obliged to make the most of what they can get orconstruct from locally
available raw materials.
For instance certain things like
herbarium press, aquarium tank, and woodensplint can easily be improvised by
competent science teachers instead of waitingfor supplies by the educational
authorities.
1.2 StatementoftheProblem
The relevance of education in any
society cannot be understated. It is regarded as the single potent factor that
leads to the improvement of an individual as well as society. The need to
provide basic formal education to all schools whether public or private sector
in Akoko South East Local Government Area is therefore a paramount social
responsibility. The question of how credible students, teachers education
programmed is in terms of effectiveness and appropriateness of improvised
instructional materials has remained a major issue of interest to many people
in Ondo State and environs.
The quality of instruction, teachers
and equipment in Biology are usually considered sub-standard, inadequate
equipment and lack of teachers contribute to the poor teaching of Biology
education. Many schools do not have Biology laboratory and teachers are often
unqualified. Research has shown that poor perception over the production of
improvised instructional materials in schools, low level of utilization of
these materials, non challant attitude of teachers towards improvisation of
materials, poor funding, lack of equipment, laboratories are majorcauses of
poor educational materials (resources) in the impermanent of Biology education
programmed. For learning to be meaningful and permanent, it is necessary that
improvised instructional materials should be used. Therefore this study is
aimed at investigating the use of improvised instructional materials for
effective teaching and learning of Biology in Akoko South East Local Government
Area.
1.3 PurposeoftheStudy.
This study is designed to investigate
the use of improvised instructional materials for effective teaching and
learning of Biology among some selected secondary school in Akoko South East
Local Government.
The specific objective will be to:
i.
Investigate the positive and negative attitude of
Biology teachers towards instructional materials in teaching Biology
ii.
To investigate if students taught with improvised
instructional materials perform better than students taught with conventional
method.
iii.
To find out the problem associated with the use of
improvised instructional materials in teaching biology.
iv.
To determine the impact of instructional materials
on students academic performance in biology.
v.
To find out the attitude of biology students
towards the use of instructional materials.
1.4 Significanceofthestudy.
Findings from this study may reveal clearly the attitudes
of Biology teacher towards improvisation. This will serve as a pointer to the
prevailing condition in our schools. Both administrators and teachers, trainers
may benefit from the findings and may enlighten them about the usefulness of
improvised materials to the teachers, it may encourage them to know that some
topics can be taught using improvised materials.
1.5 Researchquestions.
The research questions formulated for the purpose of this
study are stated below:
i.
What are the attitude of biology teachers towards
instructional materials?
ii.
What are the impact of instructional materials on
students academic performance in biology?
iii.
What are the problem associated with the use of
instructional materials in teaching biology?
iv.
What are the attitude of biology students towards
the use of instructional materials?
v.
Does students taught with improvised instructional
materials perform better than students taught without improvised instructional
materials?
1.6 ResearchHypotheses
In addition to the research questions, the following
hypotheses were formulated and tested:
i.
There is no significant relationship between
students taught with improvised instructional materials and those taught
without improvised instructional materials.
ii.
There is no significant relationship between
attitude of male and female toward the use of improvised instructional
materials on students academic performance.
1.7 ScopeoftheStudy
This research work investigate the use of improvised
instructional materials in teaching and learning of Biology. The study is
limited to all teachers and students of Biology at the senior secondary level
in Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State.
1.8 Definitionofterms
In order to make this study meaningful, some of the terms
used are explained. The major concepts in this study which need clear
definitions of their operational meaning as used in this terms are:
Improvisation: this is
the process of devising a solution to a requirement by making do despite
absence of resources that might be expected to produce a solution.
Instructional
materials: these are materials or objects which aids teaching and learning
in classroom.
Improvised
instructional materials: it make teaching biological concepts more
interesting to both students and teachers in the classroom.
Equipment: this is
anything kept, furnished or provided for a specific purpose.
Teacher: it
refers to as educator or schoolteacher who is a person who provide education
for students.
Students: this is
a pupil, is a learner or someone who attends an educational institution.
Academic
performance: this is the requirement of students to maintain
a satisfactory academic record and meet the obligations of the courses in which
they are enrolled.