Using Visual Instructional Materials in Teaching Biology in Secondary Schools
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study mainly sought to investigate the effect of the use of visual aids on students’ achievement in Biology.
Specifically, it tends to determine:
- The effect of the use of visual aids on students’ achievement in Biology.
- The effect of the use of visual aids on male and female students’ achievement in Biology.
- The interactive effect of method and gender on students achievement in Biology.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Theoretical frame work
Almost every educational reformer has expressed deep concern over the excessive use of words that carry the shadow of meaning but not the substance. Several educationists have struggled to make education realistic. One of such educationist was Dale, E. (1969) who became the chief exponent of visual aids in teaching. He was the originator of the „cone of experience‟. The diagram presented in his book “audiovisual method in teaching.” All the learning experiences can be utilized for classroom teaching. Edger Dale presented all the learning experiences in his pictorial device “pinnacle form” which he called the „cone of experience‟ if we group the pinnacle from its based, we find that every aid has been arranged in the order of increasing abstractness or decreasing directness. It may be stated that the cone‟ classifies the visual aids according to their effectiveness in communication which means the materials at the base of the cone as “most effective” and relative effect gradually decreases in the cone. Al the pinnacle of the cone, the direct, purposeful and verbal experiences are represented. The experiences include in the cone were as follows:
- Direct, purposeful experience that is seen, handled, tasted, felt, touched and smelt, the experience that is grained through the senses. These experiences are not only direct but are also purposeful. Purposeful means that the experiences are active with a purpose. “An ounce of experience is better than a tone of theory, simply because it is only an experience that any theory has vital and verifiable significance”.
- Contrived experience is like a working model, which is an editing of reality differs from the original either in size or in complexity. The simplification of the real object becomes necessary when the real thing cannot be perceived directly. The real object may be too big or too minute, may be obscured or confused or concealed. In such circumstances, the limitation is preferred for better and easier understanding. The „cone‟ proposed by Edgar Dale was the earliest attempt to classify the visual aids according to their effectiveness in communicating ideas. The cone classifies sensory materials in terms of greater or less concreteness and abstractness as learning experiences. Projected materials occupy a top position and are considered to be more effective in teaching than the non projected materials. Figure. 2.2.1 depicts a practical cone classifying deferent materials with reference to their relative effectiveness.
General Instructional Materials
Instructional materials are all the objects, things, people and places use to promote the teaching and learning process. The organized combination and utilization of materials facilities equipment and people ease the presentation content for the realization of stated objectives, Ema and Ajayi (2004) state that instructional materials are all the tools, which can be used by the teacher to provide help and encouragement to learners` learning activities. In addition, Jocob (1999) stated that instructional materials are anything and anybody that can be used by the teacher and learners before, during and after the lesson to facilitate the achievement of objectives. In other words, instructional materials are devices that facilitate the transmission, understanding and appreciation of concepts, skills, values and attitudes. The reason is that, the uses of such materials task the various sense organs of the learners, encouraging their active participation in the instructional process through their various senses, understanding is promoted and the teacher is saved from making lengthy explanations that further confuse the learners also, the more of the senses contributed in a lesson by instructional materials the more reality is stimulated.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
For the purpose of this study, the research design of concern is mainly descriptive in nature employing the field dimension. Research design is mainly defined as the grand plan structure or strategy designed to ensure the collection of data from sample respondents with a given population. We used the survey research method in the work.
Population of Study
Our population of study is limited to teaching practice. The population of study would consist mainly of secondary school students. The primary focus should remain the distress syndrome and dilapidated facilities used in teaching and learning Biology.
Sample and Sampling Technique
The sampling techniques used in the study are questionnaires and personal interview.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
Research Question One: What is the effect of the use of visual aids on students’ achievement in Biology education?
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
The study investigated the effect of the use of visual aids on student‟s academic achievement in Biology in Secondary schools. It focused on the influence of variables such as comprehension and demonstration and cooperation on academic achievement of students taught Biology using visual aids. In the course of the work, three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The data for the study was collected through achievement tests, interview and observation.
Conclusions
From the study conducted the use of visual aids seemed to be an innovation and radical approach in teaching Biology because most of the Biology teachers in the schools have never used any visual aids in their classes due to nonavailability of the materials where the materials are available the teachers lack the techniques in using them during teaching-learning processes. Lack or inadequate source of power is a great hindrance to effective use of these instructional materials in the school.
It is evident from the study, that some of the teachers handle Biology were teachers of Geography, History, Economics or Government. Looking at the importance of the subject there some concepts or topics in the syllabus which those that are not experts cannot understand, not to talk of taking the pains in providing visual aids. The way an expert in Biology presents a lesson is quite different from the way a geography teacher presents. Some students get confused or distorted and lack of knowledge of what were visual aids as they have never seen any one before. However, what were commonly seen or known were chalk boards, text books, maps, pictures among others.
It was in view of this, that the study hoped to make certain recommendations and suggestions to remedy the situation, if Biology is to enjoy its status among the subjects in the curriculum, and if it is to enjoy the support and interest of the students.
Recommendations
In the light of the findings in this study, the following recommendations are made
- There is ardent need for government and state holders to provide visual aids in the schools to facilitate teaching-learning process.
- There is compelling need to secure a stable source of power in the schools to ensure sustainable use the instructional materials particularly visual aids. iii) The school‟s management and parent‟s teacher‟s association (PTA) should look into the possibility of repairing broken down instructional materials (audiovisual materials) in the schools with a view to reactivate them.
- There is the need to review the NCE curriculum for Biology to incorporate a course that entails techniques of operating visual aids so as to train prospective Biology teachers how to use the materials effectively.
- There is the immediate need for ministry of education to organize seminars, conferences and workshops to sensitize Biology teachers on how to use visual aids in teaching-learning process.
REFERENCES
- Abolade, A.O. (2004). An Introduction to Research Method in Education and Social Sciences. Johns-Lad publishing limited, Lagos, Nigeria, pp.360-390.
- Adale, I.A. (1991). Teachers‟ Education Series: Basic Instructional Technology a (hand book). Unpublished Thesis. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
- Agu, A.O. and Hamad, A.K. (2005). The influence of Home Environment on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Girls in Sabon Gari Local Government. Zanzibar Journal of Education Management, 3,(2): 69-86.
- Aguokogbuo, C.M. (2000). Curriculum Development and Implementation for Africa. Mike social press, Nsukka, Nigeria, pp.122-125.
- Ajagun, G.A. (2003). The development of I.C.T. Skills Through the National Biology
- Education of Primary Schools. In: Akale, M.A.G.(Ed) Information and Communication Technology. Mike social press, NSukka. Nigeria. pp.328-334.
- Akudolu. L.R. (2000). Appropriate Information Curriculum for Basic Education. Journal of Primary Education, 5 (2): 43-52.
