Investigating the Effective Use of Instructional Materials to Enhance Teaching and Learning of Biology, The Foundation of All Medical Professions in Government Secondary School, Uburu, South East, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: The study on investigating the effective use of instructional materials to enhance teaching and learning of Biology, the foundation of all medical professions in Government Secondary School Uburu, South East, Nigeria was aim to examine the availability and level of usage of instructional materials by teachers while teaching Biology subject to students, it will also correlate between the use of instructional materials and students academic performance in external examinations and to give recommendation to government, school management, teachers , parent- teachers association and old students union on the provision and effective usage of instructional materials. Methodology: Assessment of West African Senior Secondary School Examination grade record for 2020/2021 with148 students consisting of 66 males and 82 females with overall 38.5 percent (%) pass and 61.5% fail, 2021/2022 with 154 students consisting of 68 males and 86 females with overall 42.2% pass and 57.8% fail and 2022/2023 with 159 students consisting of 70 males and 89 females with overall 37.7% pass and 62.3% fail. Interview, observation and questionnaires case study research method was also used to generate information from three Biology teachers on the availability of instructional resources, the total number of instructional materials that are supposed to be use (NIMSU), number of instructional materials that was used (NIMU), and number of instructional materials that was not used (NIMNU), for 1st, 2nd and 3rd term to senior secondary one (SS1) students, 2023/2024 session. The data was collected and analyzed using access and excel version 13, for simple mean and percentage computation. Result: 1st term finding shows that out of the total 90 NIMSU and 9.0 mean of 100% NIMSU only 38 NIMU with 3.8 mean of 42.22% NIMU were utilized while 52 NIMNU with 5.2 mean of 57.78% NIMNU were not utilize by a Biology teacher to students. 2nd term findings shows that out of the total 100 NIMSU and 10.0 mean of 100% NIMSU only 51NIMU with 5.1mean of 51% NIMU were utilized while 49 NIMNU with 4.9 mean of 49% NIMNU were not utilized by a Biology teacher to students. 3rd term findings shows that out of the total 112 NIMSU and11.2 mean of 100% NIMSU only 38 NIMU with 3.8 mean of 34% NIMU were utilized while 74 NIMNU with 7.4 mean of 66% NIMNU were not utilize by a Biology teacher during lesson to students. Summary result of findings for 1st, 2nd and 3rd terms shows that out of the total 302 NIMSU and 10.06 mean of 100% NIMSU only 127 NIMU with 4.23 mean of 42% NIMU was utilized while 175 NIMNU with 5.83 mean of 58% NIMNU were not utilized by the biology teachers to students. Conclusion: There was no effective use of instructional materials by SS1 Biology teachers of Government Secondary School Uburu, Nigeria, the cause of poor students’ performance in external examination. Government should provide adequate instructional materials and support teachers training.