CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Material resources provide the physical media through which the intents of the Curriculum are experienced. They are collections of materials and equipment that processes instruction and training; such materials and equipment may be derived from the objectives of teaching and learning. They assist in putting across information and enable both teaching and learning to be eectively done. The importance of material resources in enhancing eective teaching and learning of business studies cannot be undermined due to the positive impact it has on the level of assimilation of students. Teaching-learning of Business studies in schools without material resources such as, chart, maps, curves and graphs etc will not bring out the expected results. Most researchers have discovered the problems of inadequate material resources as one of the major problem that lead to poor academic performance of students in Business studies. The materials being used in teaching were called material resources teaching aids, they are to assist the achievement of the stated Educational goals and objectives. This means that teaching aids are helping in teaching and learning and also provide help in developing similar skills in solving relevant problems in Business studies for instance, students negative attitude to Business studies is due to poor perception of the course; Business studies as a subject is very simple but because of lack of qualified and experienced teacher to handle the subject makes it difficult to the students in the secondary schools during teaching and learning. The influence of using material resources in promoting students’ academic performance in teaching and learning in Educational development is indisputable. The teaching of Business studies in Nigerian Secondary Schools needs to be properly handled. Business studies contribute to the nation’s economic development, hence the need to be taught thoroughly if it is to meet the educational and economical development.

Moreso, that Business studies is one of the core subjects in Secondary Schools and as a vocational subject, it cannot be taught effectively without the use of appropriate material resources (Ajayi, 2000). Material resources is necessary since the teacher alone cannot provide all the needed conditions for an effective teaching and learning, other supporting materials should be provided. Students as learners, learn better when most of the senses are appealed to the instruction and use of material resources has added a new dimension in the positive promotion of the teaching and learning process. It provides the much needed sensory experiences for an effective and meaningful behavioural change. Material resources are means for improving the quality of teaching for effective academic performance of Business studies students. Today, teachers under rate the use of material resources in most of their teaching exercises and some of these materials are not usually available for teachers’ use.(Okoro 2009). Most teachers cling to verbal instruction as the only way to inculcate knowledge. The researcher is of the view that something has to be done to change teachers’ negative attitude towards the teaching of business studies. The researcher is also of the view that utilization of material resources would make teaching and learning of business studies interesting and comparatively easy. This study is of the view that material resources for teaching business studies should be selected, supplied and be used eectively.(Nwike et al 2011).

The realization of this objective depends on the utilization principles. These principles include; the learner’s characteristics, behavioural objectives and instructional constraints. In making use of any instructional material, such material must be previewed that is, having full knowledge of the material, prepare the environment where it will be used; prepare audience by means of making sure that the material used will attract attention, arouse, motivate and provide the rationale and finally present which of course, could be used in the beginning, middle or end of a lesson (Tella, 2007). The eectiveness of utilizing appropriate material resources in teaching and learning of Business studies is not void of quality instructor. In order to give quality Education to the younger generation, there is need for employment of more competent, experienced and qualified business studies teachers. The need to identify suitable material resources, by which students can be made to trap the extent of the subject easily, is the focus of this study. However, the use of material resources in secondary schools, would help in improving the teaching and learning and academic performance of students in business studies respectively. Material resources which are Educational inputs are of vital importance to the teaching of any subject in the school curriculum. Wales in Richard (2005), was of the opinion that availability and the use of instructional resources would make discovered fact glued firmly to the memory of students. Emmanuel (2008) also added that, a well planned and imaginative use of visual aids in lesson should do much to banish apathy, supplement in adequacy of books as well as arouse students’ interest by giving them something practical to see and do and at the same time helping to think things out themselves. Selection of materials can help indepth understanding of lesson by the students in which they make the lesson attractive, thereby capturing their attention and motivating them to learn.

STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

Material resources make teaching and learning more understandable, meaningful and easy. But inspite of the benefits of material resources to teaching and learning, the scarcity of the material resources has hindered, to some extent, the efficiency of teaching and learning of Business studies. In view of this difficulties, most teachers of business studies still resort to the theoretical method of teaching the subject. This undoubtedly, is contrary to the improvement of business studies education, which is greatly needed at this period of our development with emphasis on practical oriented learning (Mark, 2007). The researcher has taught for a number of years in some secondary schools and had visited a number of secondary schools as a resource person. Through these experiences, the researcher observed that most teachers in secondary schools in the state did not fully make use of material resources in the teaching of business studies to their students. This negligence of the effective use of the material resources and facilities in teaching and learning of business studies common to both the trained and untrained teachers affected the academic performance of students in business studies in secondary schools in Nigeria and delta state in particular. (Imogie 2003). Hence, the question of academic performance and students’ performance in JSCE is therefore usually discussed both in and outside the academic circles. In the last few years, it has been observed in most secondary schools that a high percentage of students are performing very poorly in Business studies in external National Examinations.(Iwoke et al 2006)