CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The search for efficient and effective delivery of instructions to Students has always been major concern of Science Educators. This is so as a result of repeated mass failure recorded in Mathematics and other Science subjects in Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Poor academic performance in Mathematics could be attributed to many factors among which teacher’s strategy itself was considered as an important factor. Among other factors that could be responsible for this failure, are the instrumental materials which definitely must have a significant role to play in teaching and learning processes. The importance of instrumental materials in teaching and learning is too obvious to be overemphasized. A lot has been written to show the indispensable role of instrumental materials in curricular implementation. According to Onyejemezi (2007), Ogunranti (2008) and Afolajic (2009), these authors point out that instructional materials increase the rate of learning, save the teacher time and effort increase learners interest and facilitate retraction of what is learned.
To further show the importance of instructional materials, Iegede, Okata, Eniayelu (2011), reported factors responsible for poor performance in Science, Technology and Mathematics which include poor laboratory facilities, inappropriate teaching methods and inadequate number of learning facilities in schools as against consistent increase in number of students. In condition of insufficient supply of instructional materials by the government, improvised materials can also serve similar role of simplifying explanations given by teachers. Improvisations of instructional materials need the eort of Mathematics teachers for its realization. Bassey (2012) and Omosewo (2013) stated that many Nigerians Science teachers were aware of possibility of improvisation. They also noted that few teachers practice while majority depends on imported equipment and claim that improvisation is time consuming and often depleting.
Whether instructional materials are classified as improvised or imported, the most important effect of these materials is to assist in achieving the stated behavioural objectives when evaluated at the end of a lesson or programme. These findings refer generally to teaching Science subjects in Nigerian Schools. One is not sure what the situation is with Mathematics teachers in AkwaI bom State. Hence, this Study on teacher’s use of instructional materials on Junior Secondary School III students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area worth investigating.