ABSTRACT

The study investigated the role of administrators in the provision and utilization of instructional materials in senior secondary schools in Oredo local government Area of Edo State. The study adopted the descriptive research design to examine the role of administrators in providing and utilizing instructional materials. A sample size of 50 respondents was used for the study. The research instruments used for the study were two self-structured questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent sample T-Test. The study found that school principals always allow teachers free access to instructional materials, provide good storage for instructional materials, and appoint prefects who oversee the storage shelves, and check the shelves to keep records of instructional materials. Testing the study hypothesis, it was revealed that there is no significant difference between male and female administrators in the level of utilizing Instructional materials in Oredo Local Government Area, there is no significant difference between male and female administrators in the role of providing instructional materials in Oredo Local Government Area and that there is no significant difference between male and female administrators in the level of utilizing Instructional materials in Oredo Local Government Area. Based on the findings, following the findings the study recommended, among others, that principals should endeavour to be more regular at providing instructional materials, old student associations should be encouraged to procure instructional materials for the schools, corporate organizations, non-governmental organizations, and well-meaning individuals can also be reached out for support in funding school programs and providing instructional materials for schools, and that the Parent Teachers Associations (PTA) should also be involved in rendering support by providing financial and material assistance for educational institutions to realize and achieve effective teaching-learning processes.

TABLES OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The school administrators irrespective of the level at which they operate are majorly concerned with the achievement of the set goals of the educational institution. They perform the main tasks of procuring and providing both human and material resources and ensuring the effective utilization of these resources to meet the set goals of the school.    

1.1 Background of the study           

One of the challenges that have faced the educational sector in recent times is the problem of poor implementation of educational plans. This is due to inadequate provision and ineffective utilization of instructional materials in the educational system, by those whose responsibility it is to ensure adequate provision and utilization of instructional materials towards the actualization of educational goals. (Noun: Responsibility and Accountability in Educational Management. Aderonunmu and Ehiametalor (2021) defined educational administration as “essentially a service, activity or tool through which the fundamental objectives of the educational process may be more fully and efficiently realized”.  Educational administration also involves the management of resources; human, materials, and evaluation or appraising of the result of educational efforts.

The school administrator who is also called the school head, head teacher, school manager, and principal including the school board and ministry of education staff is responsible for managing the major administrative tasks of supervising all students and teachers, ensuring adequate provision and effective utilization of instructional materials to achieve an effective teaching-learning process. The inability of the school administrator to provide adequate instructional materials and the non-availability of their usage at the classroom level have resulted in difficulty and lack of interest in learning, examination malpractices, the poor performance of students in external examinations, students being seen roaming the streets instead of been in the classroom,  students seeing education as a scam, indiscipline in schools, disrespect for school authority, influx of students to lecture houses, ineffectiveness in teachers performance and administrative tasks.

The rapidity of development in education technology in recent years has paved the way for the availability of simple and sophisticated instructional materials for classroom instruction.

Instructional materials according to Adeboye and Afolabi (1992) are “the instructional tools or teaching aids ranging from elementary improvised devices to highly complex and sophisticated materials specially designed to help teachers cope with specific teaching needs and instructions '.  These resources or aids include books and other printed materials, maps, globes, pictures, display models, graphics, real communication resources, teaching machines, computers, television, disks, and other audio-visual materials and equipment.

A teacher would continue to show Lukewarmness to teaching as long as he or she has no access to instructional materials. It may sound rather ridiculous that some conventional instructional tools like pieces of chalk, markers, board, dusters, and some stationery items are not adequately provided in most schools. The spinal cord of every educational system at every level is a well-trained, equipped, and motivated teacher.

Maintaining and improving educational standards, giving educational content and context the desired and expected propagations, innovating the curriculum and giving it a new look, making it more relevant to the needs of the society and making education meet the expectation of the nation, getting it to reflect the philosophy of the nation and making it transmit the culture of the people, depending on the adequate provision of educational resources and the effective utilization of same by both the school administrators and teachers. The curriculum and syllabus are not worth more than the paper on which they are written without the adequate provision and effective utilization of instructional materials to translate the content into actions, activities, practices, and goals. The best curriculum could be ruined by inadequate provision and usage of instruction materials while the worst curriculum could be made still useful and productive by the provision and proper utilization of instructional materials. In other words, there is an effective teaching-learning process when instructional materials are adequately provided and effectively utilized.

1.2       Statement of the problem

It has been generally observed that teaching and learning processes at both higher and lower levels of education are altogether difficult and stressful for both teachers and students and the actualization of educational goals by school administrators becomes a mirage. It is of note that the school curriculum is more of theoretical and verbalized teaching without concrete or physically felt and seen learning aids to complement the process. This makes learning uninteresting for the learners and instead of being in classroom learning, they are seen roaming the streets and engaging themselves in destructive ventures.

It has also been observed that students perform poorly in their examinations because of a lack of exposure to learning aids, whilst those who are exposed to practical-oriented learning processes perform better and brightly. It has been noted too that failure of school administrators in the provision of instructional materials to support the teachers in the discharge of their teaching duties has resulted in the poor achievement of the objectives while those schools that are well equipped with teaching and learning aids are producing students that are balanced and well prepared to contribute their skills and knowledge to the development of their society.

For an effective teaching and learning process in our public senior secondary schools in Oredo local government area to be achieved, the issue of adequate provision and effective utilization of instructional materials must be critically examined.

1.3       Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study

1.     What are the roles of school administrators (Principals) in the provision of instructional materials? 

2.     To what extent do school administrators (Teachers) utilize instructional materials in educational institutions?

3.     Is there any difference in the role of school administrators (Principals) in urban and rural areas in providing instructional materials?

4.     Is there any difference among the school administrators (Teachers) in utilizing instructional materials based on school location?

5.     Is there any difference between male and female administrators (Principals) in the role of providing instructional material in school?

6.     Is there any difference between male and female administrators (Teachers) in the level of utilization of instructional materials?

1.4       Research Hypotheses

Research questions 1 and 2 were answered while questions 3, 4, 5, and 6 were formulated into hypotheses and tested at a 0.05 level of significance.

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference in the role of administrators (Principals) in urban and rural areas in providing instructional materials in Oredo Local Government Area.

Hypothesis 2: There is no significant difference among the administrators (Teachers) in utilizing instructional materials based on location.

Hypothesis 3: There is no significant difference among male and female administrators (Principals) in the role of providing instructional materials.

Hypothesis 4: There is no significant difference between male and female administrators (Teachers) in the level of utilizing instructional materials in Oredo local Government Area.

1.5       Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of school administrators in the provision and utilization of instructional materials in public senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area.  The specific objectives of the study include to:

1.     Find out the roles of school administrators in providing and utilizing instructional materials.

2.     Ascertain the extent to which the school administrators utilize instructional materials in educational institutions.

3.     Find out if there is any difference in the role of administrators in urban and rural areas in providing and using instructional materials in schools.

4.     Ascertain if there is any difference among the administrators (Teachers) in utilizing instructional materials based on location.

5.     Find out if there is any difference between male and female administrators (Teachers) in the role of providing instructional materials.

6.     Find out if there is any difference between male and female administrators (Teachers) in the level of utilization of materials in schools.

1.6       Significance of the study.

This project work therefore will benefit the school in Oredo Local Government Area as well as the educational system, as it may reveal areas of strength and weaknesses in the provision and utilization of instructional materials and enable the school authority to take the necessary corrective measures.

It will also benefit the Parent Teacher Association (P.T.A), Local Communities, and well-meaning individuals who can pull their resources together to support the effective actualization of the educational goals in their communities.

 It will help the teachers to carry out their duties effectively, as well as help the students to learn with ease and interest, and also improve the retention of concepts learned.

1.7       Scope/ Delimitation of the Study

This study investigated administrators’ roles in providing and utilizing instructional materials in public senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area.

The instructional materials that are of interest in this study include books and other printed materials, maps, globes, pictures, displays, models, graphics, realia community resources, black and white board, chalks, markers,  biro, and other relevant instructional materials.

The administrators are the principals and teachers. The Principals are concerned with the provision of instructional materials while the Teachers are concerned with the utilization of instructional materials. The study is delimited to senior public secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area.

1.8       Limitations of the study

As is usually the case, the project is not problem-free at varying stages of the study. The writer was faced with different forms of problems ranging from time to financial constraints.

Time constraint: this is a result of the fact that although a research work of this nature requires some good time; it was carried out with other academic and office work.

Financial constraint: this writer experienced a high cost of transportation, and printing of materials due to the high cost of living and harsh economic policies in the land. Due to this constraint,   journeys to the schools in the local government area under study were restricted to operate within the possible financial limit. 

1.9       Definition of operational terms

The following terms will be operationally defined in this study as follows:

School administrator: This is the leader of an entire community within a school; he manages all the administrative tasks and supervises all teachers and students. The school administrator can also be known as the principal, head teacher, school manager, and teacher. In this study, they are the principals and teachers.

School location: This is where a school is situated. It could be an urban or rural area.

Urban schools: These are schools situated within the local government headquarters.

Rural schools: These are schools located outside the local government headquarters.   

Instruction: This refers to the deliberate arrangement of events or experiences to help a learner achieve a desirable change in performance.

Instructional materials: These are educational resources provided by the school administrator and used by the teacher for an effective teaching-learning process. Examples include chalk, markers, boards, books, pictures, specimens, workbooks, and laboratory equipment.

 Teacher: Teacher is a common term used for all professionals who stimulate learning or transmit knowledge in schools, ranging from nursery to tertiary institutions.

Audio aids: These are materials that rely solely on the sense of hearing for teaching and learning, an example is radio.

Buyers has the right to create dispute within seven (7) days of purchase for 100% refund request when you experience issue with the file received. 

Dispute can only be created when you receive a corrupt file, a wrong file or irregularities in the table of contents and content of the file you received. 

ProjectShelve.com shall either provide the appropriate file within 48hrs or send refund excluding your bank transaction charges. Term and Conditions are applied.

Buyers are expected to confirm that the material you are paying for is available on our website ProjectShelve.com and you have selected the right material, you have also gone through the preliminary pages and it interests you before payment. DO NOT MAKE BANK PAYMENT IF YOUR TOPIC IS NOT ON THE WEBSITE.

In case of payment for a material not available on ProjectShelve.com, the management of ProjectShelve.com has the right to keep your money until you send a topic that is available on our website within 48 hours.

You cannot change topic after receiving material of the topic you ordered and paid for.