ABSTRACT
This research work investigated the perception of pre-service teachers of
the use of instructional media in teaching mathematics in Secondary Schools.
Mathematics, being an abstract subject, needs to become real and interesting to
students with the help of trained teachers who can use these media effectively
in order to reduce mass failure in the subject.
In collecting and analyzing the data of the study, a well structured
questionnaire were distributed among three hundred pre-service teachers in
University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka and Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo
From the
analysis, it is revealed that the use of instructional media in teaching
secondary school mathematics classes has significant effect on the academic
performance of the students.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGES
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Table of content
CHAPTER ONE:
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of study
1.4
Significant of study
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Research hypothesis
1.7
Scope of study
1.8
Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Concept of instructional media
2.1 What is instructional media?
2.1.1
Importance of instructional media
2.1.2
Kind of media
2.1.3
Some other kinds of media and how to use them
2.2 Nature of Mathematics
2.2.1
Aim and objectives of Mathematics
2.2. Importance of Mathematics
2.3 Pre-service teachers and the use of
instructional media
2.4 Gender differences with the use of
instructional media
2.5 Selecting the appropriate instructional
media in a classroom
2.6 Barriers hindering the effective use of
instructional media
2.7
Overcoming the barriers of the use of instructional media
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Methodology
3.1
Research Design
3.2
Area of study
3.3
Study population
3.4
Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.5
Research instrument
3.6
Method of collection
3.
Method of data analysis
CHAPTER
FOUR: DISCUSSION OF INTERPRETATION
4.0 presentation of data analysis
4.1
Introduction
4.2 Presentation of respondents’ bio-data
4.3 Test of research hypotheses
4.4 Discussion of result
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Recommendations
References
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The use of
mathematics in the society cannot be over emphasized. Akinsode (2000) pointed
that from the past, mathematics has maintained an enviable position in our
everyday activities. It has been the backbone of several human endeavor notably
science and technology. Little wonder that here in Nigeria it has remain the
core subject from kindergarten to
graduate school.However,mathematics education today appears to be in crises
situation as it can be seen in the poor performances of students in private and
public schools examinations and the general fall in standard. Just as students
have difficulties in learning mathematics due to factors such as laziness,
boring, the teacher equally have differences in achieving effective teaching in
our school system due to the use of poor method of teaching and teaching aids.
Mathematics is defined
by some non specialists as the abstract science which investigates deductively
the conclusions implicit in the elementary conceptions of spatial and numerical
relations, and which includes as its main divisions geometry, arithmetic, and
algebra. (Oxford English dictionary, 1933).It is also defined as the study of
the measurement, properties, and relationships
of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols. (American dictionary
2000).Mathematics is the science of structure, order, and relation that has
evolved from elemental practices of counting, measuring, and describing the
shapes of object (encyclopedia Britannica)
Some specialist also
defined mathematics as the science of quantity. In Aristotle's classification
of the sciences, discrete quantities were studied by arithmetic, continuous
quantities by geometry. Auguste Comte's definition tried to explain the role of
mathematics in coordinating phenomena in all other field. He also defines
mathematics as the science of indirect”
measurement.The "indirectness" in Comte's definition refers to
determining quantities that cannot be measured directly, such as the distance
to planets or the size of atoms, by means of their relations to quantities that
can be measured directly.(1955)
Mathematics as
we are all aware is the fundamental tools used to explain other scientific and
technical concepts. Mathematics has been the only language that the developed
countries like U.S.A, U.K, Germany, Japan, used to advance their technology.
They have also used their technology to conquer the land, sea and the space,
thereby making life worthy of living for their people. The special theory of
relativity by Albert Einstem in 1905 helped us to build our understanding of
space and time. The Newton’s law was launching satellites. Mathematics and
mechanics also play a great role to enable the pilot, navigator, flight
engineer, understand their work easier (Aderogha, k. 1990).
Faleye (2002),
opined that Russia, United states of America, Great Britain, Germany, France,
china, Japan and a host of other developed nations will forever nurture the
wanders that mathematics has brought to them and will still bring.
According to
ivowi (2003), for national development to occur, there need to be available a
crop of human resource with sufficient knowledge and skills to interact with
ideas and materials In order to produce required results. The problem of such
interaction must be solutions to identified problems and which contribute significantly
to the improvement of the society. Mathematics education among others is so
important in the development of individuals and the society.
According to
Akesode (2000), it is obviously for good reason that the Nigerian education
policy insists on a foundation of mathematics. The concept of literacy goes
hand in gloves with numeracy-ability to use numbers. A person, who lacks
numeracy skill, will be useless to himself and the country. A numeracy skill no
doubt is the language in different aspects of our life and the nation.
For instance,
the health care delivery system, both the doctor and the patient will be in
problem without mathematics. To document a patient’s ailment, mathematical
instrument is needed. To say that the temperature of the patient is high or the
blood pressure is low, the doctor has to have precise measurement I degree
Celsius for temperature and millimeters of mercury for blood pressure. From
diagnosis of diabetes through paternity testing using DNA to test HIV status,
the language is mathematics. From a minor surgery of suturing an ulcer to major
to major brain surgery or organ transplant, mathematics has a place especially
with regard to precision of measurement.
In the defense
sector, the manufacturer of military hardware and equipment is heavily
dependent on mathematical concepts and skills. Without sound geometric
calculations and computations involving projectile notion, a missile aimed at
point A will end up in point B. ask the pilot of a modern day jet fighter or
bomber and he will tell you that without mathematics, he will be unable to
communicate with his plane.
The list is
unlimited for planning purposes, population of an area is needed for this, and
you need mathematics. In the popular program “kick polio out of Africa” the
number of children immunized against this polio is to be calculated and the
number of those not inoculated then derived, this is no other but mathematics.
Since mathematics plays a key role in the nation’s
development, the need to have competent teachers, right method of teaching and
above all, relevant instructional media to build future professionals who would
champion the development of our nation from various fronts cannot be
overemphasized.
The way teachers
view the role of media in classroom teaching will to a large extent determine
the level and degree of its usage. Teachers form an impression which is
favorable or otherwise, depending on specific traits teachers attribute to
media. Teacher perception of media is predicted upon what they feel media can
do in teaching-learning process. However, evidence abounds that what teachers
said were their reasons for not using media were not true (Zepp,
2005:Scrimshaw, 2004; SugarCrawley & Fine, 2004; Cohen, 1996;
Hubbord,1999).
Educational technologists often employ
the term instructional media to represent all of the devices that teachers and learners use to
support learning. However, for many educators the terms educational
technology, instructional media, and instructional technology are
used interchangeably.There are a lot of definitions of media.
Gagne (1970) defines that media are various components in learners’ environment
which support the learner’s learn.Briggs (1970) defines media are physical
means which are used to send messages to the students and stimulate them to
learn. A little bit differences from the opinions of the two experts, The
National Education Association defines that media are the forms of
communication either printed or audiovisual. Scanlan states that instructional
media encompasses all the materials and physical means an instructor and
teacher might use to implement instruction and facilitate learners' achievement
of instructional objectives. This may include traditional materials such as
chalkboards, handouts, charts, slides, overheads, real objects, flash card and
videotape or film, as well as newer materials and methods such as computers,
DVDs, CD-ROMs, the Internet, and interactive video conferencing.
According to Richard (1992), in general term,
instructional media means television, radio and newspapers considered as a
whole and as ways of entertaining of spreading news or information to a large
number of people. Teaching materials which involves the use of different kinds
of media such as visual and printed media are sometimes known as multimedia or
mixed media. There are various kinds of media, but visual aids are the
appropriate media for learners, particularly young learners. Whatever the definitions of media are, there
is a guideline which can be stated about media. Media is anything used to send
message(s) from the sender(s) to the receiver(s), so it can be aroused the
learners’ thought, feeling, and interest to gear the students’ learn. (Sadiman
et al, 2002).
Sometimes, instructional media and teaching aids are
used interchangeably. Both, instructional media and teaching aids, have
functions to make learners easily to understand the teaching. However, some
experts still differentiate between instructional media and teaching aids. When
we talk about a board, either whiteboard or blackboard, which is being used by
a teacher to inform learners about what he/she, is teaching, at the same time
we also talk about instructional media and teaching aids. The board is teaching
aids and what is on the board is instructional media. Here, we can say that
teaching aids are the objects and the content of the objects is the
instructional media.
A
good media is like a window. It should not be called attention to itself; it
should just have been let in the light. In general, teacher should use the
instructional media in his or her best judgment. It can be facilitated learning
or increasing the understanding of materials. Of course, communicating to
facilitate learning can be a challenging process, and it is often required
creative efforts to achieve a variety of implicit instructional goals
(University of Saskatchewan,). Among the implicit goals that media can be
helped by teachers to achieve are as follows: attracting attention, developing
interest, adjusting the learning climate and promoting acceptance (of an idea).
Media is very useful in learning the mathematics.
Teachers’ instructors and learners are helped by using media to achieve the
learning goals. So, teachers should apply the instructional media in teaching -
learning activities because:
1. Instructional media can be reached everything out
of the class. There are so many things around the learners that cannot be
reached by them, such as: bacteria, virus, etc. To know and see those tiny
things, we must use a microscope as a media. We use a picture to present things
which cannot be brought into the classroom such as: markets, stations, harbors.
2. Instructional media created the possible direct
interaction between the learners and their environment.
3. Media produced some observation. The learners’
observation can be directed into the important things based on the teachers’
aims.
4. Media can be kept the basic, concrete and real
concepts of the teaching.
5. The learners’ motivation are aroused by using
media in learning.
6. Media integrated the experience from the concrete
things to the abstract ones.
It is stated by De Porter and Hernacki (2000) in
Quantum Learning that audio visual can be created optimally, physically, and
mentally through learning environment.
According to Sukartiwi (1996), there are some
advantages of using media in teaching-learning process which include , increase
the learners’ motivation, avoid the learners bored, to make the learners easy
to understand the instructional material,
and to make the teaching learning process more systematic.
In the Sydney Micro Skill, it is stated that
instructional media are arisen the learners’ interest, stormed the learners’
brain to think concretely, found high understanding in learning efficiently and
permanently
There are so many instructional media are used in
teaching starting from the simplest or cheapest ones to the most complex ones,
without the need of the electricity, up to the most expensive ones which needed
the electricity. Vernon (1996) states that there are six kinds of media;
Drawing or teacher mode drawings: This media can be
constructed and supported the topic which is being taught. The teacher can
prepare it at home and apply it easily in the class to achieve the goals of the
teaching and learning process.
Still pictures: This media can be shown into the
real objects or the events of outside the class. A still picture is a record or
a copy of a real object or event which may be longer or smaller than the real
object or events, for examples: photograph, bulletin board material, brochure,
etc.
Audio recording
Recording is a mode of magnetic, on disc, or on
motion picture soundtracks. This is the reproduction of actual event of sound
effects. Sound is presented in the sequence in which they actually happen
unless the recording is edited. Audio recording may be used individually or
displayed directly to the audience.
Motion picture and TV
A motion picture or video tape recording is a moving
image on color or black and white produced from live action or from graphic
presentation. Objects or events may be in normal motion and edited for
abbreviating or high lighting. It can be silent or having sound. All types of
audio-video electronic system can be appeared on a cathode ray tube or TV
monitor.
Real object, simulation and models
This category includes people, events, objects and
demonstration. Real objects as contrasted with other media are not substituted
by the artificial objects or events. They are, in fact, life, often in its
natural setting. There are countless real objects in the immediate community.
As long as they are readily and economically available, use them. Simulation is
the replication of real situation which has been designed to be as near actual
events or process as possible. A model is a replica or reality. It is often in
scale and may be in miniature, exact side or an enlargement.
There is no doubt that mathematics has become one of
the passports to entering into any phase of educational system and job
acquisition but the rate at which students fail this subject cannot be written
off . Enormous benefits can be derived from the use of instructional media at
all educational levels. Charts, models, real objects, textbooks and other
illustrations can help to bridge the gap between teaching and learning.
Conventional instructional resources are not
generally available in many senior secondary schools in Nigeria. Even where
such resources are available, some teachers lack the requisite skills and
creativity to use them effectively in their teaching. Some teachers also lack
innovation in finding suitable local substitutes to help their students to
understand their lessons.
The study reveals the use of instructional media
such as real objects, models in addition to the use of the chalkboard, and
textbooks will help stimulate the students’ interest and aid their
understanding in mathematics.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Lack of pictorial support for class discussions lead
to the teaching of abstract lessons, misunderstanding of concepts and skills,
and ineffective learning which negatively affects learners performance and
thereby, cause mass failure in most of internal and external examination on
secondary school mathematics. It is in this view that this research was carried
out to investigate preservice teachers’ perception of the use of instructional
media in teaching secondary school mathematics classes.
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
This study
intends to find out the following:
1) The types of instructional media available
for teaching mathematics in secondary schools.
2) How the
identified instructional media are used by teachers and students in the
schools.
3) The
perception of male and female preservice teachers’ of the use of instructional
media in teaching secondary school mathematics classes
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
The importance of mathematics in the life of
students cannot be over emphasized. Therefore, this study is significant in the
sense that it will be sensitized to know the state of teaching and learning in
the secondary schools and its problem that instructional media usage can help
solve. The nation will also know the alternative instructional media that would
help raise the quality of teaching and learning in the school. It also made
attempt to evaluate the extent at which instructional media would increase the
rate of students’ interest, assimilation and good performance in mathematics.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION
The research questions include:
1. Is there any effect of the use of instructional
media on the academic performance of students in mathematics?
2. To what
extent do male and female preservice teachers differ in their perception of the
use of media in teaching mathematics?
1.6
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1. There
is no significant difference in the use of instructional media and academic performance of students in mathematics
2. There
is no significant difference in the male and female preservice teachers’
perception on the use of instructional media in teaching mathematics.
1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY
This study is
carried out on the preservice mathematics teachers at the faculty of education
of University of Lagos, Akoka and Lagos State University, Ojo.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Some terms in
the topic are defined below:
Mathematics
This is define
as an abstract science which investigate deductively the conclusions implicit
in he elementary conceptions of spatial and numerical relations. It is also
define by the Webster’s dictionary as the systematic treatment of magnitude
relationship between figures and forms, and relation between quantities
expressed symbolically.
Instructional media
.Instructional
media are tools in the hands of the teachers which are used for effective
teaching. They are also seen as the physical means via which instructions is presented
learners in an effective way. These are numerous in teaching and learning
environment such as print, non-print, audio, audio-visual electronics, and
non-electronics media
Teaching
It is an academic process by which students
are motivated to learn in ways that make a sustained, substantial and positive
influence on how they think, act and feel. It is also an act drawing out the
hidden talent in someone and ensuring he knows what he knew not.
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