THE EFFECT OF VISUAL LEARNING AIDS ON STUDENTS LEARNING PROCESS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Education is described as the sum of all procedures and techniques by which a person develops talents, attitudes, and other types of constructive conduct and value in the community in which they live (Ikporukpo 2001). Education is required in a developing nation like Nigeria to encourage the development of its people and to support the country's economic transition (URT 2016).

The use of learning aids in the educational process dates back to ancient times. Greeks and Latins dominated this time, notably in the early 150 BC, when people were instructed and developed practical skills. "Once at a time when humanity was young; reading and writing had not been developed, hence men and women taught their children using very basic local tools," writes Callahan (1988). Because the learners observed physically and practically on the learning aids connected to the specific lesson or subject, it was an essential strategy that produced excellent results in learning and teaching processes.

The purpose of the instruction process is to achieve certain goals and objectives. This might be accomplished by using a variety of instructional methods and strategies, as well as a variety of visual learning aids. Different forms of visual learning aids are required for different types of teaching and learning processes. Some are more successful at providing background information and summarizing a unit of work, while others are better at teaching skills, presenting facts, illustrating relationships, or influencing behavior or attitudes. As a result, subject instructors choose visual learning aids that will best help them accomplish their objectives. Only visual learning aids that are useful for teaching should be employed. The importance of teaching and learning visual resources on quality education was also emphasized by Arguel A.J.F (2009) and Mtana et al (2004), who noted that the availability of suitable teaching visual learning aids improved the quality of education. This is especially difficult in underdeveloped countries, since the majority of parents cannot afford to purchase instructional materials for their children. In order to ensure that quality is handled, visual learning aids are essential. Jonson (1980) performed research and discovered that the availability of teaching tools such as visual learning aids facilitates successful learning.

Visual learning aids have unique properties that subject instructors should consider while educating students for a certain topic. Visual learning aids, such as photos and actual objects, should be appealing and portable to enable students to actively engage in the learning process. Visual learning aids that are effective are capable of grabbing attention, simplicity, and familiarity, particularly for visual aids (Nacino et al, 1982). This is because the existence of such physical properties in visual learning aids facilitates information acquisition and skill adaption, resulting in the students receiving a high-quality education.

Audio-visual resources, according to Talabi (2004), display abilities and attitudes throughout the teaching-learning process. According to Nwant to-Nzewunwa (2003), the use of audio-visual elements in the teaching-learning process has been developed to improve effective education. Audio-visual elements are now widely regarded as being of tremendous use in the teaching and learning process all around the globe. According to Nwant a-Nzewunwa (2003), there are still a big number of instructors or professors who do not completely understand and appreciate the usefulness of audio-visual resources in achieving educational goals. He also said that many of them find it difficult to work with audio-visual materials, thus they continue to teach using the antiquated expository style.

Many factors influence a student's academic achievement. These include teaching methods and approaches (Redza et al, 2013), learning infrastructure and facilities (Mushtaq and Khan, 2012), presence of quality teaching materials (Mhonyiwa, 2014), school environment and location (Wilson, 2013), school peers (Zimmerman, 1999, 2001), teachers' commitment (Komba and Nkumbi, 2008), number of students in the class (Karue and Amukowa, 2013), and students' attitudes toward various subjects (Kar (Umameh, 2011). Therefore, this study will look into the effect of visual learning aids on students learning process and academic achievement in secondary schools.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

As a consequence of current technology's progress and development, a wide range of instructional resources may be employed to make learning more engaging and effective. This indicates that students may perform better wherever they are taught using these instructional tools, especially audio-visual aids, since their understanding, demonstration, and collaboration in the teaching-learning process are projected to improve dramatically (Talabi, 2004). Unfortunately, most schools and instructors do not employ visual aids in their classrooms. Probably due to a lack of materials or techniques for using them, which is affecting students' performance, i.e. the performance of students taught with visual learning aids cannot be compared to those taught without visual learning aids, even students in developed countries have more upstanding and are more knowledgeable due to the availability of sufficient teaching aid and equipment. It is against this problem that this study is aimed at finding out the effect of visual learning aids on students learning process and academic achievement in secondary school.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The general objectives of this study is to find out the effect of visual learning aids on students learning process and academic achievement in secondary schools, specifically the study intends to;

1.    To examine if there is an availability of visual learning aids in secondary schools.

2.  To analyze the effect of visual learning aids on academic performance of secondary school students.

3.     To identify the challenges facing teachers in preparation and use of visual aids.

4.     To investigate ways through which visual learning aid can be improved in other to improve students academic achievement.

1.4     Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

To examine if there is an availability of visual learning aids in secondary schools.

1. What are the effect of visual learning aids on academic performance of secondary school students?

2. What are the challenges facing teachers in preparation and use of visual aids?

3. What are the ways through which visual learning aid can be improved in other to improve students academic achievement?

1.5     Significance of the Study

The study on the effects of visual learning aids on students learning process and academic achievement in secondary schools was expected to be of significance to the following:

The study will help young academicians in the field of education by finding research gaps by conducting more researches in field of education. Also the study will help the government understand and so plan in advance in relation to the provision of visual learning aids in public secondary schools. The study will increase awareness of the magnitudes of the problem by showing suggestions on how to improve visual learning aids in public Secondary Schools.

Finally it was further expected that the concerned authorities at local, state and the federal level would address the problem seriously by providing adequate teaching and learning aids such as science apparatus to community secondary schools in order to achieve quality education

1.7     Scope of the Study

This research work will examine the effect of visual learning aids on academic performance of secondary school students. The study will also analyze the challenges facing teachers in preparation and use of visual aids. Lastly,the study will recommend ways through which visual learning aid can be improved in other to improve students academic achievement. Hence the study will be delimited to public schools in Bonny local government area, Rivers state.

1.7    Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending more than the necessary time in the research work. Therefore, it is strongly believed that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal, thus, making the objective and significance of the study achievable.

1.8     Definition of Terms

Visual Learning Aids: an instructional device (such as a chart, map, or model) that appeals chiefly to vision especially: an educational motion picture or filmstrip that is used to enhance teaching and learning

Academic achievement: the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their short or long-term educational goals.

Instructional Material: instructional Materials are any collection of materials including animate and inanimate objects and human and non-human resources that a teacher may use in teaching and learning situations to help achieve desired learning objectives.

Visual learning aid: those instructional devices which are used in the classroom to encourage learning and make it easier and motivating

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