55504D851699
55504D851699
55504D851699
Vol. 7(3), pp. 20-27, April, 2015
DOI: 5897/IJVTE2014.0164
Article Number: 55504D851699 International Journal of Vocational and Technical
Copyright © 2015
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article Education
http://www.academicjournals.org/IJVTE
This study investigated the influences of inadequate instructional materials and facilities in the
teaching and learning of electrical/electronics (E/E) technology education courses. The study was
guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses which were tested at 0.05 level of
significance. The design employed was descriptive survey with a population of 56 Electrical/Electronic
teachers and students. Due to population size no sampling was carried out. Validated questionnaire
with 0.89 reliability coefficient was used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using
mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while t-test statistic was used to test the
hypotheses. Findings made were that inadequate instructional materials and facilities often influence
the teaching and learning of Electrical/Electronic technology courses in 32 negative ways. Based on
these finding, it was recommended that all concerned should join hands to adequately provide effective
and efficient instructional materials and facilities in other to eradicate all the negative influences of
inadequate instructional materials and facilities.
INTRODUCTION
The influences of inadequate instructional materials and problems, provide goods and services for the conve-
facilities in the teaching of electrical/electronics techno- nience of man. Its cardinal goals are to: (1) provide the
logy education courses are observed at all levels and technical knowledge and skills necessary for agricultural,
spheres of technology education. Federal Republic of industrial, commercial and economic development of
Nigeria (2008) defined technology education as tertiary Nigeria (2) give training that imparts the necessary skills
education offered in the universities, polytechnics, for the production of technicians, technologists and other
monotechnics and colleges of education (Technical) for skilled personnel who shall be enterprising and self-
the production of high level skilled manpower who can reliant. To achieve these and other goals of technology
apply scientific knowledge to solve environmental education, adequate instructional materials and facilities
E-mail: ekumajo@gmail.com.
Author agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License 4.0 International License.
Ogbu 21
are highly needed. The goals of technology education and technical education encompass all basic hand tools,
can be achieved through the body of well-funded equipment, classrooms, workshops, laboratories,
agencies. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) stated that electrical and electronics instruments among others
vocational education is that form of education which which help the learners to learn properly (Bulama, 2001).
leads to the acquisition of practical and applied skills as This means that technology and vocational education
well as basic scientific knowledge. Hence, it can be programmes require tools and equipment that will help in
known that technology is a paramount aspect of human the facilitation of the acquisition of occupational skills in
life. Technology refers to the use of products of creativity, the diverse areas of electrical and electronic technology.
inventions and scientific research in the service of man. Anyakoha (1994) observed that useful skills can be
Electrical and electronics technology education is one of developed and reinforced by the appropriate selection
the major options or special areas offered in Nigerian and use of instructional facilities, materials and tools.
universities under the Department of Technology and However, upon the usefulness of instructional materials
Vocational Education. In some universities in Nigeria, the and facilities in the teaching and learning of electrical and
departmental name may vary from vocational and electronics technology education, the present situation
technical education to even, vocational teacher education unveils the scarcity and inadequate instructional
yet they offer similar electrical/electronic courses like materials in technology and vocational education
Technology and Vocational Education Departments. programmes in Ebonyi State University. The problem of
However, the teaching and learning of this study is that the researcher found out that hundred
electrical/electronic specialized area as a field of study in percent of classroom teachers do not use films, slides,
technology education is vital in the production of film strip, overhead projectors, tools, ICT resources,
workforce with potent understanding and diverse skills in machines and equipment while teaching. At times, some
the design, development, production, management and of the instructional materials are not available in the right
utilization of current electrical and electronics devices and amount and quality to ensure effective utilization. Most
circuits. electrical/electronic teachers do not locally improvise
According to Carribbean (2001), electrical and electro- known foreign electricity teaching aids because of funds
nics technology is a field of study that provides both and experience. According to Owoh (2009), inadequacy
theoretical and hands-on knowledge of current electrical of funding in science and technology teaching is acute in
and electronics devices and circuits. Hence, electrical Nigeria, more so at this time that the country is struggling
and electronics technology (EET) education syllabus is to get out of the quagmire of economic recession.
designed to provide the essential fundamental knowledge The effects of all these inadequate instructional
and the analytical, practical and experimental skills materials and facilities in the teaching and learning of
necessary for a lifelong career in the field of electrical and electrical and electronics courses have not been
electronics technology. It also provides students with determined so that all concerned will provide adequate
fundamental knowledge and skills for the workplace and solution. The general purpose of this study is to deter-
professional pedagogy skills in electrical and electronics mine the influence of, inadequate instructional materials
field. and faculties on the effective teaching and learning of
Meanwhile, for effective teaching and learning of elec- electrical and electronics technology education courses in
trical and electronics technology education, instructional Ebonyi State University.
materials and facilities are necessary. Instructional
materials and facilities on their own help to facilitate
teaching and learning and are used to influence concrete Research question
and permanent change in technical behaviour.
According to Eya (2006), instructional materials are all The following research questions were formulated to
forms of information carriers which can be used to record, guide this study:
store, preserve, transmit, concretize or retrieve informa-
tion for the purpose of teaching and learning. Wale What are the influences of inadequate instructional
(2006) was of the opinion that the use of instructional materials and facilities on teachers’ effective teaching of
materials would make discovered facts glued firmly to the electrical and electronics technology education courses?
memory of students. According to Ogwa (2002), What are the influences of inadequate instructional
instructional materials include audio visual aids, tools, materials and facilities on students’ effective learning of
equipment, machines, educational materials such as electrical and electronic technology education courses?
chats and ICT instructional resources. He also said that,
instructional aids mean all the materials or teaching aids
or material resources which the teacher utilizes for the Hypotheses
purpose of making teaching and learning more effective
and meaningful to students. This research was guided by the following hypotheses
In the same sense, instructional facilities for vocational which were tested at 0.05 level of significance.
22 Int. J. Voc. Tech. Educ.
Table 1. Mean and standard deviation of responses on the influences of inadequate instructional materials and facilities in the
teacher’s effective teaching of electrical/electronics technology education courses.
electronics courses (x = 3.52; t=0.54). inadequate instructional materials and facilities greatly
10. Inadequate instructional materials and facilities jointly affect students’ skill acquisition in electrical/electronics.
reduce students score in electrical/electronics semester This is in line with Ogwa (2002) who stated that techno-
examinations and CGPA on graduation (x = 3.70, t = logy and vocational educators require teaching aids to
0.50). specifically help students acquire the necessary skills in
their subject area.
They also agreed that the use of inadequate
DISCUSSION instructional materials and facilities affect teachers’
motivation in teaching electrical/electronics technology
This study generally indicated 32 classified influences of education courses. When adequate instructional
inadequate instructional materials and facilities but only materials are provided to the teachers, they feel
10 critical ones were outlined under the findings of the energized and motivated and their sense of ownership
study. From the analysis tables presented, it is clear that and empowerment increased. Well implemented school
all the teachers and students agreed to the fact that all 32 improvement plans on the use of instructional materials
items generally influence the teaching and learning of and facilities in teaching and learning of
electrical/electronics (E/E) courses negatively. In the electrical/electronics can increase collegiality and give
same vain, there was no significant difference between teachers the satisfaction thereby committing themselves
the responses of teachers and students as shown in t- to school improvement goals. According to Eya (2006)
test (Tables 3 and 4). Both groups agreed that the use of instructional materials make the teachers’ job easier,
24 Int. J. Voc. Tech. Educ.
Table 2. Mean and standard deviation of responses on the influence of inadequate instructional materials and facilities on students’
effective learning of electrical and electronics courses.
faster and more effective. He maintained that when a of electrical/electronics, the academic performance of the
teacher sees that he has relevant materials to teach his students will be improved. This is in line with items 12,
subject, he becomes more eager to go and teach. 13, 14, 15 and 16 of Table 2 which revealed that use of
Academic performance, according to Bossaert et al. inadequate instructional materials and facilities reduce
(2011), is the outcome of education showing the extent to the academic performance of students in
which students, teachers or institutions have achieved electrical/electronics and hinder practical skills acquisition
their educational goals. Academic performance generally in electrical/ electronic courses. Items 1, 2 and 3 of Table
refers to how well a student is accomplishing his or her 2 revealed that inadequate instructional materials and
tasks and studies. This can be measured with the facilities hinder the interest of the students in teaching
permanent changes in the behaviour of a student as a and learning of electrical/electronics hinder their
result of the knowledge acquired. This is in line with participation in electrical/electronic lectures and increase
Tomporowsk et al (2008) who wrote that the purpose of truancy. Interest and ability should determine the
learning is to effect a permanent change in behaviour of directions in education. In electrical/electronics
the learner. Therefore, the sole aim of teaching is to gain technology education, interest becomes driving force to
experience. This emphasizes that when instructional achieve the desired goals. If student’s interest can be
materials and facilities are used in teaching and learning generated in the lesson all the attention can be focused
Ogbu 25
Table 3. Two tailed T-Test of difference between the mean responses of teachers and students on the influences of inadequate
instructional materials and facilities on the effective teaching of electrical and electronics technology education courses.
Table 4. Two-tailed T-test of difference between the mean responses of teachers and students on the influences of inadequate instructional
materials and facilities on the effective learning of electrical and electronics technology education.
Educ. Sci. Technol. 1(2):144-150. Tomporowsk P, Catherine D, Patricia M, Jack N (2008). “Exercise and
Ogbu JE (2014). Strategies for effective wastage management in TVET children’s intelligence cognition and academic achievement” Educ.
for sustainable industrial development in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. J. Psychol. 20(2):111-131.
Info. Educ. Sci. and Technol. 1(2):125-132. Wale (2006). Teaching aids and obstacles; Afr. J. Educ. 20(1):215-235.
Ogwa CE (2002). Effective Teaching Methods, Enugu: Cheston Ltd.
Owoh TM (2009). Availability of instructional materials for teaching of
applied electricity in secondary schools in Enugu State. Ebonyi
Technol. Voc. Educ. J. 3(1):118-121.