INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND THE HURDLE TECHNICAL TEACHERS FACE IN TEACHING INTRODUCTION TO TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Educators and students have seen, over the years, that instructors rely excessively on words to explain their thoughts during teacher-student interactions; hence, teachers are accused of talking too much. According to Fayemi (2022), today, technological advancements have made it feasible to eliminate the obstacles frequently experienced by technical instructors when teaching and studying introductory technology. Through this change, individuals are no longer compelled to rely only on the conversation style of instruction and learning. These technological advancements have also enabled the production of materials and gadgets that may be utilized to make the transmission of information and skills more meaningful and tangible. Due to the absence of some items, educators and the general public have remarked that students' performance in introductory technology has not been promising (Fayemi 2022).

In addition, students do not attend Introductory Technology courses because Technical Teachers lack the resources to make the topic more tangible. To this purpose, experts have determined that technological advancements have made available certain materials and systems for use by Technical Teachers in the instruction of Introductory Technology. These items are referred to as Instructional Materials. This Instructional Material Includes Charts, Posters, Audio-Visual Aids, Realia, Audio Aids, Visual Aids, etc. Researchers have discovered that these Instructional Materials are out of reach for the majority of instructors to use effectively in the classroom. Ogunmilade (2022) of the media press in Education at the University of Ife argued in favor of Instructional Materials, stating that they are a tool for promoting and sustaining the teaching and learning process. Instructional Materials are essential for efficient teaching at the preparatory levels since they not only aid the instructor but also inspire the students to study. The Okafor (2022). However, the effective implementation of this 6 – 3 – 3 – 4 system of education, in which Introductory Technology is a core topic, is contingent on the Technical Teachers and the suitable and readily available Instructional Materials. Despite the fact that Instructional Items are understood to be materials and technology used to facilitate the teaching and learning process, some Technical Teachers still lack a fundamental understanding of their significance  (Okoh, 2022).

This might be due to insufficient skill acquisition or a lack of training. In the absence of instructional materials, such as posters, safety rules, and operating manuals, the teaching and learning of introductory technology would be hindered for either technical instructors or students. A report analyzing the performance of students enrolled in introductory technology at one of the Junior Secondary Schools in the Abak Local Education District over the previous few years revealed very dismal results. Observations revealed that 10 out of hundreds of students taking the course received a passing grade. According to Olayiwole (2022), students perform better and acquire abilities more quickly when the material is demonstrated and applied. He went on to add that the ratio of demonstration to practical application in teaching and learning should be 10:25. This underlines the need of making Instructional Materials more accessible to students in order to help them apply what they have learned. Nigeria has campaigned for the construction of technical colleges at many levels, with Junior Secondary Schools serving as the foundational level. Therefore, the teaching of introductory technology necessitates an abundance of instructional resources and equipment to accommodate the practical character of technological subjects. For our students to establish a positive attitude toward Introductory Technology, they should be exposed to a variety of instructional materials that facilitate their knowledge and skill acquisition (Okoh, 2022). Clearly, a shortage of instructional materials impedes the teaching and learning of introductory technology. This may be one of the contributing causes to students' low performance and unfavorable attitude toward Introductory Technology.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

According to Fayemi (2022), teachers of introductory technology lack the required instructional materials for efficient teaching and learning. In addition, they lack the effective skill gains required for junior secondary school. Teaching abstractly is unsuccessful in terms of teaching and learning. If the technical teacher, who is to be practically oriented, teaches mostly through discussion without the use of instructional materials, the students will lack the fundamental abilities necessary to do effectively in Introductory Technology at the Junior High School Level. These discourage students from studying the subject, and they are not motivated. Then, it is difficult to acquire fundamental skills at the Junior Secondary level (Okoh, 2022).

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to examine instructional resources and the hurdle technical teachers face in teaching introduction to technology. Other objectives of this study is to;

i.          To determine the extent instructional resources are used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools.

ii.        To examine the different types of instrctional resources used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools.

iii.      To determine whether instrctional resources affects academic performance of students of  introduction to technology in junior secondary schools.

iv.      To explore the challenges technical teachers have while utilizing instructional resources to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study:

i.          To what extent are instructional resources used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools?

ii.        What are the different types of instrctional resources used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools?

iii.      Does instructional resources affect academic performance of students of  introduction to technology in junior secondary schools?

iv.      What are the challenges technical teachers have while utilizing instructional resources to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is believed that the results of this study would shed further light on some of the obstacles experienced by technical teachers when teaching Introductory Technology with and without nstructional resources at the junior secondary school level. This study may also be relevant to junior secondary school technical educators in regards to the most appropriate and efficient methods for teaching introductory technology. It is also intended that this study would alter the unfavorable views of junior high school students regarding the topic of introductory technology.

Lastly, depending on the findings, the government may be able to take actionable steps, such as providing the technical teachers with the appropriate instructional materials for teaching the topic and conducting seminars and workshops to help them improve and modernize their teaching techniques.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Generally, this study is focused on instructional resources and the hurdle technical teachers face in teaching introduction to technology. Specifically, this study is focused on determining the extent instructional resources are used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools, examining the different types of instrctional resources used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools, determining whether instrctional resources affects academic performance of students of  introduction to technology in junior secondary schools and exploring the challenges technical teachers have while utilizing instructional resources to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools.

Teachers and students of selected secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State will be the enrolled participants for the survey of this study.

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Generally, this study is limited to instructional resources and the hurdle technical teachers face in teaching introduction to technology. Specifically, this study is limited to determining the extent instructional resources are used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools, examining the different types of instrctional resources used to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools, determining whether instrctional resources affects academic performance of students of  introduction to technology in junior secondary schools and exploring the challenges technical teachers have while utilizing instructional resources to teach introduction to technology in junior secondary schools.

Teachers and students of selected secondary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State will be the enrolled participants for the survey of this study, thus the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Instructional resources: Also known as teaching/learning 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.

Introductory to technology: This is a pre-vocational course which is offered in Junior Secondary schools level. It comprises of; wood work, metal work, automechanics, Electrical Electronics, Building Constructioin and Technical drawing.

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