AN EXAMINATION OF THE AVAILABILITY AND UTILIZATION OF AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS IN TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN UPPER BASIC SCHOOLS IN UDI EDUCATION ZONE, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study is on the availability and utilization of audio-visual materials in teaching social studies in upper basic schools in Udi education zone, Enugu state, Nigeria. The specific of objectives were to determine the available audio- visual materials for teaching social studies and to find out the extent to which teachers utilize audio- visual materials in teaching social studies. The researcher adopted descriptive survey research design for the study, while the study area was Udi Education Zone, Enugu State. The population for this study comprises all teachers of Social Studies in the fifty-four (54) public secondary schools in Udi Education Zone of Enugu State. The population of teachers of Social
Studies is ninety-four (94); 28 male teachers and 66 female teachers. The entire population was utilized as the sample for the study. Data obtained were collated and subjected to descriptive statistics (for research questions) and inferential statistics (for hypotheses). The research questions were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The hypotheses were also analyzed using independent sample t-test. Data were presented in tables. The findings revealed that projected opaque materials, mobile phones/ipads, Computer and youtube were the only audio visual materials available even though not adequate for teaching social studies in Upper basic schools, it also indicated that the
teachers were teaching with old audio-visual aids like charts, posters, newspapers and display boards instead of teaching with modern audio-visual aids like computer, power point, video set and television, it further established that the governments do not provide audio visual aids on a regular basis to the schools, the findings also revealed that inability of the students, teachers and government to improvise audio-visual aids resulted to poor attitude towards teaching and learning it finally show that the key benefit of audio-visual aids was to improve teaching and learning. The researchers, among other things recommended that ministry of Education should organize In-service training, seminars, workshops
and conferences on installation, utilization and maintenance of audio-visual materials on regular basis for the teachers and students. This will have great effect of reforming teaching and learning process in our Secondary schools and that teachers should make sure that the audio-visual materials used are well selected and properly integrated to fit into a particular lesson in order to achieve the set goal.