Thesis Abstract

Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the extent of the availability and use of instructional materials in teaching and learning social studies in Aba Education Zone, Abia State. The research utilized a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations to gather comprehensive insights into the current status of instructional materials in social studies education. The findings revealed that while there was a general recognition of the importance of instructional materials in enhancing teaching and learning experiences in social studies, the actual availability and utilization of these materials were limited. Teachers reported facing challenges in accessing relevant and up-to-date instructional materials, with a significant proportion relying on outdated resources or improvising materials during lessons. Moreover, the study highlighted disparities in the availability of instructional materials across schools within the Aba Education Zone. Schools with better infrastructure and resources tended to have more access to a variety of instructional materials compared to schools with limited resources. This inequality in access to instructional materials could potentially impact the quality of education and learning outcomes for students across different schools. The study also explored the perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards the use of instructional materials in social studies education. While teachers acknowledged the benefits of incorporating instructional materials in their lessons, some expressed reservations due to constraints such as time, resources, and training. Professional development opportunities focusing on the effective integration of instructional materials could help address these challenges and enhance teacher capacity in utilizing a wide range of resources for teaching social studies. Overall, the research underscored the importance of ensuring adequate availability and utilization of instructional materials in social studies education. Recommendations included the provision of additional resources, training programs for teachers on effective use of instructional materials, and efforts to bridge the gap in access to materials across schools in the Aba Education Zone. By addressing these issues, stakeholders can enhance the quality of social studies education and promote better learning outcomes for students in the region.

Thesis Overview

This study examined Extent of the Availability and use of Instructional Materials in Teaching and Learning Social Studies in Aba Education Zone, Abia State. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The study determined the extentinstructional materials are available for teaching and learning of social studies, the extent instructional materials are available for teaching and learning social studies, the extent the available instructional materials are used for teaching of social studies and in what ways can instructional materials be provided and utilized in teaching and learning social studies. A total number of 8,475 Social Studies Teachers and JSS2 Social Studies Students were selected for the study through simple random sampling technique in the nine local government education authorities (LGEA) in the education zone. Four research questions and Four hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. Instrument for data collection was questionnaire developed by the researcher titled“Availability and Use of Instructional Material in Teaching and Learning Questionnaire” (AUIMTLQ) which contain 87 items. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation (SD) while t-test statistic was used in testing the 4 null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that instructional materials are not sufficiently supplied for teaching and learning of social studies. Also in most cases, teachers do not make use of the available instructional materials in teaching their lessons. Based on the findings of the research, it was recommended that instructional materials must be provided and utilized by executors of educational polices in order to achieve the set educational objective of social studies.