EFFECT OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF GOVERNMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF ISUIKWUATO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ABIA STATE)

The research work examined the effects of instructional materials in teaching and learning of Government in secondary schools in Abia State, making Isuikwuato Local Government Area of the state a case study. From five schools, four Government teachers and ten students were randomly picked from each school making a total of twenty teachers and fifty students. The instrument used for collection of data was the questionnaire. Two types of questionnaire were used; the students' questionnaire and the teachers' questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed by the use of percentages, and frequency distribution tables were used to determine the distribution of the respondents. From the analysis of the data, the use of instructional materials was seen as very important in the schools as the students understand more and enjoy Government lessons when they are taught with instructional materials. The responses of the students during government lessons when instructional materials were used were seen to be highly encouraging. This emphasized the use of instructional materials by teachers. The findings showed that chalkboards, textbooks, maps, pictures, and real objects were the most commonly used instructional materials in government lessons in the study area.