THE IMPACT OF TEACHING METHODS ON THE INTELLECTUAL ABILITY OF GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL IN FAGGE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KANO STATE

For more than decades research in variety of school districts and states has subjected considerably heterogeneity in impact of teaching method on student academic performance. This has acted as stimulus to find out which teaching method is best for teaching of geography in secondary schools and the impact they have on student academic performance. Education is an avenue of training and learning especially in schools or colleges to improve knowledge and skills excel in chosen fields of endeavor or career and to positively impact in the environment. On the contrary, the end resorts of learning process have failed to maintain high degree of academic achievements and excellence amongst learner’s recipient’s education in institution of learning as this days (ASSEFA et al, 2008, Akanbi, 2010). Cameroon and the world at large are talking about sustainable development for which geography cannot be set aside nor separated from plant to achieve sustainable development. Development is the process in which the neither people nor beneficiaries are actively involved in deciding what and how to provide them. In order for people to participate meaningfully, there is the need to equip them with necessary lifelong or process skills such as communication, collaboration or team skills, tolerance, decision making as well as leadership skills (Nwafor, 2012). In the past, most parents and teachers where very interested in teaching their children to grow deeper. In the knowledge using different method without using text books which will help them improve on their performance. Again during that time, teacher was untrained unlike today that teachers are trained and yet performance are low and students are less active in class, this is due to the lack of interest by the teachers to use these methods appropriately. The evolutional trend of the formal method of teaching in the past has evolve the used of modern method introduced by the Western world as formal methods are used to transfer knowledge from a more knowledgeable to a less knowledgeable person. With the evolvement of technology, modern techniques are introduced like the used of explicit methods, drill and practice, pure lecture illustration, demonstration, discussion, laboratory, dramatization, recitation, and corporative learning strategy. This method of teaching has greatly influenced the performance of students in different subjects especially the use of lecture demonstration, illustration, discussion and cooperative learning have influence academic performance of students in geography. (Lake Tambo, 2003). Santock (2004) supported the fact that demonstration is one of the best methods used to teach. According to Benson and Doval (2014), lecture illustration is a modern method used to teach and that the main tax of the teacher is to explain and illustrate process and relationships and to test to find out if students have learned. Another modern technique used to teach geography is the corporative learning strategy which is supported by Johnson et al, (1984) and Widemen, and Eadie, (1990) that students in corporative work in small groups of two, three, four or five. These educationalists say that when students are shared in to small groups four to five they turn to share idea easily without and difficulty and thus perform very well. One of the best modern methods used to teach geography is the use of discussion method which involves the verbal exchange of the idea among students and teachers. This has been supported by Kellough (1988) and Lake Tambo (2003), these authors accepted the fact that discussion method promote communication skills and thinking skills of students. It leads to interaction between students. And teachers and this promote positive questioning techniques between students. All of these modern methods use to teach geography have a great influence on student performance positively as it improves human relations.