CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study 

Media is a term frequently heard and discussed among educational technologists today. Unless clearly defined, the term can alternatively mean the development of computer-based hardware and software packages produced on a mass scale and yet allow individualized use and learning. In essence, media merges multiple levels of learning into an educational tool that allows for diversity in curricula presentation.

Mayer (2001) views media as the exciting combination of computer hardware and software that allows you to integrate video, animation, audio graphics and test resources to develop effective presentation on an affordable desktop computer. But Philips (1990) opines that “Media is characterized by the presence of text, pictures, sound animation and video, some or all of which are organized into some colorant programme.

However, today’s media is a carefully woven combination of text, graphic, sound, animation and video elements. If the end user is allowed i.e. the viewer of a media project, is allowed to control “what ““when” and ’’how’’ the elements are presented, it becomes interactive media.

As such, media can be defined as an integration of multiple media elements (audio, video, graphic, text animation e.t.c.) into one synergetic and symbiotic whole that results in more benefit for the end user than any of the media element can provide individually. 

 On the other hand, at the inception of the 6-3-3-4 system of education, Media studies  was a core subject at the junior secondary school level, but elective at the senior secondary. In the 1998 edition of the National policy on education, however, with the revised edition of policy in 2004, the subject became elective at the junior secondary school level and a core subject at senior secondary school. With this development more attention is directed to the implementation of the curriculum, this is because Media studies  has been made compulsory. 

 As an experienced teacher, the researcher of this study gained useful experience and observed that most teachers either have no media facilities or do not make effective use of the media facilities in their teaching, this negligence towards effective use of media in teaching and learning is common to both trained and untrained teachers i.e. those who have no teaching qualification.

 In teacher training schools, emphasis is laid on the effective and adequate use of instructional/media facilities in all instructional situations. During teaching practice, a student teacher is assessed according to how effective he/she selects and uses instructional aids in teaching a specific content of a curriculum, student teachers equipped themselves with necessary facilities but surprisingly after graduation, these same teacher trainees (as teachers) became reluctant to use the available facilities in their teaching learning situation.

 The utilization of instructional facilities does not start with secondary schools in Kaduna State. According to Seattler (1968) images had been utilized as communicative media since the time of the creative men of upper Paleolithic France and Italy and down through Egypt. Mayer (1996) and Seattler (1968) state that both Cecero and Senaca approved the use of visual forms of instruction.

 With the development of modern technology, teachers no longer have to rely solely on words to make their teaching more effective and meaningful. There are many varieties of facilities around that can be used to make teaching and learning more vivid and more interesting.

 It is the researcher’s opinion that every educator and teacher in particular, not only in Zaria inspectorate Division of  Kaduna State, but all over the country should realize the importance of media facilities in teaching and learning thereby making adequate use of them in every classroom interaction. This is so as the relevance of media facilities in teaching has been emphasized by educators and teacher trainers.

 It is the researcher’s concern about lack of initialization or non effective use of media facilities that motivated the researcher to delve into the Media studies  area of Junior Secondary School curriculum in order to assess the effect of media in the performance of JSS students of Media studies  in Zaria inspectorate Division of Kaduna State.         

 1.2 Statement of the Problem 

It has been observed by Jimoh (NATAIS 1999) that Media studies  as a subject in secondary schools in Nigeria faces severe problems in relation to its curriculum content and delivery by the Media studies  teachers. However it is unfortunate to observe that Media studies  has been neglected by the learners and its content delivery by teachers has been too slow.

Similarly, it has been observed by Arikewuyo (NATAIS 1999) that teaching and learning of Media studies  in secondary schools was bedeviled with multi-dimensional problems which impede successful implementation of the curriculum.  At the centre, the most clear learning problems are the teachers who are ill-equipped for the task ahead, unqualified, complexity of the curriculum, inadequacy of instructional facilities for example, media facilities. 

As a result, the 2006 examination of Media studies  which was recorded by inspectorate Division Ministry of Education, Zaria, that the overall performance of students was 46.8%, in 2007, it is only 43.3% in 2008 while in 2010, it was 42.6%. 

In view of the above this research work is set to solve the problems of academic failure in Media studies  subject and improve the academic performance of students through the use of media facilities in teaching the curriculum of the subject by finding out the effect of the media facilities in teaching Media studies  curriculum.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to determine the effect of media on the teaching of Media studies  education on the academic performance of JSS secondary school students of Zaria inspectorate Division of Kaduna state. The specific objectives of this study are to: 

1. Investigate the effects of media facilities in teaching JSS Media studies .

2. Find out how the use of media facilities in teaching JSS Media studies  enhances academic performance of male and female students.

3. Compare the performance of students taught Media studies  at pre test and post test using media facilities and those taught using traditional method of teaching.

1.4 Research Questions 

The study intends to provide answers to the following questions:

1. What are the effects of media facilities in teaching JSS Media studies ?

2. How does the use of media facilities in teaching JSS Media studies  enhance the performance of male and female students?

3. Is there difference in the performance at pre-test and post test of students taught Media studies  using media facilities and those taught using traditional method of teaching?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

In line with the research questions, the following null hypotheses were raised for this study:

Ho1: The use of media facilities has no significant effect on JSS students’ academic performance in Media studies .   

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the performance of male and female students exposed to media facilities in teaching Media studies .

Ho3: There is no significant difference in the pre-test and post test scores of JSS students taught Media studies  using media facilities and those taught using traditional method of teaching. 

1.6  Significance of the study

The result of this study will be significant through the following ways:

The findings will help policy makers realize that the world is becoming a global village with varieties of media facilities that can enhance teaching and learning.

The finding had revealed to government, educational planners and teachers that media facilities have the potential to contribute in different faces of educational development and effective teaching and learning.

The research findings will be useful to education policy makers and curriculum developers of JSS Media studies  curriculum as it will make them appreciate the need to make necessary adjustments especially on incorporation of full and comprehensive use of media facilities such as television, DVD, Radio and other devices i.e information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching Media studies .

The study findings will suggest to policy makers the need to provide necessary media facilities to Media studies  teachers, this will enable them achieve National Educational goals as spelt out in National Policy of Education (2004), which emphasized on inculcating values of faith in man’s ability to make rational decision and inculcate moral and spiritual principles, inter-personal and human relations. 

The outcome of this study finding will also suggest ways of effective use of media facilities to enhance teaching and learning in Junior Secondary Schools.

The study finding will add more light on the importance of media in the teaching of Media studies  in secondary schools. 

1.7 Basic Assumptions

In this study the following were assumed:-

•     That administering test to students in this study will reveal the actual performance of students.

•     That the sample used for the study represents the population as the population have similar characteristics in common.

•     Media facilities play a vital role in effective teaching and learning

1.8 Scope of the Study

The study is on the effect of Media in teaching Media studies  curriculum on academic performance of junior secondary school students in Zaria inspectorate Division of Kaduna State. The research was restricted to students of JSSII Public junior Secondary Schools under Zaria Inspectorate Division of Kaduna State.