Proyecto de Vida en Jóvenes con Discapacidad Intelectual

As shown in Table 4.1, seven tutors (7.8%) were diploma holders, eighty (88.9%) of them had attained degree qualifications, whereas 3 of the tutors had master‟s degrees.

Table 4.1 Professional Qualifications of the Pre-Primary School College Administrators and Tutors

Academic Qualifications Number of College Tutors Percentage Masters‟ degree 3 3.3 Bachelor degree 80 88.9 Diploma 7 7.8 Total 90 100

The results show that the majority of the tutors were graduates with diploma Bachelor‟s degree or Masters Degree in Early childhood studies. It is expected that in the three levels of training, the content on utilization of IM is embedded in the curriculum, and hence the tutors were professionally qualified to use instructional media.

Similar findings have been reported by other studies done in East and West Africa. In a study on the use of instructional media in teaching and learning in

selected schools in Nigeria, Adegbija and Fakomogbon (2012) found that teacher qualifications and in-service training through workshops and conferences promoted utilization of instructional media. In addition, Onasanya (2006) in a study on preparing primary school teachers on selection, production and use of instructional media for effective classroom teaching in Nigeria, found that the skills acquired by teachers during training equipped

them to produce instructional media. Mwololo (2011)also found that teachers‟

knowledge and skills influenced the use of visual media in teaching in Kibwezi district. These scholarly remarks points to the fact that training of teachers at the different levels equips them with knowledge and skills in the preparation of IM, promotes utilization of variety of IM. Overall training has a value addition component to the practice of teaching and thus improves not only the tutor but also quality of PPS teacher training. This was the concern of the current study.

4. 3 Instructional Media Used in Teaching by Pre-Primary School College Tutors and their Frequency

To address the first objective of this study namely “to determine the instructional media used in teaching by pre-primary school college tutors in both public and private colleges” selected tutors were asked to indicate the instructional media they were using to teach the prescribed ECE teacher training units. The specific study teaching units selected for this study are language, mathematics, science, creative, music and movement. The IM was recorded on column one while the frequencies and percentages were expressed in terms of the tutors who indicated using a specific IM during teaching. It can

be noted that there were overlaps of this data since a tutor would indicate more than one IM as shown in Table 4.2. This presentation therefore was meant to give a clear picture of the tutors‟ frequency of utilisation of a given IM. The following subsection puts this into perspective.

(i) Instructional Media for Teaching Language Activities

The types of instructional media used for teaching language activities were as shown in table 4.2.

Table 4.2: Instructional Media for Teaching Language Activities

Listening and Speaking Skills F % Writing resources 90 100.0 Flash Cards 5 5.6 Realia 4 4.4 Print Media 3 3.3 Pictures 1 1.1 Reading skills F % Writing resources 90 100.0 Print Media 8 8.9 Cards 7 7.8 Pictures 6 6.6 Writing skills F % Writing resources 90 100.0 Print Media 9 10.0 Cards 1 1.1

As shown in Table 4.2 Four tutors had realia to teach listening and speaking skills, three had printed materials, and five 5 had cards whereas 90 had writing materials. In relation to reading skills, only 6 tutors had pictures, 8 had printed materials while 7 had cards. In writing skills, all tutors had writing materials; 9

had pictures with only one tutor having cards. The results imply that the most common instructional media for teaching language activities were writing resources which were predominantly the boards and manila papers. These two instructional material are said to be easy to utilize and convenient for any learning circumstance as confirmed by the literature that formed the background of this study.

(i) Instructional Media for teaching Mathematics Activities

In the teaching of mathematics results show that like in language activities, the common media available for teaching mathematics activities were writing resources. Table 4.3 shows that 6 tutors had realia for teaching number recognition, 8 had pictures, while 31 had cards. Fifteen tutors had realia to teach number value, 10 had pictures while 18 had cards. The observation schedule revealed that tutors used laminated cards to instruct on number symbols especially because of their durability and neatness. This was confirmed by one of the programme officers who said that number cards were provided by management through the tutors ordering lists since they were durable and long lasting which translated into being cheap. One tutor even said that they could conveniently carry them home in their bags to preserve them for future use. Real objects and pictures were also found to be available.

Number Recognition F % Writing resources 90 100.0 Cards 31 34.5 Pictures 8 8.9 Realia 6 6.7 Print Media 4 4.4 Number value Writing resources 90 100.0 Cards 18 20.0 Realia 15 16.6 Pictures 10 11.1 Model 1 1.1

Similar results were found by Waigera (2013) in a study on pre-primary school teachers‟ use of culturally available teaching resources. The results indicated that realia such as seeds and stones were among the most common instructional media used by teachers during mathematics lessons.

(ii) Instructional Media for teaching Science Activities

Like in language and mathematics, writing materials scored highest in tutor utilization to teach science activities. These included different types of boards and manila papers. Table4.4 show that 38 tutors (more than a third) utilized pictures while a small number of tutors had realia to teach topics related to animals; one tutor had printed materials while another one tutor had a model.

Animals F % Writing resources 90 100.0 Pictures 38 42.2 Realia 6 6.7 Print media 1 1.1 Models 1 1.1 Machines Writing resources 90 100.0 Pictures 8 8.9 Realia 6 6.7 Print media 2 2.2 Plants Writing resources 90 100.0 Realia 32 35.6 Pictures 20 22.3 Print media 2 2.2 Models 1 1.1

In teaching about machines, a small number of tutors had realia; a few had pictures while 2 had print media. Pertaining to teaching of plants in science activities, about a third of the tutors had realia, less than a quarter had pictures while a negligible number had print media. Hence results showed that the common instructional media available for teaching science activities were print media, realia and writing resources.

(iii) Instructional Media for teaching Creative Activities

In the area of creative activities, writing materials included drawing papers, small hand boards beside the main board at the front or at times back of the classrooms. Other instructional media available are presented in Table 4.5.

Table 4.5: Instructional Media for Teaching Creative Activities

Art F %

Realia 9 10.0 Print media 6 6.7 Pictures 2 2.2 Models 2 2.2 Craft Realia 11 12.3 Print media 9 10.0

It was confirmed from the observation checklist that all tutors had writing resources for teaching art and craft activities. Others chose to present information in charts which were displayed in the learning areas. For example photographs were found in a few classrooms mounted on manilla paper and displayed on walls. Nine of the tutors had realia, 6 had printed media, while only 2 tutors used models. In teaching craft activities, 11 tutors had realia which the learners had gathered from the locality including the local markets. Two tutors had pictures, while 9 had printed media. The results shows that the most popular media used for teaching creative activities were realia, print media, models, and writing resources.

(iv) Instructional Media for Teaching Social Studies Activities

In social studies activities the consideration for the utilization of instructional media was in the topics; family, environment, and our nation. The types of instructional media that were available in the colleges for teaching social studies activities are presented in Table 4.6.

Table 4.6: Types of Instructional Media Available for Teaching Social Studies Activities

Family F % Writing materials 90 100.0 Pictures 32 35.6 Print media 3 3.3 Models 1 1.1 Environment Writing materials 90 100.0 Pictures 13 14.4 Print media 3 3.3 Our Nation Writing materials 90 100.0 Realia 26 28.9 Pictures 24 26.6 Print media 1 1.1

The Table shows that 69 tutors had pictures for teaching topics related to family environment and the Nation. Seven tutors had printed media, while only one tutor had models and 13 used pictures. The results imply that the instructional media used for teaching social studies were print media, realia, models and writing resources.

These results concur with those of Linter (2010) in a study on a world of difference in USA and teaching tolerance through pictures in elementary schools. Results obtained showed that pictures were the most commonly used instructional media in teaching social sciences.

A variety of instructional media for teaching music and movement activities were determined and the results are presented in Table 4.7.

Table 4.7: Types of Instructional Media available for Teaching Music and Movement Activities

Songs F %

Writing materials 90 100.0

Models 4 4.4

Print media 1 1.1

Listening to different sounds B

Writing materials 90 100.0 Realia 31 34.4 Models 4 4.4 Print media 2 2.2 Musical instruments Realia 27 30.0 Print media 1 1.1

The Table shows that 8 tutors had models for teaching about songs and different types of sounds with only 2 tutors indicating that they had print media. Four tutors had print media while a few had models. Fifty eight tutors had realia to teach about musical instruments and different types of sounds which included a lot of real sound producing media. A negligible number of tutors had print media. The result shows that realia, print media, models, and writing materials were the media available for teaching music and movement. This was echoed by Kairu (2000) in a study on availability and utilization of resources for the teaching of music in selected primary school teacher training colleges in Kenya. Results from the study revealed that since sound was an important element of music, it required a variety of sound producing resources

which was indicated by most respondents in that study and the current study confirmed the same.

Overall, the study established a variety of media for utilization during instruction ranging from realia, print, pictures, models and writing materials. The frequencies were presented as a percentage of the tutors who admitted having them from their questionnaires. As afore mentioned, the percentage of the frequencies were calculated in terms of how many tutors utilized that IM. Each was calculated as an individual percentage to give a picture of the number of tutors that utilized a specific IM and some were found to have had more than one IM. The overall frequencies of the IM available for teaching in pre-primary school colleges are presented in the Table 4.8.

Table 4.8 Overall Frequencies of Instructional Media

Instructional media Frequency No of tutors

Writing Materials 1530 100 (90)

Realia 203 13.26(10)

Pictures 176 11.50(10)

Print 63 4.11(5)

Models 26 1.69(2)

Table 4.8 indicates that there were a variety of instructional media for pre- primary school college tutors to use in teaching. The results also show that the most common media was writing materials like blackboard which were predominantly used in the classrooms followed by realia and pictures. These media were both commercial and improvised where some were provided by the college management as noted especially in the private colleges. This was

also confirmed by the interview for college managers (private colleges) and programme officers from the 2 public colleges who agreed that tutors were asked to submit lists of required teaching media at the beginning of every teaching period (school holiday) when teaching units were allocated.

This study also noted from the interview schedules that the management of some private colleges provided certain instructional media like laminated cards, dioramas, charts and models but which were not utilized in the teacher training process. Audio visual media like computers, overhead transparencies and video recorders were not available at all as observed in both public and private pre-primary school teacher colleges regardless of their great usefulness in enhancing teacher training. Interview results from the managers confirmed that college management provided.

Similar results were found by Chakravarthi (2009) in a study on pre-school teachers‟ beliefs and practices of out-door play and environments at Greensboro North Carolina where realia like balls were the most commonly used media in teaching. Further, Brown (2009) in a study on social and environmental factors associated with preschoolers‟ non-sedentary activities also found that majority of the respondents used balls during lessons. The study observed that if the goal is to increase children‟s activity and participation in instruction then carefully selected real media need to be availed for particular activities.

4.4 Utilization of Instructional Media in Teaching by Type of College