EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS ON TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS

EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS ON TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS

ABSTRACT
This study attempts to investigate what makes a good teaching and learning, for this purpose a sample
consisted of seventy students of 9th class was taken. The sample was further divided randomly into two
equal groups. One group was called experimental and the other control group. Before starting the
experiment pre-test was administered to the students of both the experimental and control group After it the
students of the two selected groups were taught by their respective teachers. Both the groups were exposed
to essentially the same experience, except for the method of instruction. The experimental group was taught
through use of instructional aids. At the end of the treatment period, the post-test was administered to the
students of both the experimental and control group. Research on the effectiveness of learning through
instructional aids, indicates that learning is improved when pictures supplement verbal materials, when
learners draw their own meaning while studying, `and when learners are asked to generate mental pictures
while reading or studying.

INTRODUCTION

Although almost all of us went to schools

and were "educated" very few of us have
any systematic conception of teaching.
Teaching has come through poor usage to
mean the thing a teacher does while he is in
a classroom. Thus it is a misleadingly term.
Most of difficulties arise owing to this
misleading notion. Teaching is not
understood in a proper perspective. For a
long time it was believed that teaching and
instruction were one and the same, and that
teacher is giving instruction imparts
knowledge. This conception is not only
faulty but also does a lot of damage to the
conception and process of teaching.
In the same manner very limited meaning is
attached with term learning. Modification of
behaviour is called learning. It is generally
stated that all learning is modification of
behaviour but all modification of behaviour
is not learning. For instance, consumption of
alcohol may bring about modification in
behaviour as well as experience.
Modification of behaviour may also be
caused by fatigue, exhaustion etc. All
modification of behaviour of the nature
described above, are not called learning. To
put it in a different way, modification of
behaviour and experience caused by
maturational factors is not learning.
In relation to modification of behavior
within classroom the role of instructional
aids is considered very limited and that

instructional aids enhance the memory level
of the students. In bookish examination the
memory is increased through rote learning.
While all these are outdated misconception.
The present paper is an academic attempt to
investigate that teaching is not the name of
instruction and to impart knowledge by the
teacher and the learning is more than
modification of individual behaviuor. It will
also disclose that for effective teaching
learning process the use of instructional aids
is the demand of student psychology.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Problem under investigation was to discuss
teaching learning process and to investigate
the effects of instructional aids.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1- To discuss the term teaching and learning.
2- To explore the effects of instructional
aids on teaching learning process.

SIGNIFICANCE

Teachers play most important part in any
system of education. They are considered
the most crucial input to the whole learning
process and the function of teaching is the
key toward critical process of learning. Yet
examining the situation to-day and of the
past we find that teachers are also among the
neglected public servants in Pakistani
society. Teachers are among the least
motivated and trained professionals.

Therefore, there is a need to revitalize
teacher education on sound research
findings and judgment basis. Exploring the
best methodology of teaching leading
toward effective learning based upon use of
instructional aids will provide guidelines to
bring improvement in quality of teaching. In
this connection the paper will be helpful:

• To revitalize the teacher training
program in the light of the study.
• To improve and to make effective
the process of learning. Because the
student future depends largely upon
proper education of teachers.
• The findings will provide useful
information for curriculum reforms.
• The study will help the decision-
makers to understand the causes of
low quality of teacher's instructional
competence. To increase
instructional competence, workable
strategies could be developed.
• It will help teacher to share his
experiences with others, especially
with students through two way
communications.
• It will provide classroom teacher
valid base to seek means for
extending his student's horizon of
real experiences and first hand
knowledge.
• It will facilitate the role of teacher
by offering a performance blueprint
and consistent criteria for evaluating
teaching outcomes.
• It will enable the teacher to judge
appropriateness of instructional aids.
• As prediction of teacher
performance has increasingly
become a concern of psychology,
sociology and education, those who
define themselves as educational
psychologists, educational
sociologists, program planners or
policy developers can broaden their
horizon of thinking.

HYPOTHESIS
There is no significant difference in mean
scores of the students taught through


instructional aids and through traditional
way.

RELATED LITERATURE
WHAT IS TEACHING

The term teaching is used in various ways,
and definitions often lead to controversial
discussions in pedagogical circles. The
unpacking of various definitions of teaching
would be an interesting undertaking. Uses of
the word teaching are found in ordinary
discourse. It is refer to that which is taught,
as a doctrine or body of knowledge. In this
expression "The teaching of Pakistan
Studies" reference is made to the contents
included in the Text book of Pakistan
Studies. Teaching is used to refer to an
occupation or a profession teaching is used
to refer to ways of making something known
to others usually in routine work of the
classroom. The modern conception of
teaching includes all those things a teacher
does to facilitate the learning process.
Teaching has grown from stage of imparting
knowledge to strategies for promoting
public growth (Fontana,1981 ; Allport
1946)Teachers are not to be understood as a
more custodians of knowledge. There is a
task of stimulating, facilitating pupil's
learning to ensure his attainment of
objectives. The new concept of teaching has
made the work of the teacher more
challenging and difficult. The teacher's task
concerns:-
• Orienting the pupil toward desirable
goals both immediate and long
range.
• Facilitating the attainment of the
goals through suitable learning
experiences and guiding the pupil
toward his total growth.
According to (Cronbac, 1986) teaching must
be considered as a professional service, it
should be analyzed into its component
process or elements. First, it can be analyzed
in terms of the types of teacher activity
(1)information giving (2) disciplining (3)
guiding and advising (4) Motivating. There
are other activities that teachers commonly
carry out such as (1) Explaining (2)
demonstrating (3) curriculum planning (4)

implementing and evaluating. Another way
of analyzing teaching could be based on the
types of educational objectives. This may be
in terms of Bloom Taxonomy of educational


WHAT IS LEARNING

Learning is relatively persistent change in an
individual's possible behaviour due to
experience,
classifies teaching activities
as things to be learnt (1) Equivalencies
(2)beliefs (3) field expectations (4) field
cognition modes (5) drive discrimination (6)
motor patterns.
According to (Gagne, 1974) that teaching
should answer three questions (1) How do
teachers behave and what do they do
(2)why do they behave in the manner they do
(3) what are the effects of the above on
pupil? Answer to these questions will yield a
general conception of teaching, if they apply
to all teaching to all students, to all subject
matter and to all situations-both classroom
and outside classroom in which learning
may take place. This approach conceives
teacher's actions as the cause and the
learning of students as the effect. Teaching
may be characterized as an activity aimed at
achievement of learning and practiced in
such manner as to respect the student's
intellectual integrity and capacity for
things:- First, that learning must change the
individual in some way, second, that this
change comes as a result of experience; and
third, that it is a change in his possible
behaviour. The first of these points of
emphasis is obvious enough. Unless we are
changed in some way, learning cannot be
said to have taken place. This change can, of
course, be at relatively simple level. The
second point of emphasis stresses that the
change must come about as a result of
experience. This therefore excludes the
kinds of change that accrue form maturation
and physical development. The third point
stress that although a change has taken
place, it is change in potential rather than in
actual behaviour.
(Davis,1973 ; Hunter,1964) defines learning
as "the change in performance associated
with practice. (Spence,1956) defines
learning as " inference" and recognizes that
learning is, in some way different from
performance. Performance is observable,
independent judgment.
Such as
empirical, and learning is not.
characterization is important for at least two
reasons, first it brings out the intentional
nature of teaching- the fact that teaching is a
distinctive goal-oriented activity. Second, it
differentiates the activity of teaching from
such other activities as propagandizing,
conditioning, suggesting and indoctrinating,
which are aimed at modifying the person but
strive at all coasts to avoid a genuine
engagement of his judgment on underlying
issues (Scheffler,1971 ; Collins,1991)
In Islamic thought, teaching is the main
component of education system. There is no
knowledge without teaching and no Islam
without knowledge. Knowledge is
prerequisite for being a Muslim. This makes
teaching sacred duty on the part of those
who know. A teacher is bearer of
knowledge. It was to emphasis this point
that the prophet (Peace be upon him) said,
verily! I was not sent but as a teacher.
When learning is taken as the change of
performance as a result of practice, the
question arises about the nature, amount,
and direction of change. Performance is also
a wide term and also needs connection with
learning. Behaviour change with practice
has to be related with one trial learning.
Some performance can be manipulated in
tangible manner, as the specific changes of
behaviour through learning. Some aspects of
learning as attitudes, ideals, and fears are
quite intangible both in acquisition and
manifestation.
We can look at the psychologist; attempt to
develop a convincing theory of how learning
comes about. The behaviorist sees learning
in terms of connections between stimulus
and response or between response and
reinforcement, and places great stress upon
the role-played by the environment.
Structure the environment correctly, and
learning will follow, irrespective of the

particular volition of the learner. The
cognitive approach, on the other hand, holds
that if we are to under stand learning we
cannot confine ourselves to observable
behavior, but also concern over selves with
the learner, ability mentally to reorganize his
inner world of concepts, memories in
response to experience. The latter approach,
therefore lays stress not only upon the
environment, but upon the way in which
individual interprets and tries to make sense
of his environment. It sees the individual not
as the somewhat mechanical product of his
environment, but as an active agent in the
learning process, deliberately trying to
process and categorize the stream of
information fed into him by the outside
world.
For teacher the main difference between
two theories is that, while not denying the
potential importance of the stimulus and the
reinforcement, cognitive theory considers
that behaviorist pays in sufficient attention
to the element that comes in between,
namely the learner own cognitive behaviour
is not simply some thing elicited by a
stimulus and strengthened or otherwise by
the nature of the reinforcement that follows,
it is in fact a highly complex activity which
involves (1) acquisition of information (2)
transformation of information and (3) testing
the adequacy of this information.

ROLE OF INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS

According to (Nicholls, 2000; Raw , 2003)
in this age, education has become wide
spread and exclusively oral teaching cannot
be the key to successful pedagogy. To make
the teaching learning interesting the teacher
has to use instructional aids. Learning
process can be enhanced if aids are used
(Cronbac, 1989) describes seven elements in
behaviour and asserts. These elements
provide base for theory of learning.
Situations, the situation consists of all the
objects, persons and symbols in learner
environments experience in situation prepare
a person to respond to similar situation in
the future. Situation must be created in
which learner may feel satisfaction.
Personal characterizes under this heading we

include all the abilities and all the typical
responses that the person brings to the
situation. Use of instructional material can
appeal to the individual attention by creating
interest.
Goal: the goal of the learner is that he
wishes to attain. Since goals direct efforts,
the teacher problem of motivation is
essentially one of arranging situation with
instructional aids in which the learner will
see goals he wants to attain.
Interpretation: Person interprets situation in
order to take action If relevant aids are made
available it will be easy for a teacher and
student to predict that what can be expected
to happen if various actions are taken.
Action: A person chooses whatever action
he expects to give him the greatest
satisfaction. The use of aids can facilitate the
decision of a person toward taking right
action.
Consequence: Actions following by their
results are called consequences. If
instructional aids are used the prediction
made by a person would be rewarding and
consequences will justify the work done by
person, he will feel full satisfaction.

METHOD AND PROCEDURE
SAMPLE

The sample consisted of seventy students of
9th class of Govt: girls high school no I
Dera Ismail Khan.The sample was further
divided into two equal groups by using
random sampling technique. Each group
having 35 students.

MATERIAL
Textbook teaching to experimental group
was supported by using charts, objects and
other instructional aids.

PROCEDURE
In this experimental study, the pretest-
posttest Equivalent group design discussed
by (Best, 1990,) was used. The relevant pre-
test was administered to the students of both
the experimental and control group. Data
obtained from pre-test is presented in table
no 1.Both the groups were equivalent at the
time of starting the experiment. Equal
conditions for both the groups were
established i.e. all factors of the time of the
day and treatment length in time were
equaled. The students of the two selected
groups were taught by their respective
teachers. Both the groups were exposed to
essentially the same experience, except for
the method of instruction. The experimental
group was taught Chemistry through use of
instructional aids. At the end of the
treatment period, the relevant post-test was
number ofadministered to the students of both the
experimental and control group. Data
obtained from post-test is presented in table

ANALYSIS OF DATA

Table-1 showing mean scores of control and
experimental group on pre-test


Level of
Category
Control group
Experimental

group
students
35

35
Mean
58.48

57.99
SD
13.87

14.10
t-value

0.84
significance

.05

The above table shows that mean score of
control group is 58.48 and standard
deviation is 13.87 while mean score of
experimental group is 57.99 and standard
deviation is 5.4. The computed t- value 0.84
is less than table value .So the difference

between the mean scores of two groups is
not significant at 0.05 level of significance.

Table-2 showing mean scores of control and
experimental group on post-test

Category

Control group
Experimental
group

number of
students
35

35

Mean

57.98

67.65

SD

9.3

5.4

t-value


2.63

Level of
significance

.05
The above table shows that mean score of
control group is 57.98 and standard
deviation is 9.3 while mean score of
experimental group is 67.65 and standard
deviation is 5.4. The computed t- value 2.63
is greater than table value .So the difference
between the mean scores of two groups is
significant at 0.05 level of significance.

RESULT

There is significance difference in mean
scores of student on post-test. The students
in experimental group performed better then
control group. Research on the effectiveness
of learning through instructional aids,
indicates that learning is improved when
pictures supplement verbal materials, when
learners draw their own their meaning while
studying, and when learners are asked to
generate mental pictures while reading.

DISCUSSION

Teaching is conceptualized in terms of what
the teacher does. When students do not learn
we are inclined to conclude that the failure
to learn is their fault.The students are dull,
they are not motivated, they are less
intelligent, etc. while this may be true to
some extent, we should consider the reasons
why the students are not learning. Perhaps,
their fault may be teachers' fault.
Appropriate instructional procedures make
learning easier for the pupils. It is thus
necessary for teachers to have a sound
understanding of the principles of the
process of learning based on concrete
experiences. This view clearly indicates
purpose of modern schooling is to facilitate
learning, such that pupils may learn and are
able to use what they learn.
Effective teaching-learning process assigns

an important place to student-activity. It
calls for a child-centered approach. The
most distinctive feature of today society is
its science-based technology which has been
making a profound impact not only on the
economic and political life of a country but
also on its educational system. The changes
that occur are broadly described as
modernization. This modernization has
affected the teaching learning process in
many ways. The recent changes in the
concept of teaching-learning process have
led to the development of newer areas of
educational endeavor. In a traditional society
the aim of teaching learning was the
preservation of the accumulated stock of
knowledge. But in the modern society, the
main aim of teaching learning is not
acquisition of knowledge alone. It is the
awakening of curiosity, the stimulation of
creativity, the development of proper
interests, attitudes and values and the
building of essential skills such as
independent study. Teaching learning
process has to serve as a powerful
instrument of social, economic and cultural
transformation of the society. Teaching
learning process is conditioned by the nature
and demands of society to which the learner
should get adapted and attuned. One of the
main aims of child education is to keep pace
with the advancement of knowledge and
skills.
For a pretty long period, the system was
dominated by the institution of professional
teachers. Now, the process is to be replaced
to a great extent by a process in which the
individual learner is expected to take up
challenges through an inevitable intellectual
revolution. The intellectual revolution has
been set in by forces of hardware
technologies at low cost, socialization
process due to interdependence, educational
projects, markets, excursions and
playgrounds become classrooms in the new
era.
Consideration of the practical aspects of the
learning process brings us to the question of
teaching methods and techniques. Many of
these are related to the particular subject or
subjects being taught, and therefore lie


outside the scope of a general education.
However, there are a number of common for
discussion. Points to to be reviewed. Gagne
(1974), who draws upon both Skinner's
operant conditioning model and (though to a
lesser extent) the kind of conceptual model
by Bruner, suggests that the learning act
typically consists of a chain of events, some
internal to the learner and others external.
Events based on instructional material
become more effective. These are, in their
usual order of occurrence:
• Motivation (or expectancy);
• Apprehending (the subject perceives
the material and distinguishes it
from the other)
• Acquisition (the subject codes the
knowledge);
• Retention (the subject stores the
knowledge in short-or long-term
memory);
• Recall (the subject retrieves the
material from memory);
• Generalization (the material is
transferred to new situations, thus
allowing the subject to develop
strategies for dealing with situation)
• Performance (these strategies are
put into practice);
• Feedback (the subject obtains
knowledge of results).
Where there is a failure in the learning
process, Gagne' argues, it will take place at
one of these levels, and it is the task of the
teacher to ascertain which, Gagne' considers
that the teacher can help failure through use
of instructional aids at all levels by bearing
in mind following steps:
Step 1: the learner is informed about what is
expected of him at the end of the learning
experience. This is best done by presenting
him with a list of the teacher's objectives.
Neglect of this basic step, suggests Gagne, is
a frequent cause of learning failure. The
learner is unsure of teacher expectations and
thus unable to monitor his own progress
adequately;
Step 2: the learner is questioned in a way
that requires a re-statement of earlier
concepts upon which the current learning
108


depends;
Khan et al., Gomal University Journal of Research 23: 102-108
Step 3: the teacher provides cues that help
the learner put together the current learning
as a chain of concepts in the correct order;
Step 4: the learner is questioned in a way
that allows him to demonstrate concrete
applications of his learning;
Step 5: the learner is questioned in a way
that allows him to make statements of the
rule or rules that he has learned.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to make teaching learning process
more effective following recommendations
may be followed.
• Every activity teacher does
undertake need to be carefully
planned.
• Familiarize himself with the
textbook and the instructional
materials used in the class.
• Illustrate your teaching by examples
from the daily routine experiences
of the students.
• Use correct and definite language
while putting questions to the
students.
• Use audiovisual aids properly.
• Teacher should demonstrate before
the whole class and not a few
students sitting on the front benches.
• In case of non-availability of A.V.
aids teacher must develop the
blackboard summary along with
relevant pictures and diagrams.
• Use the pointer to show some place
on the map or on the chart.
• Every new concept may be
explained with help of instructional
aids
• A separate fund may be created as
to make available needed
instructional material.
• Some institutions are using low cost
and no cast material for facilitating
teaching learning process; it must be
followed by all the schools of the
country.