INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMETRICS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to investigate the influence of teaching techniques on the academic performance of students in econometrics as a course of study at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo. The sample size for this study was 50 respondents drawn from the Economics department of Lagos State University Ojo campus. The influence of teaching techniques on the academic performance of students in the econometrics questionnaire (TITTAPSEQ) was used to collect data for the study. Three hypotheses were tested using mean, standard deviation, chi-square, T-test and Wilcoxson signed rank test statistical test. The outcome indicated that there is a significant relationship between the teaching technique and the academic performance of the students in econometrics. Also, the findings showed that there is a positive relationship between teaching technique and academic performance in econometrics. Finally, it was deduced that there is a significant relationship between teacher-centered, student-centered, and teacher-student interactive methods on the academic performance of students in econometrics. Recommendations were made to learners, lecturers, curriculum planners, and stakeholders.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Econometrics is a set of quantitative techniques that are useful for making “economic decisions. Econometrics makes use of mathematical methods and statistical tools to test economic theories.

Econometrics as a course of study is a systematically planned and well-organized body of knowledge designed to expose students (at the tertiary level) to the knowledge and usage of statistical tools and mathematical methods for data analysis. Econometrics is one of the major courses in the department of economics (NUC 2007), which must be passed in fulfillment of a bachelor’s degree.

The introduction of econometrics into the tertiary school curriculum is inevitable as it forms the backbone of modern economic analysis. This is buttressed by National University Commission (2007: 62-63) in its

Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards for Undergraduate Programmes in Nigerian Universities that “any single honors degree in Economics should normally comprise of relevant quantitative methods and computing techniques” in which econometrics is a major stakeholder.

Teaching, according to Oladipo and Ayeni (2000) involves bringing about or at least facilitating desirable changes in learners. However, effective teaching requires the teacher to step out of the realm of personal experience and step into the world of the learners (Brown 2000, Wooldridge 2013).

Instruction is the transmission to the learner and the acquisition by him of specific skills, information, knowledge, or other established data. The mode of instruction or teaching applied in achieving these objectives is referred to as the method. The methodology, therefore, refers to the processes and techniques a teacher/lecturer uses to transmit facts, skills, information, and knowledge to the learners to facilitate the accomplishment of the set objectives (Adunola 2011).

It is of a necessity that a skillful teacher needs to be conversant with various teaching strategies which may be applied to content delivery at any level of study. Module (2008) affirms that many methods of teaching exist in education and these methods are meant to make a teacher succeed in their bid to disseminate knowledge.

Teaching technique according to Wikipedia (2016) comprises the principles and methods used for instruction to be implemented by teachers to achieve the desired learning or memorization by students.

Research on teaching techniques has long been of interest to educationists. However, some studies have been carried out on certain aspects of the program but have not investigated its influence on the academic performance of students in econometrics in Nigeria at the tertiary level of education.

Research evidence shows that one of the challenges confronting econometrics lecturers is the methods of imparting knowledge. It was argued by Adufe (2008) that teaching is based on methods that in the long run bring about effective teaching. Wooldridge (2013) further argued that the biggest challenge in teaching econometrics to undergraduates is to adopt the best teaching technique which sustains their interest.

According to Tebabal and Kahssay (2011), the primary purpose of teaching at any level is to bring a fundamental change in students’ learning. In light of this, Ganyaupfu (2013) posited that to facilitate the process of knowledge transmission, teachers should apply appropriate teaching methods that best suit specific objectives and level exit outcomes.

The authors (Tebabal and Kahssay) went further to observe that in the traditional epoch, many teachers widely apply teacher-centered methods instead of student-centered methods to impart knowledge to learners. It, therefore, follows that the greatest need of teachers in achieving teaching-learning effectiveness is for them to be conversant with different teaching methods and strategies that recognize the magnitude of complexities of concepts to be covered (Adunola, 2011).

Adunola further affirmed that regular poor academic performance by the majority of students is fundamentally linked to the application of ineffective (or unsuitable/ inappropriate) teaching methods by teachers in the process of imparting knowledge to learners.

Until today, questions about the effectiveness of teaching techniques on student learning have consistently raised considerable interest in the field of educational research (Hightower 2011).

As a student of economics education, I have always been interested in how different lecturers have chosen to deliver their lessons, and the most exciting for me is studying the relationship between teaching methods and students’ academic performance; especially when it comes to applications in the context of 21st-century education. It seems that there is something in teaching that opens the gate to learning. Successful learning indeed depends on various factors that are not all teacher-related, but the methods that a teacher uses continue to play an important role in student learning and academic achievement. The challenges that educators face in the 21st century are so diverse that using better teaching methods is more crucial now than ever before.

The foundation of this study was the premise that student learning cum academic performance is contingent upon the instructional style of the teacher and the teacher’s use of the techniques that are best suited for the student (Angela Gail 2014).

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Many techniques of teaching exist in education. All the strategies are meant to make teachers succeed in their bid to disseminate knowledge. However, little is considered about some factors that are necessary before selecting the appropriate method. Also, teacher-centered which is perceived as the most prevalent technique used at the undergraduate level in teaching econometrics negates their academic performance (Hendry and Nielsen, 2009). It has been the habit of econometrics teachers to use instructional methods that are mainly teacher-centered, that is those involving showing, telling, and observing rather than the ideal practice, a learning-by-doing approach that involves both the teacher and the student participation (Becker & Green, 2001).

Learning methods that adopt the students-centered activities concept of development capability for developing skills and knowledge are conspicuously lacking (Muhammed et al, 2016)

Econometrics as the body of knowledge is one of the important tools that define an economist and as a course of study, it is a core compulsory course that must be taken by all students in the economics department.

With the adoption of econometrics in the curriculum of Nigerian universities by the National University Commission (NUC), the academic performance of econometrics students must be top notch and due to its heavily quantitative nature an effective teaching technique must also be adopted by the lecturer in course delivery which in the words of Wooldridge (2013) “will facilitate understanding and enhance students learning in the field of study”.

Hence, Ogbonna (2000) opines that one of the most influential factors in teaching is the teacher’s methodology or technique of teaching.

Should poor teaching techniques be adopted then the goal of producing well-rounded economic graduates (NUC 2013) may be difficult to achieve. The need, therefore, arises to investigate the influence of the teaching technique on students’ performance in econometrics as a course of study in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of teaching techniques on the academic performance of students in econometrics as a course of study. The study is also designed to make various recommendations for econometrics teachers and other stakeholders on how to arouse or improve students’ interest and academic performance in econometrics.

Specifically, the study will try to:

1. Assess the relationship between teaching technique and academic performance of students in econometrics as a course of study.
2. Investigate the type of influence (positive or negative) teaching technique (as presently adopted) has on academic performance in econometrics as a course of study.
3. Determine which teaching technique is most suitable for improved academic performance in undergraduate econometrics teaching.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION

This survey seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between teaching technique and students’ academic performance in econometrics?
2. What influence does teaching technique have on students’ academic performance in econometrics as a course of study?
3. What is the relationship between the use of different teaching techniques and the academic performance of students in econometrics?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The following null hypotheses are formulated to be tested at a 0.05 level of significance:

1. There is no significant relationship between teaching technique and student academic performance in econometrics
2. Teaching technique has a negative influence on students’ academic performance in econometrics as a course of study.
3. There is no significant relationship between teacher-centered, student-centered, and teacher-student interactive methods on the academic performance of students in econometrics.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study may be considered significant in several ways: it will help to increase the lecturers’ level of awareness and understanding of the use of the effective instructional technique.

Findings may also provide econometrics lecturers with feedback on the teaching competencies as a basis for improvement in their instructional practice so that they can enhance the academic performance of their students.

Curriculum planners and educators as well as government and educational administrators need empirical data on the overall teaching technique and teaching competence of econometrics lecturers in the Nigerian University System to facilitate proper curricular policies and programs for effective teaching and learning.

The result of this study will provide insight and effective guidance for policymakers; universities and lecturers concerning identifying and adopting modes of instruction that will help undergraduate students improve their academic performance. This will foster the achievement of NUC’s objective of producing an all-around economics graduate that can understand and apply relevant mathematical and statistical techniques to economic problems.

Furthermore, the study will also serve as a trigger to professional economists and scholars of economics on the need to write indigenous econometrics textbooks that will be simplified and systematic enough to arouse and sustain the interest of an average economic undergraduate.

1.7 SCOPE / DELIMITATION OF STUDY

For the efficiency and effectiveness of this study and due to the time and funds of the researcher, the study was delimited in scope to randomly selected students in the economics department (who have attempted econometrics) from Lagos State University, Ojo (LASU).

Also, the primary teaching techniques in this research are teacher-centered, student-centered, and teacher-student interactive techniques.

INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMETRICS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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