Teaching aids and improvised aids - importance in Science learning

1. ASSIGNMENT TEACHING AIDS AND IMPROVISED AIDS - IMPORTANCE IN SCIENCE LEARNING

2. TEACHING AIDS Effective teaching of any subject will not only stimulate student’s interest in the subject, but also enhance applicability of the concept in real life situations. To achieve effective teaching and learning process, there is the need for the use of teaching aids. A teaching aid is a tool used by teachers, facilitators or tutors to help learners improve reading and other skills, illustrate or reinforce a skill, fact, or idea and relieve anxiety, fears, or boredom since many teaching aids are like games.Teaching aids should be termed as learning aids since they are instructional materials and devises through which teaching and learning are performed. It can be defined as the manual or mechanical device that we use of purpose of making the education better to promote and make it effective.Teaching aids play a key role in teaching-learning situations. It works as the support to both teacher and taught in the pursuit of knowledge and curriculum transaction.Teaching aids assist students in learning. Students tend to get more involved when learning if teaching aids are implemented into the curriculum. QUALITIES OF A TEACHING AID •They should be meaningful and purposeful •They should be accurate in every aspect •They should be simple •They should be cheap •They should be improvised as for as possible •They should be large enough to be properly seen by the students for whom they are meant •They should be up-to-date •They should be easily portable •They should be according to the mental level of the students. •They should motivate they learners

3. TYPES OF TEACHING AIDS Teaching aids are divided into different types as per their nature of function and usability. 1)Audio Aids Audio-aids help in developingthe listening skill of a learner. Audio-aids are those aids which can be only listened. Examples, of such types of aids include, radio, gramophone, tape recorder, audio-tapes, walkman and headphones etc. Fig.1: Radio 2)Visual Aids The aids which use sense of vision are called Visual aids. For example :- actual objects, models, pictures, charts, maps, flash cards, flannel board, bulletin board, chalkboard, overhead projector, slides etc. Out of these black board and chalk are the commonest ones. Fig. 2: Charts, flash cards

4. 3)Audio - Visual Aids The aids which involve the sense of vision as well as hearing are called Audio- Visual aids. For example:- television, film projector, film strips etc. Fig.3 : Projectors and Television Teaching aids are again classified into two based on projection as: 1)Projected aids Projected refer to those aidswhere a bright light is passed through a transparent picture by means of a lens and an enlarged picture is thrown or projected on the screen or the white wall. Eg: film-strip projector, slide projector, overhead projector, TV/VCR etc. 2)Non-projected aids Non-Projected aids refer tothose aids which do not require projector electricity or projection screen. Such materials can be simply shown, can be hanged or touched. Eg: Chalkboard, Whiteboard, Flannel board, Magnet board, Charts and Wall-Charts, Posters and Pictorial Materials, Models etc. Need of Teaching Aids 1) Every individual has the tendency to forget. Proper use of teaching aids helps to retain more concept permanently. 2) Students can learn better when they are motivated properly through different teaching aids. 3) Teaching aids develop the proper image when the students see, hear taste and smell properly.

5. 4) Teaching aids provide complete example for conceptual thinking. 5) The teaching aids create the environment of interest for the students. 6) Teaching aids helps to increase the vocabulary of the students. 7) Teaching aids helps the teacher to get sometime and make learning permanent. 8) Teaching aids provide direct experience to the students. IMPROVISED TEACHING AIDS Science education imparts a method of inquiry and a systematic way of processing knowledge about the physical world to the learners. Therefore learning Science in schools is very crucial. Science education has two broad purposes. The first purpose is to promote scientific literacy among citizens which directly affecting our own lives and the society. This helps in making decisions based on information and understanding. The second purpose is to build up technological capability with essential science-based knowledge and skills, and by preparing students for scientific disciplines in higher education and science-related careers. Practical activities in science education are regarded as one of the necessary elements to promote understanding of scientific principles. To accomplish this goal, the equipment and experiment have to be carefully selected to give students the relevant experiences that they may need. The understanding is enhanced if the examples are coming from the daily life of the students. These examples can be provided to the students using improvised teaching aids. Improvised teaching aids are teaching materials designed and produced from the available local materials in order to promote effective teaching and learning in schools. They are materials that are used in the absence of the original or the ideal objects to bring about the same learning effect that the standard materials would have brought. The use of improvisation in teaching makes the concept more practical and subsequently reduces abstractions. Again, they are cost effective, because they could be obtained from the local environment. They are generally very safe to use during demonstrations and experiments; it might not be capable of inflicting injuries, which means it could be hazard free. In addition, they serve as a motivation to learners in as much as they participate in the activities during the production of the materials and also arouse learner’s interest. Moreover, the use of these materials minimizes concerns about

6. breakage, repair and loss since they are readily available in the environment. It informs both students and teachers that alternatives for some of the conventional science teaching materials are possible. It also shows that people can do scientific experiments with the materials around them. Limitation of using Improvised Materials •Improvised materials may lack precision and accuracy in measurement •Sometimes the cost involved in designing these materials may be more expensive than buying the original ones. •The available material may not be suitable or appropriate for the lesson and can subsequently yield unexpected results. •Improvisation demands creativity, adventure, curiosity and perseverance on the part of the teacher, such skill can be realized through training programs with the instructional materials. EXAMPLES OF IMPROVISED AIDS IN SCIENCE TEACHING Fig.4: Structure of certain chemical compounds made from matchsticks,

7. Fig.5: Image showing solar system made from chart papers Fig.6: Improvised aid to teach solar and lunar eclipse using trash materials.

8. CONCLUSIONS From various studies of using improvised aids, it was discovered that the improvised instructional materials produced the same performance as standard instructional materials. Improvised learning aids found very useful in teaching the concept. The use of improvised aids causes the development of learners’ intellectual abilities and helps in attaining teaching- learning objectives. There are studies which say, when students were taught with improvised teaching aids got excellent achievement scores compared with those taught without any material. REFERENCES 1)Using Improvised Instructional Materials to Teach Chemical Methods – Dorothy Mensah 2)The Effects of Improvised Materials on the Study of Science in Basic Schools in Aowin Municipality - Ghana - Valentina Osei-Himah, Joseph Parker, Isaac Asare.