EFFECTS OF VISUAL MATERIALS ON THE TEACHING OF DESCRIPTIVE WRITING IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BOKKOS LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE – – – – – – – – – I
DECLARATION PAGE – – – – – – – II
APPROVAL PAGE – – – – – – – III
DEDICATION PAGE – – – – – – – IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PAGE – – – – – – V
TABLE OF CONTENTS – – – – – – VI
ABSTRACT – – – – – – – – X

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY – – – – – 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM – – – – 4
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY – – – – – 5
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS – – – – – – 5
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES – – – – – – 6
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY – – – – – 6
1.7 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION – – – – – 7
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS – – – 7

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 WRITING – – – – – – – – 8
2.2 DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY – – – – – – – 12
2.3 THE NATURE OF VISUAL MATERIAL – – – – 16
2.3.1 Kinds of Visual materials – – – – – – 17
2.4 USE OF VISUAL AIDS IN TEACHING ENGLISH COMPOSITION – 19
2.5 ROLE OF VISUAL MATERIALS IN MOTIVATING LEARNERS
DURING ENGLISH COMPOSITION WRITING LESSONS – 24
2.6 CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF VISUAL MATERIALS – 25
2.7 FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE USE OF VISUAL AID IN
TEACHING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING – – – – 27
2.8 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – 29

CHAPTER THREE
METHOD AND PROCEDURE
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN – – – – – – – 30
3.2 POPULATION AND SAMPLE – – – – – – 31
3.2.1 Population – – – – – – – – 31
3.2.2 Sample – – – – – – – – 32
3.3 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE – – – – – – 32
3.4 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT – – – – – – 33
3.4.1 Description of Instrument – – – – – – 33
3.4.2 Validity of the Instrument – – – – – – 33
3.4.3 Procedure for Instrument Development – – – – 34
3.5 PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION – – – – 34
3.6 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS – – – – – 34

CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. RESULTS – – – – – – – – 35
4.1.1 Results for Pre-test for Experimental and Control Groups in the
Two Schools – – – – – – – – 35
4.1.2 Result for Post-test for Experimental and Control Groups in the
Two Schools – – – – – – – – 36
4.2 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES – – – – – – 36
4.3 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS – – – – – – 37

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS – – – – – – 38
5.2 CONCLUSION – – – – – – – – 39
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS – – – – – – 40
5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES – – – – 41
REFERENCES – – – – – – – 42
APPENDIXES – – – – – – 48

ABSTRACT
This project was carried out to determine effects of visual materials on the teaching of descriptive writing in senior secondary schools in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The study adopted an experimental research that made use of pre-test and post-test design. The target population of this study were all the SS II students in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The sample for this research consisted of one hundred (100) students selected across the two schools. Out of the one hundred (100) students, fifty (50) students were assigned to each of the schools. Twenty (25) students were assigned to experimental and twenty five (25) were assigned to control groups in each of the selected schools, making a total of fifty (50) experimental and fifty (50) control students. the random sampling technique was used to select the sample. Test was used as instrument for collecting data. Five days were used to administer the treatment. The researcher taught descriptive writing to the students in the experimental using visual materials. After the treatment, the researcher administered the post-test on the two groups. The instrument for the data analysis was Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings of the study indicated that students in experimental and control groups had a mean score of 25.16 and 25.40 respectively in their pre-test, In the posttest performance of students in the experimental and control groups, the control group had a mean score of 48.42 while the experimental group had a mean score of 56.46, the result showed a significant difference in the performance of the control and the experimental group with a mean difference of 8.04 in favour of the experimental group. In the light of the findings, the following, among others were recommended: teachers of English should adopt visual materials in the teaching of creative and descriptive writing, English curriculum planners should fashion curriculum to incorporating the visual materials in the senior secondary school syllabus, especially when teaching descriptive essay.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Education is widely perceived and acknowledged as an instrument per excellence for the development of the society. The priority of education as a veritable tool for development is predicted on its relevance to the needs, problems and aspirations of human society. Indeed, throughout history, societies developed and underdeveloped have used education as a relevant instrument for effecting desirable social, economic, political and technological changes (Akinpelu, 1993, Obanya, 2002).
Education is regarded as the key that unlock the door to modernization, and it is the teacher who hold the key to the door. The teacher is expected to teach in a way to stimulate and nourish the individual power of the learners who would in turn be useful to themselves and the society at large. The teaching method of the teacher through wells elected and proper management of resource materials must lead to enhancement of teaching and learning. Teachers are expected to transform policy objectives of the National Policy on Education into reality, hence the need to provide adequate resource materials with which to work efficiently and effectively (Mustapha, 2003).
The core function of school is management of academic activities that is curriculum management and evaluation of its implementation. Kemerling (2011), noted that education is holistic when it includes acquisition of facts, skills, physical, discipline, music and art. Acquisition of all these is confirmed in performance that is, passing of an examination. Improving performance in schools has been a millennium Development General set to be achieved by 2005 (World Bank, 2002). Success in any educational institution is measured by performance of students in external examination. Mellisa (2012) notes, academic achievement are commonly measured by examination or continuous assessment. UNESCO (1999) findings established that several factors lead to good academic performance. Principals are charged with the responsibility of organization and ensuring student are adequately prepared registered and presented for school based continuous assessment and the national examinations in accordance to the Nigeria national examination council regulations and syllabus It is therefore important to ensure student successful completion and good performance by establishing and dealing with the challenges faced by the principals quality agents in enhancing good performance academic performance.
Schmede (2002) noted that many of the public schools in America had documented widespread physical facilities deficies that had an effect on teaching and learning process. According to Building Education Success Together (Best, 2005) report implementing policies that resulted in high quality, high performing, well designed and maintained school resources had a direct impact on the teaching and learning process. Effective resource management contributed to the success of every school in United State.
Education is a means of building human resources which determines the excellence and expectation of any society. It is a precise course for shaping and improving the minds of members of a society in a purposeful manner. The rationale for educating members of any society is to prepare them with the appropriate knowledge, skills and self-discipline to carry out adult responsibilities. Similarly, people should be educated to behave according to their social values and rules. They should be educated to participate effectively in their political institutions as well as learning appropriate skills and types of interaction to allow them to take up different types of work (Dubey & Ndagi, 2000).
Qualitative education is a product of qualitative instruction and this in turn depends on the ability of the teacher and his management of qualitative resource materials. The essence of resource material management is to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The efficiency of human resource management in Nigerian schools is being called to question both within and outside the profession. Many dedicated educationist will fully admit that the school resources are being mismanaged and under-utilised simply because the school lack or there is shortage of qualified personnel and management of resources needed for the improvement of performance. Consequently, many devoted educationists in all institution are seriously in demand of dynamic principals who are competent to search for professional growth. This growth couple with development becomes necessary in order for the school administrators to know the rudiments of proper management of school resources. This is because education is an indispensable ingredient of development and a fundamental right of every individual. Also, as a power catalysing agents, it provides mental, physical, ideological and moral training to individuals, so as to enable them have full consciousness of their purpose in life and equip them to achieve that purpose.
Leadership is concern within the ability of an individual to persuade other members of the group to willing participate in the activities or make contribution that will lead to the achievement of the group’s goals. Harman and Scott (1970), And Adesina (1990) also view a leader whether elected, appointed or simply emerges, as a person who “gets things done by enlisting the efforts of others’.
The principal is looked upon as the overall head, the leader and manager of secondary school. By virtue of that position, he is the academic head as well as the administrative leader of the school. In other words, he plays two major roles namely; the educator role and manager role (Green, 1994).
However his managerial role revolves around his educator-role in that his primary assignment as a school leader is to ensure the achievement of educational goals. He is therefore accountable for his student’s educational attainment. This he cannot do alone but must enlist the cooperation of teachers to attain excellent academic performance. This he can also do by a judicious use of resources. According to Madugu (1993) as quoted by Lomak (2002) handling and management of resource is an important issue in the running of the school system. The principal need to be well oriented in economics because they have to understand economics and fiscal indices, in politics because there are many contending interest in the society which wants a share of the national revenues and in budgeting because whatever is allocated has to be shared properly distributed among various department and units.
Secondary schools not only occupies a strategic place in the educational system in Nigeria, it is also the link between the primary and the University levels of education. According to Asikhai (2010), education at secondary school level is supposed to be the bedrock and foundation towards higher knowledge in tertiary institution. It is an investment as well as an instrument that can be used to achieve a more rapid economic, social, political, technological, scientific and cultural development in a country. It is rather unfortunate that the secondary schools today are not measuring up to standard expected of them. There have been public outcry over the persistently poor performance of secondary school students in public examination. According to Nwokacha & Amadike (2005), academic performance of students is the yardstick for testing educational quality of a nation. Hence it is expedient to maintain a high performance in internal and external examinations.
For some years now, report on the pages of newspapers and research findings have shown the abysmal performance of students of secondary schools in public examinations. Ayayi (2002), Nwokoch & Amadike (2005), WAEC (200&), the Punch Newspaper (September 27, 2008), Adeyimi (2008) and Asikhai (2010) have all shown the extend of poor performance of students in public examinations is not only frustrating to the students and the parents, its effects are equally grievous in the society.
The problem of downward trend in academic performance of students has often been attributed to a number of factors among which are: the principal’s leadership style, teacher quality, home factors, government factors and non-provision of educational resources (Human, material, financial, physical resources). However, this study is limited to the provision of human and material resources as potent factors for student academic performance.
The management of educational resources (human and material) is very important because of its role in the attainment of educational objectives. Human resources is a unique educational input necessary for the overall development of skill acquisition and literacy of the students. Human resources within the educational system can be classified into teaching and non-teaching staff. Management of these classes of resources are needed to achieve excellence in the system. However, it has been observed that secondary schools in Plateau State do not have the required number of teachers (both in terms of quality and quantity). This is evident in high Student teacher ratio in the schools. Personal observation has also shown that material resources are in short supply in the schools. The poor status of material facilities in the schools is not unconnected within the dearth and fund in the system. A closer look at the schools and what goes on there shows that nothing good can come out of most public schools as they do not have facilities and adequate and appropriate human resources to prepare candidates for public examination like the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Examination and others (Owoeye & Yara, 2011).
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The increasing demand for resources at the institutional level begs for adequate planning provision and management. This is to be view against the backdrop of other social sectors of economy competing for same resources with the educational sector. Gone are the oil boom days when it was not what money to spend but what to spend money on (Bulus 2002). As the school head, how the principal generates funds and how to manage the little resources available is very important.
Because of the changing socio-economic climate, there is an urgent need to manage the very little resources available. A lot has been written on the declining and poor performance of students in public examinations by educational experts and examination bodies. The statement when often made refers to the level of competence in most schools subjects. The ability to make a yardstick of educational standard. Okebukole (1998) laments that national survey reveal that many primary schools children, lack basic numeracy, literacy and life skills. It’s not better at the secondary level. He further stated that the result of school in public examinations continue to show declining capability of our secondary schools students. Can the academic performance of student in schools and public examination be unconnected to how principals manage resources? This study therefore seeks to find out the academic Performance of students in relations to how principals manage the school resources.

1.3. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The Study sought to:
i. Find out the extent to which funds are generated by Schools in Shendam LGA.
ii. Examine the extent to which resources are managed by the principals.
iii. Determine the extent to which management of Schools resources affect students’ academic performance.
iv. Find out the prevalent system by which principals collect school fees that attracted many criticism by stakeholders.
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study.
i. To what extend are funds generated by the schools in Shendam LGA?
ii. To what extent, are these resources managed by the principals?
iii. To what extend does management of school resources affect student academic performance?
iv. To what extend does the prevalent system by which principals collect fees use in the school has attracted many criticism and comments?
1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is significant because, the management techniques are essential in school administration. They are technical instruments used by the school managers or principal to enhance the motivation of the teachers.
The society will equally benefit from this study, because the positive impact that it will have on students will bring about good development, and be proud of the students’ academic performance. Parents will benefit from the study as the outcome will eventually bring confidence to parents in terms of the academic effectiveness of their wards.
In these days of scarce resources, establishment have o justify government continuous investment in them. It is hoped that this study would increase the efficiency of the management of resources in some selected secondary schools in Shendam Local government Area.
The findings from this study would also expose some problems which exist in the institutions pertaining management of resource both human and material and offer suggestion in solving or minimizing such problems which might have been thought of before or properly implemented where large ideas of such problem exist in our secondary schools as it affect the student’s academic performance.
1.6. DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study is primarily concern with resources management in secondary school as it affects, academic performance of students in Shendam LGA of Plateau State. Therefore, the opinion to be sought in the conduct of the study will be delaminated to management of funds and other resources (material and human resources) and its effects on students’ academic performance. Any generalization will be based on the opinions of these groups only. The study will further be delaminated to Eight (8) Government secondary schools in Shendam LGA.
1.7. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
The terms used in this study are operationally defined as used in this research study.
1. Resource Management: Is the efficient and effective deployment and allocation of an organizations resources when and where they are needed.
2. Principal: A principal is the chief administrator of the secondary school.
3. Teacher: A teacher is the one that facilitates learning in designated places through adequate procedure, methods and techniques.
4. Students’ Performance: This refers only to the academic output of the students.
5. Public School: School that are owned and operated by either the federal, state. or local government.