The Use of Instructional Resources in Science Education: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

This paper discusses the issues and challenges of instructional resources for teaching and learning science in Nigeria secondary schools. The concept of instructional resources was treated as well as the relevance of availability and proper usage of instructional resources. The instructional resources discussed in this study were basically material and human resources. The human resources are laboratory staff. The material resources treated among others include: the classroom, the laboratory, library, equipment, models and charts, curriculum and science textbook. The issue of inadequacy and lack of these resources in most secondary schools were discussed. The work also examined the instructional resources and the science teacher. The study concluded that science should be learnt in a way that will equip our students with such attributes as creativity, resourcefulness and manipulative skills in this way it could be meaningful to the learner and also help in the development of entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance. It was therefore, recommended that stakeholders in science education should provider enough funds to build more classrooms, laboratories and provide the equipment and resources for the teaching and learning of science, libraries should be provided with modern quality science textbooks for teachers and students and government should make available adequate fund for provision of instructional resources for teaching science.