Effect of Instructional Materials Utilization on Students’ Academic Performance in Twelve Years Basic Education in Rwanda

Abstract

The effective use of instructional materials play a significant role in the promotion of students, teachers and school performance which also refers to the effectiveness of utilizing such materials as skills teachers have. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between instructional materials utilization and learners' academic achievement in Twelve Years Basic Education in Kicukiro District in Rwanda. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design including; a descriptive survey design and a correlation research design. The target population for this study was 308 people, which corresponded to a sample size of 174 respondents using Solvin's formula. Interview guide, direct observation, documentations and questionnaire were used as research instruments for data collection. Through data analysis, the study revealed that instructional materials have a great influence on improving learners/students' capacity for understanding and increasing their academic performance and achievement. It was noted that instructional materials are essential to improving quality education. It was also revealed that there will be a significant positive correlation in the performance of students in 12 years of basic education when they are taught the subject with instructional materials. The study concludes that several schools sampled do not have enough suitable instructional materials underutilization.  There is a significant gap between the availability of instructional materials and the educational needs of schools, which could negatively impact student performance. The lack of adequate and accessible instructional materials hampers effective teaching and learning. The study recommends that governments should avail financial resources to ensure equitable distribution of learning materials to schools in both urban and rural areas for effective learning and teaching science related courses. Teachers should encourage students to actively participate in classroom tasks using interactive learning materials.  It is important to provide teachers with additional training on how to effectively use instructional materials to enhance teaching and improve student outcomes.The government should consider expanding the use of technology-based instructional aids in the classroom to engage students more effectively. Keywords: Academic performance, Instructional Material and Twelve Years Basic Education, Rwanda