Abstract:
This study investigated the effectiveness of using instructional materials on teaching and learning
social studies in primary schools in Eastern Division, Tororo Municipality, Uganda. The study was
based on three objectives: To examine the effectiveness of using instructional materials in teaching
and learning social studies in primary schools; to assess the challenges faced in using instructional
materials on teaching and learning social studies in primary schools; to assess other ways how to
improve the teaching and learning of social studies in primary schools in Eastern Division, Tororo
Municipality. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design employing both quantitative and
qualitative methods of data collection. The study population comprised of 10 Head teachers and
135 teachers. The sample size was all taken from the population because the population was small
and therefore suitable to make a complete sample of this study. For qualitative data 06 head
teachers were selected from 10 schools and interviewed. The study used purposive and simple
random sampling techniques. The study used questionnaire and interview methods and the results
were as follows: It was discovered that teachers who use instructional materials other the rote
method in SST keep the children interested in class, hence increasing participation and maintaining
memory of the facts learnt. Also findings showed that teachers face challenges while using the
instructional materials in teaching SST. Some of these include lack of finances to purchase some of these materials, unavailability of these instructional materials at school, mismanagement of the
available materials by pupils at school and wasting time while preparing materials for teaching.
Findings also show that most of the participants appealed to Government to provide some of these
expensive instructional materials such as electronic charts, videos, wall maps and many more. Also
they appealed to the Government to provide more training for teachers to acquit them with skills to handle SST instructional materials. They suggested that students need more training to learn how to handle these materials with care and to make their own instructional materials at school.
Key Words: Instructional Materials, Teaching and Learning, Social Studies
