Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Listening skills are crucial for academic success and social development, yet they are often overlooked in primary school education. This research project aimed to investigate the effects of teaching listening skills in primary school settings. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including both quantitative pre- and post-test assessments and qualitative observations. The results indicated a significant improvement in students' listening abilities after receiving targeted instruction in listening skills. The quantitative data revealed a statistically significant increase in students' scores on listening comprehension tasks post-intervention. Additionally, qualitative observations showed that students demonstrated improved focus, engagement, and understanding during classroom discussions and activities. Furthermore, the study found that teaching listening skills in primary school had a positive impact on students' academic performance across various subjects. Students who received explicit instruction in listening skills displayed better comprehension of instructional materials, improved participation in class discussions, and enhanced critical thinking skills. Moreover, the benefits of teaching listening skills extended beyond academic outcomes. Students reported feeling more confident in their communication abilities and demonstrated improved social skills, such as empathy and active listening, in interactions with peers and teachers. Teachers also noted a more positive classroom environment with increased student collaboration and reduced miscommunication. Overall, the findings suggest that incorporating listening skills instruction in primary school curricula is beneficial for students' academic achievement and social development. By explicitly teaching and practicing listening skills, educators can empower students to become more effective communicators and critical thinkers, setting a strong foundation for their future success in school and beyond. This research contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the importance of listening skills in primary education and providing empirical evidence of the positive impact of teaching listening skills in primary school settings. The study underscores the need for educators to prioritize listening skills instruction and incorporate strategies to enhance students' listening abilities within their teaching practices.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Language play a very important role in the development of a child intellectual activities language can be written or spoken and the means of decoding the message sent through written language is reading. Teaching and learning activities are meaningful when instructional materials are used of effectively and efficiently in a classroom situation. It is necessary for teacher of English Language in Nigeria to use visual aids also now as instructional materials in order to make teaching interest, effective and to arouse and sustain the attention of the students. Listening Skills

But the problem in some primary school in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State as elsewhere in Nigeria is that most of the instructional materials like audio aids are not available they are not utilized. The reason is that most teachers lack knowledge on the use of these instructional visual aid like flash cards, Flannel board maps and charts but these instructional material have met with little or no success in improving the teachers teaching and students mastering of the basic concept of reading since men and aware of other teaching aids like visual aids, the research tends to look at use of video visual aids in teaching and learning situation. Listening Skills

It tends to look at way by which these aids can be put into the roper use through teaching of English language, in our school language. On the other hand, it is necessary that effort should be made to find out the proper and adequate use of audio visual aids in the teaching of English language in our primary schools. At this junction audio visual aids for classroom is used of video recorders and overhead projections to teach pupils as a way to facilitate their understanding or comprehension. Listening Skills

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

This study is designed to investigate the use of audio visual aids in the teaching and learning of English language in primary schools in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State. this study is necessitate by the falling standard of rising as a skill among pupils which among other things is an availability of audio visual aids in primary school. It has been observed that most teacher of English language in our primary school do not use audio visual aids adequately. This unprecedented situation thus calls for a number of pertinent questions such as: Listening Skills

1. What are the problems responsible for low usage of audio visual aids in the teaching of English language?

2. It is as a result of unavailability of the materials or no trained personnel to use them.

3. Is there any effort made towards finding solution to the problem.Listening Skills

4. What are the likely solution to the problem this study intend to investigate and possibly find meaningful solution to them.Listening Skills

RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Are audio visual aids available in school?

2. Are audio visual aids very important in language lesson?

3. Should the use of audio visual aids be encouraged?

4. Why do you like using audio visual aids in teaching English language?

PURPOSE OF STUDY

1. It is to emphasis that it is more important for the learners to know his purpose of listening than for the teaching to know its although both understanding are desirable. Listening Skills

2. To buttress the fact that certainly a follow-up evaluation in terms of goals achieved, both as to content and skill is a necessary part of the whole. Listening Skills

3. When teachers become aware of the need for teaching listening something is accomplished alerted in the need for improving their listening habits, some progress is made. Listening Skills

4. In like manner, when children become alerted in the need for improving their listening habits, some progress is made.

5. A free discussion of how this skill can help enrich our lives may lead into many experimental activities. Listening Skills

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

Different sets of people involved in finding of this study, would be significant with the general educational process and to other members of the society. Listening Skills

This would be of importance to curriculum planners and school administrators, who are concerned with ways of improving the educational system, study in their various schools would find this work very valuable in finding solution to their problems of inability to use requisite to their desired social belonging or success. Evidence from many scholars work are Martins and Deocine (1978) and Cedric .I. Clerik and airline Bunthecy (1972) have shown that though listening skill is a vital tool in the teaching process in the school. Listening Skills

The teacher and curriculum planners place emphasis on the teaching of reading, writing and speaking while the teaching of listening skill is relegated. This is shown from the fact that the time table for language there are lesson period set aside for reading comprehension, composition, writing, oral discussion, but none for either listening comprehension or either activities related to the improvement of listening skills.

The urge to carryout a research on the teaching of listening as a language skill in primary school in Uhumwonde Local Government Area of Edo State is as a result of the researchers interest to investigate their reason for the pupils poor or inefficient use of listening as a basic skill in the observations of the research during a teaching session of the listening skills. Appropriately in grasping meaningful and important points from teachers oral lecture of teaching, also, the teachers will not be left out from those to benefit from the findings of the work. They would be able to acquire knowledge about the methodology of teaching listening skill in primary schools. Listening Skills

Finally, the study would be useful to the general readers in research of knowledge of how to use listening skill effectively in any communication environment e.g. listening to seminars, a public address, radio and televisions broadcast. Listening Skills

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Curriculum: The subjects that are included in a course of study or taught in a school.

Receptive: The willingness to listen to or to accept new ideas or suggestions

Interpretation: The particular way in, which some thing is understood or explained.

Emphasize: To give special importance to something.

Concentrate: To give all your attention to something and not think about anything else.

Obstacle: A situation that makes it difficult for you to do or achieve something.