Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the influence of instructional materials on students’ academic performance in mathematics. The use of instructional materials in teaching has been a subject of interest and debate in the education community, with proponents arguing that they enhance learning experiences and outcomes, while skeptics question their true efficacy. This research seeks to provide empirical evidence on the topic by examining the use of instructional materials on students’ academic performance in mathematics. The study employed a descriptive research approach, quantitative data collection and analysis method. Quantitative data was gathered through survey questionnaires to measure the availability and the use of instructional materials on the learners’ academic performance in mathematics. The study was conducted in four selected schools, encompassing various ordinal levels to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the topic. The population of the study was 1313 students and 10 mathematics teachers, totaling 1323 participants from four sample schools selected purposively. The sample of 328 students was selected randomly in line with the census survey method and a whole 10 mathematics teachers took part. The findings showed that the instructional materials are available and their use improved the academic performance of students in mathematics. Therefore, the findings had the potential to inform educational practices and policies, helping educators make informed decisions about the integration of instructional materials into their teaching methods.

Abstract: The use of instructional materials makes the teaching and learning of mathematics simpler, more eng aging, more enjoyable, and more closely connected to real-world applications. This study explored the teachers’ use of instructional materials in the teaching and learning of mathematics in private secondary schools in the Gasabo district, Rwanda. A case study research design under the qualitative method was employed. The convenience sampling technique was used to select five private secondary schools while the purposive sampling technique was adopted to select two teachers from the five private secondary schools in the Gasabo district, Rwanda. Self-administered questionnaires and classroom observations of ten mathematics teachers from the five schools were used for data collection. The collected data was read and reread, edited, and coded for easy interpretation and understanding in assessing its qualitative accuracy. The findings indicated that most instructional materials are available. However, the most ones used are textbooks and writing materials. The analysis of the classroom observations in relation to the sociocultural theory and Gagnes’ theory of instructional design revealed that most mathematics teachers used instructional materials as a way of presenting new content more memorable and meaningful to the learners. However, some teachers did not allow students to actively interact with the materials, and thus, students were not given the opportunity to enhance their active learning and participate in constructing their knowledge of the mathematics content. Based on the conclusion of this study, it is recommended that teachers should be creative enough to improvise simple instructional materials to spice up their teaching and not to prove unconcerned on the premise of unavailable or inadequate instructional materials. In-service training programs on instructional material utilization should be organized by school leaders to enable teachers to gain more knowledge on the use of instructional materials in the te aching and learning process.

Abstract: Curriculum implementation is an activity which teachers perform in order to acquire the nation’s education objectives. Competence-based curriculum requires teachers to carry out the duty of guiding learners and letting them engage actively in various activities in the process of teaching and learning. The main focus of this study was to investigate challenges faced by teachers in the implementation of CBC, specifically the influence of teachers’ competence. The study used a mixed research approach and a convergent parallel design. It drew a sample of 133 respondents using both probability and non-probability sampling process from a population of 38,848 individuals. Data was collected using primary sources of research instruments such as closed and open ended questionnaire and interview guides. The reliability was tested and the coefficient r = 0.8 allowed the researcher to use the tools. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by the use of Statistical Package of Social Science version 21 presented in tables through frequency and percentage while qualitative data was coded and analyzed thematically through narratives. The findings of the study revealed that many public secondary schools in Nyamagana district do not have enough qualified and competent chemistry teachers which are very important in enhancing the implementation of competence-based curriculum in chemistry subject. The study recommends that the government, with its stakeholders, through community involvement, should provide adequate funds for recruiting more chemistry teachers and keep on giving teachers frequent capacity-building training through workshops and seminars to upgrade their qualifications in both content and pedagogy.