Investigation of the Role of Instructional Materials in Teaching and Learning of Mathematics in Secondary Schools in Adamawa State

Instructional materials make abstract mathematical concepts concrete and accessible, yet their availability and effective use in North East Nigerian secondary schools remains poorly documented. This study investigated the availability and utilisation of instructional materials in mathematics teaching in Senior Secondary Schools in Yola North and Jimeta Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, North East Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 120 mathematics teachers and an instructional materials audit conducted across 25 schools. The questionnaire assessed types of materials available, frequency of use, perceived effectiveness, and barriers to usage. Results showed that only 31.7 percent of surveyed schools had adequate manipulatives (geometric solids, fraction boards, graph boards) for all streams. Charts and posters were available in 65.0 percent of schools but were used in teaching by only 43.3 percent of teachers. Computer-aided mathematics instruction was available in 8.3 percent of schools. Inadequate supply, poor storage conditions, and lack of teacher skill in using available materials were the dominant barriers. Students in schools with high material utilisation showed significantly better average WAEC mathematics scores (p < 0.05). The study concludes that instructional material deployment is below effective levels in Adamawa State secondary mathematics education and recommends state-level procurement programmes, teacher material-use training, and school-based instructional resource maintenance committees. Keywords: instructional materials, mathematics teaching, secondary school, Adamawa State, learning outcomes