Innovation of Instructional Materials in Learning Biology Lessons in the Digital Era: Are the Teachers Shying Away from Digital Resources?

Ashura Halifa Hassani & Prosper Gabrieli
University of Dodoma-Tanzania
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0009-4852-5563
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4913-0781
Email: ashurahalifa01@gmail.com/ pgabrielimo@gmail.com

Abstract: Innovation of instructional materials during the learning exertion is widely recognized to enable students to be more competent in different subject matter. This paper investigates teachers’ innovativeness in using instructional materials in teaching and learning of Biology subject. A total of 42 Biology teachers responded to the questionnaires during data collection. Frequencies, means and percentages on teachers’ innovativeness of the instructional materials in teaching and learning of Biology subject from observation and questionnaires data were calculated and presented in table and graphs. Only funnels were innovated by all schools followed by models, and Bunsen burners, which were innovated by at least half of the schools involved in the study. Innovation of digital materials such as projectors, computers, tablets, radios and educational slides was not encouraging. Counting merely on analogy materials such as chalks and blackboard over digital materials will produce the students who are not creative, incompetent and students who are unable to solve different problems that occurred in their daily life especially in this digital era. We recommend investment on teachers’ in-service training programs in enhancing innovation of wide range of the instructional materials including the digital materials.