EFFECT OF USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS AND WORDLESS PICTURES ON BASIC 2 PUPILS’ VOCABULARY ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN LAFIATOWNSHIP

This study examined the effect of using authentic materials and wordless pictures on the vocabulary achievement of Basic 2 pupils in public schools in Lafia Township, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The population for the study comprised 30,671 pupils in the township. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 150 pupils from six schools. The study employed a pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental design with three groups: two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group was taught using authentic materials, the second experimental group used wordless picture books, and the control group was taught using conventional teaching methods. Data collection involved administering pre-tests and post-tests to assess the vocabulary achievement of the pupils. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the research questions, while Analysis of Covariance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that both experimental groups showed significantly higher vocabulary achievement compared to the control group. Among the experimental groups, the use of authentic materials resulted in the highest improvement, followed by the group using wordless picture books. The control group, taught with conventional methods, demonstrated the least improvement. The study concluded that authentic materials and wordless pictures are effective tools for enhancing vocabulary development among young learners. It recommended incorporating these innovative strategies into the curriculum and organising training programs for teachers to maximise their use. Future research should nvestigate the long-term effects of these interventions and their application in diverse educational settings.