UTILIZATION OF LOW-COST TEACHING MATERIALS AND ITS EFFECT ON LEARNING OUTCOMES IN SCHOOLS

Abstract

This study explores the effectiveness of low-cost instructional materials in improving students' academic performance through a quantitative, quasi-experimental design. A total of 341 students from public and low-cost private schools in both urban and rural areas were purposively selected and divided into an experimental group (taught using low-cost materials) and a control group (taught using conventional methods). Pre-test results showed no significant difference between the two groups (t = 0.817, p > 0.05), indicating similar baseline performance. However, the post-test results revealed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group’s scores (t = -13.575, p < 0.000), with a mean difference of -2.30, while the control group showed no significant change (t = -0.934, p = 0.351). These results demonstrate that the use of low-cost, improvised teaching materials led to meaningful academic gains, particularly in resource-limited settings. The findings support integrating low-cost instructional aids into mainstream pedagogy and call for policy-level backing and teacher training to enhance learning outcomes sustainably.