ABSTRACT
This research work investigated the effect of the availability and utilization of instructional materials on the academic performance of senior secondary school students in Geography in Kaduna state. The population of this study comprised of all teachers and students of senior secondary schools in Zaria educational zone of Kaduna state. Out of this, a sample of Three Hundred and Thirty-Five (335) respondents were selected for this study. Four research questions and hypotheses were formulated and tested using t- test statistical tool. Quasi-Experimental pre-post test research design was adopted for use in this study. The main instrument for data collection were Geography students' achievement test. A reliability co-efficient of 0.726 was obtained after subjecting the research instrument to vetting and pilot testing. The result of this study indicated a significant effect of the use of instructional materials in the teaching of Geography in senior classes as the mean score of the pre-test of the experimental students was lower than their post-test scores. Similarly, it was revealed that students taught using instructional materials performed well above those who were not taught using instructional materials. However, students taught with instructional materials exhibited higher positive mean interest in the teaching and learning of Geography than their counterparts in the controlled group. To this end, the study recommends that the use of instructional materials should be compulsorily used in the teaching and learning of Geography in senior secondary schools.