LEVERAGING ON HOMEMADE RESOURCES FOR TEACHING HISTORY IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN BAYELSA STATE

ABSTRACT This project explores the use of homemade costumes as a creative and practical teaching aid for history education at Federal University Otuoke. The study addresses the challenges of traditional teaching methods, which often fail to fully engage students. By designing and using simple, locally made historical costumes, the project aims to bring history lessons to life, making them more interactive and relatable. The research involved a step-by-step process of costume production of a walking stick, a crown and a shield. Two research questions were formulated for this study, the research was also anchored on the constructivist learning theory which asserts that students are active construc¬tors of knowledge and meaning from world events and the Sensory Theory which emphasizes that people learn most effectively when multiple senses are stimulated during the learning. Some of the materials used in this study were bought while others were sourced from dumpsites, the quality of the materials were assessed using a 5 point rating scale which turned out to be 89.53% and the quantity of the materials were measured in weights and volumes.The study concludes that homemade costumes are a cost-effective and impactful tool for improving history education and recommends that: History and Education departments should consciously embed the use of homemade resources into their course outlines and lesson plans. This includes identifying relevant local materials, designing assignments that require students to engage with these resources, and ensuring that assessments capture students’ ability to connect historical concepts with indigenous knowledge. Also University authorities and relevant government agencies should allocate specific funds for the collection, preservation, and production of homemade teaching materials and that Regular workshops, seminars, and training sessions should be organized to build the competencies of lecturers and instructional staff in designing and using homemade resources effectively.