Description
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the use of ICTs in teaching and learning of Basic Science and Technology in junior secondary schools in Owerri Educational Zone1. The specific objectives were to investigate the level of use of ICTs in schools in the area under study; Investigate the effectiveness of use of ICTs in teaching and learning of Basic Science and Technology; evaluate the competency level of male and female teachers in the use of ICTs in teaching of Basic Science and Technology; Identify the factors limiting the use of ICT in teaching and learning Basic Science and Technology. Four research questions and two hypotheses served asguide to the study. Thepopulation consists of 100 teachers and 200 students randomly selected from junior secondary schools within the area under study. Twowellstructuredratingscaleswereusedtocollectdataforthestudy.Datacollectedwereanalysedusing Mean and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results indicated that the use of ICTs was effective in improving teachers’ performance in Basic Science and Technology. The competence level of BasicScience and Technology teachers’ use of ICTs in teaching and learning was low. Among the factorsthat limit the use of ICTs in the teaching and learning are: Poor power supply, lack of competentteachers, poor maintenance of available ICT facilities, Teachers negative attitude towards ICT tools,lack of motivation by the government, high cost of ICT tools are the factors militating against the useof ICTs in teaching and learning. Hence, it was recommended that Government and cooperate bodiesshould invest and improve the use of ICTs in teaching and learning, in-service training courses shouldbe offered to teachers who need to learn how to utilize ICT tools and resources, schools throughministry of education should seek technical partnership and collaborative funding with internationalandnationalorganizationstoprovideandmaintainmoreICTfacilitiesintheschoolsandremunerationofteachers should be subjected to upward review from time to time.
TABLE OF CONTENT:
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Research Problem
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Significance of the Study
1.6 Scope / Limitations of the Study
1.7 definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 Conceptual review
2.3 Theoretical review
2.4 Empirical review
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 research design / study area
3.3 populationofthestudy
3.4 sample and sample size
3.5 data collection
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
4.1 Data Analysis
4.2 Results
4.3 Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary
5.2 Recommendations for Further Study
Bibliography
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The idea that teaching and learning can successfully take place through the application ofelectronic communication facilities between teachers and learners is one which had generated hopethat many more learners can be reached at a more convenient pace that had erstwhile been rather moreinconvenient. Thus, the meaning of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) lies in thefunctions they perform. Pernia in Abubakar (2016) stated that an ICT as any device and applicationusedtoaccess,manage,integrate,evaluate,createandcommunicateinformationandknowledge.They include technologies, such as computers, the internet, telephone, television, radio and audio-visual equipment used to communicate in order to create, manage and disseminate information. ICTsmay be classified as software and hardware. In education, the knowledge of ICTs enables students toenhance their daily life, develop skills for professional or vocational purposes and serves as effectivemediumof teachingand learning as itenhances the teaching andlearningprocess.
ICTtools available in classrooms today rangefrom simpletool-basedapplications,such asword processors to online repositories of scientific data. Others are primary historical documents,handheld computers, and closed-circuit television channels. In more recent years, use of computers inschools has grown morediversified as educators recognize thepotential of learning with technologyas a means for enhancing learners reasoningand problemsolving abilities.
Looking attheplaceof education in nation building andthepopulation explosion inthesecondary schools these days, the use of ICT in the teaching-learning process becomes imperative.This is true becauseitsadoption bythe teachers will enhance effective teaching.Such issues like goodsubjectorganization,effectiveclassmanagement,contentcreation,self-assessment,self-studycollaborative learning, task oriented activities, and effective communication between the beneficiariesofteachinglearning-processandresearchactivitieswillbeenhancedbytheuseofICTbasedtechnology.TheadvancementinICTshavetakenteachingandlearningbeyondtheteacherstandingin front of a group of learners and disseminating information to them without the learner’s adequateparticipation (Ajayi, 2008). With the aid of ICT, teachers can take learners beyond traditional limits,ensure their adequate participation in teaching and learning process and create vital environments toexperiment and explore. This new development is a strong indication that the era of teachers withoutICTskills are gone.
It is pertinent to state that though ICTs add value to the process of teaching and learning, ithowever does obviate the need for teachers to serve as leaders in the classroom; traditional teacherleadershipskillsandpracticesarestillimportant;especiallythoserelatedtolessonplanning,preparation, and follow-up. Introducing ICT tools alone will not change the teaching and learningprocess. The existence of ICTs does not transform teacher practices in and of itself. However, ICTscan enable teachers to transform their teacher practices, given a set of enabling conditions. Teachers’pedagogical practices and reasoning influence their uses of ICT, and the nature of teacher ICT useimpactsstudentachievement(Trucano,2005).ManyhavebeencautiousintheiracceptanceofintegratingICTtoolsintotheclassroomandsomehavesimplyrejectedthesetechnologies.Thisisasa result of the teacher’s poor knowledge about ICT tools and how they can be used in the educationalprocessin the classroom.
The way ICT is used in lessons is influenced by teachers’ knowledge about their subjects, andhow ICT resources can be utilized and related to it. Teacher’s content mastery and understanding ofstudent comprehension make ICTs use more effective. When teachers use their knowledge of both thesubject and the way learners understand the subject, their use of ICT has a more direct effect onlearner’s achievement(CatarinaPlayer_Koro,2012). Teachers require extensive, on-going exposureto ICTs to be able to evaluate and select the most appropriate resources. However, the development ofappropriatepedagogicalpracticesisseen asmore importantthat technical masteryof ICTs.
The use of ICTs in Owerri educational zone is increasing.. However, while there is a great deal ofknowledge about how ICTs are being used in developed countries, there is not much information onhow ICTs are beingused by teachersin Owerrieducation zone.
A good number of schools in Owerri educational zone have poor access to most ICT tools;especially computers. This makes them to lag behind in the utilization of ICT resources in teaching-learning process. The scenario was also responsible for the very poor extent of accessibility rating ofallICTresources as availability leadsto accessibility. Thelevelof use of ICT toolshavebeenaffected in a larger scale by: poor electric power supply, lack of knowledgeable ICT support staff,inadequacy of trained teachers in the use of lCTs, poor government-community- parents teachersassociation interaction as to raise funds for procurement and/or maintenance of ICT tools, high costof ICT equipments, materials and accessories, government’s payment of lip service to implementationofICTpolicies, inadequatetelephone services, inabilitytoreplacebrokendownequipment andfacilities.
There is no doubt that teachers and learners in Owerri educational zone will have numerousamountoflearningresourcesattheirdisposalifgovernmentlivesuptoitsexpectationintheimplementation of her ICT policies and provision of ICT tools; getting parents, communities and non-governmental organizations involved in the cause of equipping, securing and/or maintaining the ICTtools when provided. The study was therefore designed to investigate how available ICTs are used toeffect quality teaching and learning by male and female students and male and female teachers in theurbanandruralareasunderstudy.Thisisintended toprovideinsightintothepossiblegapinKnowledge.
1.2 Statement of Problem
For many years, educational researchers have maintained an interest in the effective prediction of students’ academic achievement at school. The prediction and explanation of academic achievement and the examination of the factors relating to the academic achievement are topics of greatest importance in different educational levels. Studies have shown that prior academic performance is an important predictor of performance at other levels of education. Similarly, cognitive ability was found as the strongest predictor of academic performance. However, some studies confirm that the correlation between cognitive ability and academic performance tends to decline as students’ progress in the educational system.
Thus, many researchers have emphasized the need to include non-cognitive factors such as personality, motivation, learning strategies and beliefs in investigations of individual differences in academic achievement. In other words, contemporary researchers are interested in whether or not other individual differences than cognitive ones (for example; intelligence, cognitive ability) may be used to predict academic achievement. The present study aims at determining the effect of ICT integration on student achievement in basic science.
The direct link between ICT integration and students’ academic performance has been the focus of extensive literature during the last two decades. Some of them help students with their learning by improving the communication between them and the instructors (Valasidou and Bousiou, 2005). Leuven et al. (2004) stated that there is no evidence for a relationship between increased educational use of ICT and students’ performance. In fact, they find a consistently negative and marginally significant relationship between ICT use and some student achievement measures.
In support to these, some students may use ICT to increase their leisure time and have less time to study. Online gaming and increased communication channels do not necessarily mean increased achievement.
On the other hand, Abdulla Y. Al-Hawaj, WajeehElali, and E.H. Twizell (2008), state that ICT has the potential to transform the nature of education: Where and how learning takes place and the roles of students and teachers in the learning process.
Karim and Hassan (2006) noted the exponential growth in digital information, which changes the way students perceive study and reading and in how printed materials are used to facilitate study.
Based on the extended integration of ICTs in education the need appeared to unravel the myth that surrounds the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as an aid to learning, and the impact it has on students’ academic performance.
1.3 Objectives of the study
The broad objective of the paper is to evaluate the effect of ICT integration on student achievement in basic science in junior secondary schools in Owerri. The Specific objective of the study include to:
- Investigate the effectiveness of use of ICTs in learning of Basic Science and Technology.
- EvaluatethecompetencylevelofmaleandfemaleteachersintheuseofICTsinteachingof Basic Science and Technology.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions were posed to guide the study.
- How does ICT relate with students’ academic performance?
- How does ICT as a tool for learning influence students’ academic performance?
- What are the demerits of computer usage in secondary schools in junior secondary schools in Owerri?
1.6 Significance of the Study
The outcome of this study aims at determining whether or not the use of ICT has any significant influence on the academic performance of students.
More over education is the bedrock of any society. Nigeria as a developing nation needs a standard secondary schools that has available learning resources, that teachers can improvise learning resources easily and more often also where teachers and students utilize learning resources on a regular basis. It could be a guide line for incoming students and be educative to them when writing and studying similar problems in school.
This study has made me to explore into the topic influence of ICT usage on the academic performance of students. It is also a requirement I must be produce for the award of a degree in curriculum and teaching, faculty of education.
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study
The study was carried out in junior secondary schools in Owerrionly. This study intend to study the influence of ICT on students’ academic performance in secondary schools.
Only secondary schools within junior secondary schools in Owerri are studied with a sample of only six (6) selected out of all the others in the study area.
The study is limited to a population of twenty (50) students’ from each of the four schools.
In the course of the study the researcher encountered certain problems. Due to limited time and funds, the study was restricted to a particular section of in junior secondary schools in Owerri.
At the time this research was being carried out, schools were on frequent breaks. The researcher had to make use of the little times, met with the pupils and the school heads.
Finance was another issue that disturbed the execution of this project. The biting economic situation could not allow the researcher carryout the work as fast as it had to be done.
1.9 Definition of Terms
In order to assist an understanding of this piece of work, the researcher have defined the following terms in the sense of they are each used in this project.
ICT:
Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extended term for information technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and manipulate information.
Performance:
An action in which excellence or superiority depend primarily on abstract mental ability.Any action requiring the manipulation of abstracts, concepts or mental manipulation of any sort.
Academic Performance:
Academic achievement or (academic) performance is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their short or long-term educational goals. Cumulative GPA and completion of educational degrees such as High School and bachelor’s degrees represent academic achievement.
CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Conclusion
The study concludes that full integration of ICTs can help revitalize teachers and students. Thiswillgoalongwayindevelopingthequalityofeducationbyprovidingcurricularsupportinthefieldof Basic Science and Technology.With the help of ICTs, teachers can easily browse through e-booksusing mobile phone-internet interface; have access to mentors, experts and researchers. ICTs canenhancethequalityofeducationbyincreasinglearners’motivationandalsofacilitatetheacquisitionofbasic skills. It hasanimpact not onlyon whatstudentslearn, but howstudentsshould learn.
5.2 Recommendations
ThestudythereforerecommendsthatGovernment,cooperatebodiesandgoodspiritedindividuals should invest in education by providing the schools with power supply generators and footthe electricity charges of schools. This would help address the problem of inadequate power supply toschools. For the effective use of ICTs in teaching and learning, teachers need to be competent enoughtouseICT-basedmaterials.Tothiseffect,in-servicetrainingcoursesforICTsuseshouldbeofferedto teachers who need to learn how to utilise ICT tools/resources, how to create or select internet-basedactivities, how to plan ICTs assisted lessons and how to integrate ICT resources into actual classroomteaching. Through such training, teachers would understand the pedagogical and technical aspects ofICT, and teachers would be able to engage in their professional development and, as a result, theirinterest and willingness to use ICT based materials and activities in the classroom could be wellresponded and constructively put into practice. The schools through ministry of education should seektechnicalpartnershipandcollaborativefundingwithinternationalandnationalorganizationstoprovide and maintain more ICT facilities such as computers (hardware and software console), internetfacilities, laptops, projectors, interactive boards, printing accessories in secondary schools and ensurethese facilities are gainfully utilized by setting up monitoring teams to pay unscheduled visits toschools periodically. The remuneration of teachers should be subjected to upward review from time totime.This will to a great extentserve as morale boost and encourageright/positiveattitude to work.
