THE USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING OF VOCATIONAL SUBJECTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The role of technology in teaching and learning is rapidly becoming the most important and widely discussed issues in contemporary education policy (Rosen and Well 2009) and (Therer 2000). Most experts in educational field agreed that when information and communication technology (ICT) is properly used, it greatly improves teaching and learning and the efficiency of the individual. According to the United Nation Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 2000). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be defined as the science dealing with the design realization evaluation used and maintenance of information processing system including hardware, software. The United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) strive to ensure all developed and developing countries have access to qualify educational facilities capable of preparing young people to play full role in modern society and to contribute meaningfully to a knowledgeable nation.
Awake 2002 technology has revolutionized communication during the past decade. Access to people and information practically anywhere in the world has become quicker, cheaper, and easier. Most people in the world now have access to a television, even if they don’t own one. By 1995, there were 235 TV sets for every, 1, 000 people world wide, almost double the number in 1980, just a small satellite dash can enable people who live in remote areas to receive broadcast from around the world. “today, no country can ever truly cut itself off from the global media”, points out Francis Fukuyama a Professor of political economy. In internet, some 300, 000 new users get connected to the internet every week. In 1999, it was estimated that 700 million people were expected to come on line by the year 2001. “the result”, before in the history of the world have some people’s lives, products and ideas. Also in telephone, fibre-optic cables and satellite networks have slashed telephone costs. The cost of a three-minutes call from New York to London fell from $245 in 1930 to $35 cents in 1999. Wireless network have made the mobile phone as common place as the computer. By the end of 2010 there will be an estimated one billion people using mobile phones, and many of these users will be able to use their phone to access the internet.
An explosion of technology, from cell phones to computers to televisions, technology has found its way into every corner of the world even crossing the divide between rich and poor and has become a part of life for many. The pervasiveness of technology is perhaps most apparent in the proliferation of cell phones, many of which are no longer just phones. Advanced models enable users to access the internet send and receive e-mail and text message, watch TV, listen to music, take photos, navigate by the global positioning system (GPS).
According to the report in the Washington post newspaper, a multi-media smart phone “now has more processing power than did the North American Air defence command in 1965”. The post also states ‘there is now one cell phone for every two humans on earth, and at least 30 nations have more cell phones than people. Indeed, we are witnessing the fastest global diffusion of any technology in human history, says the paper.
World wide, almost 60 percent of users live in developing nations, making the cell phone the first high-tech communication device to have the majority of i6ts users in those nations. Afghanistan, for example, added about 140, 000 subscribers a month in 2008 while in recent years African has seen cell phone use grown nearly 50 percent annually. But the communications revolution has its down side. Cell phones, pagers and laptop computer make people accessible almost anytime, anywhere.
During the past decade industrialization nations, there has been a staggering amount of research and publication related to ICT. Today, nearly everyone in the industrialized nations gain access to ICT and the purchase of computers from schools used in such nations as the United States. The United States has been increasing in such a pace that is difficult to keep track of how many computer machines are now in American schools (Harper 1993 and Becker 1993) reported a comprehensive survey of the instructional users of computer in United States public and non public schools. The report suggested that over half a million computers were in American elementary and secondary schools during 1995 more than two hundred thousand students and teachers used computer on their own basic tools. In 1993 Berghiem and Chin reported that the U.S. government made it available for students to spend more time in computer education, the U.S. administration fiscal 2001, and budget more than four hundred million students were earmarked for educational technology. Just as the U.S. and Britain made computers available in the government funding, largely throughout the government funding, largely through the Local Education Authorities (LEA). Dissccher 2003 reported that the following education reform Act in 1988. The central government made available to promote the use of computer in school administration and management. Country like south Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Liberia made more efforts for cyber education so that the teacher and students can develop skills. Other country have embraced the use of ICT. In Africa today, effort have been by most government to instantiate internet connectivity and technology training program which link schools around the world in order to improve education, enhance cultural understanding and develop skilled youths needed for securing jobs in the last century. In Uganda school net” is dedicated to extending educational technology through out Uganda (Carlson and Firpo, 2001). In Senegal teachers and students are using computer extensively as information tools. These programs mentioned are supported by their government through ministry of education.
The use of ICT has become a short term in many countries and now regarded as understanding and mastering the basic skills in ICT, as a cone of educational programmes along with reading, writing and numerically. This ICT is school based for teaching aids and encourage the students in learning language, such as mathematics, natural science, social studies, art with reference to measurement, stimulation and statistics, spread sheets, design and data base which are the various packages of ICT. This ICT as a teaching aids and method of teaching in secondary school has widened the student’s ability to think and act when handling issues that relate to computer package and statistical problem that are being evaluated and solved with the help of computer in teaching in secondary in secondary school. It is also necessary for an individual to have capability to access and apply information with the aid of computers in order to be relevant in a globalized economy.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Over the years issues of information and communication technology (ICT) has not been acknowledge in Nigeria rather we still continue to use the traditional method of educating our children like audio-visual aids, textbooks etc. where as countries like Britain, United State, China, Ghana, Senegal and Uganda and host of others have long adopted these methods.
It is our opinion in this research that the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in secondary school will not only “ prepare children” rationally but also provide a solution for solving the problem of country illiteracy towards computer technology in the country.
It is therefore desirable to analyze the causes and offer suggestion as to possible approach as to improve the knowledge of students and teachers in regard to application of ICT in the school.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to find out the use of information and communication technology in secondary schools, this study is designed to :
Determine if the students have access to information and communication technology in secondary schools. Determine if the subject teachers user information and communication technology in secondary schools.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is expected that this study will be of immense benefit and importance to government, students, parents and the entire public. The finding of this study will be a resource material to teachers, parents, and the government and indeed the entire public will eventually help them to appreciate the importance of information and communication technology in the educational system and also give room to allow the curriculum planners to introduce ICT into the secondary schools curriculum.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In order to look into the above stated problem the study thus attempted to find answers to the following research questions.
1. Does the use of informat6ion and communication technology in teaching of their various subjects in secondary schools?
2. Does the use of the information and communication technology affect teaching and learning of subject in secondary school?
3. Does the use if information and communication technology available in Esan West Local Government Area?
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research is limited to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to improve and enhance technical learning in secondary school in Esan West Local Government Area.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
In the course of this research we have used some technical terms, which are defined below to ease the flow of reading and understanding.
Information: this is the data that has been processed into a meaningful form and useful to the person who receives it.
Communication: this is social interaction between two or more persons.
Technology: is the application and systematic use of all technical knowledge method and operation in the control of natural.
Teaching: teaching is helping pupils to learn that they may not only know and where to obtain needed information, but to develop the habit of enquiry and so on, and thus prepare them more adequately for the process of life-long education in the way, pupils are helped to acquire the ability to benefit from the numerous opportunity for self improvement which exist in their environment.
Learning: this is a process whereby individuals or students devote some time for study, practices he/she focuses towards a particular topic trying to gain some knowledge and arriving at a discovering.
