THE EFFECTS OF ICT INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGE ON SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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THE EFFECTS OF ICT INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGE ON SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

ABSTRACT

 

The purpose of this research work is to examine the Effects of ICT instructional package on Senior Secondary Students’ Achievement in English Language. The study adopted a cross sectional survey design. The study population involved all public secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Out of al the public secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State 5 schools were randomly selected for data collection.  In each school, 5 teachers and 20 students filled semistructured questionnaire. Also Pruncipals of each school and 1 secondary district education officer were interviewed. The following were findings of the study: first, instructional packages are the key to teachers’ and students’ performance. Secondly,  the study revealed that teachers used different strategies to minimize the challenges of attaining and using quality instructional packages like borrowing books and improvation. The study recommends that the government should budget sufficient funds for improving the availability of instructional packages in all secondary schools. For further research, this study proposes that aspects of how teachers and students use instructional packages for effective teaching and learning processes need to be examined.

THE EFFECTS OF ICT INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGE ON SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 

1.1     Background Information

It is not debatable that the advancement in technology in this 21st century has claimed dominance of every sphere of human endeavour ranging from science, arts, education, law, commerce among others. Frankly speaking, any developed country in the world today is said to be technologically driven. According to Udosen (2012), technology can be defined as the entities both material and immaterial, created by the application of mental and physical effort in order to achieve some value. In this usage therefore, technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real world problems. One of such aspects of technology that has solved a preponderant number of real-world problems especially in education sector is Information and Communication Technology commonly abbreviated as ICT.

ICT is the acronym for Information and Communication Technology. The term Information and communication technology (ICT) is any form of technology that is used to transmit, store, create, display, share or exchange information by electronic means. Comprehensively speaking, Akinbode (2014) views ICT as  combination of computer, video and networks and also services which are based on them. Moreover, Basset (2000), Abia (2004) and UNESCO (2004) identified ICT tolls to include technologies such as desktop, laptop, internet facilities, computer game console, DVD player and recorder, peripherals and connections to the internet that are intended to fulfill information processing and communication functions. This implies that Information and Communication Technology has increasing frequency in various forms, text, diagram, moving images, sound, etc. in education, ICT facilities such as computers, internet, television, radio among others , serve as instructional packages for teaching/ learning process.

In the learning processes, therefore, being able to effectively use ICT tools should be high on the list of what students at all levels of out education should know while teacher should use it in any instructional transaction. Olokoba et al (2014) identifies two broad ways in which Information and Communication Technology can be effectively used in education. These are: ICT for Education and ICT in Education. ICT for education refers to the development of Information and Communication Technology specifically for teaching/learning purposes. These include technological teaching aids use by teachers such as computer, software dictionary, projector among others while ICT in education involves the technology in the teaching process, more specifically often for the training of teachers in the use of technology for teaching.

Talking about the importance of ICT in the teaching and learning of a second language such as English, Murry (2000) observes that effective utilization of ICT facilities by teachers and students has significant impact on student’s academic performance in English as well as other school subjects. It is pertinent at this juncture to explicate such ICT facilities as computer, internet, television and radio as variables under study that can affect students’ academic performance in English either positively or negatively.

The phrase students’ academic achievement refers to the degree of success or failure which the learner displays after passing through certain levels of instruction (Thompson, 2015). Put differently, academic performance is the outcome of education. It is the extent to which a student achieves the set educational objectives or goals. According to Richard, Merkner, Anne and Weidinge as cited in Bassey (2015), students’ academic performance represents outcomes that indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were the focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in schools, colleges and Universities. In spite of the multifarious important of ICT to students’ academic performance in English Language as explained so far, a preponderant number of students refuse to access and utilize the ICT for academic purposes. The refusal to or wrong use of ICT facilities has resulted to their poor academic performance in English language over the years. This has become a nagging problem and source of worry to parents, stakeholders in education and government.

Worried by this, scholars have made several attempts at different times and various places by carrying out researchers towards ameliorating this problem. For instance, Asuquo (2000) conducted a study on study habits and academic performance of senior secondary school students in Akwa Ibom State with a sample size of 217 out of the total population of 4237 respondents. The researcher found out among others that there is a significant relationship between study habits and students’ academic performance in English Language.

Similarly, Adeyemi (2014) conducted a study on teachers’ and students’ variables and the teaching of English in senior secondary schools in Osun State, using a sample size of 907 students and 45 English teachers out of the total population of 143,166 students and 467 English Language teachers respectively. The researcher found out among other things that lack of certificated and adequate numbers of English Language teachers were the major factors that affect students’ competence in English Language.

In the same vein, Ekong (2010) conducted a study on problems of concord in the grammar of second language learners of English Language in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, using a sample size of 40 ss1 students out of the total population of 2004. The researcher found out among other things that concord errors which is as a result of mother tongue, affect students’ academic performance in English Language.

The question therefore is, can this study ICT be used in enhancing students academic performance in English Language and improve the current  situation of dismal performances in English language by students in Nigeria? Hence, this study seeks to examine the  effects of ICT instructional package on Senior Secondary Students’ Achievement in English Language.

1.2              Statement of the Problem

It is believed that ICT plays a pivotal role in the teaching and learning of English Language especially in this technological age. However, in Akwa Ibom State, specifically in Uyo Local Government Area secondary school students seem to neglect the multifaceted functions of ICT facilities such as computer, the internet, television and radio in the teaching and learning of English Language. This negligible to the available ICT facilities as mentioned so far have become a very serious problem and source of students’ failure in English over the years. As a result of this, several researchers have conducted studies at different places and times towards solving the problem in other areas without recourse to ICT hence, the problem still persists. This is why the researcher is motivated to carry out a study on the impact of ICT and students’ academic performance in English Language in Uyo Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The question therefore is, can this study be used to remedy the existing poor academic performance of secondary school students in English Language in the area?

1.3              Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to find out the examine the  effects of ICT instructional package on Senior Secondary Students’ Achievement in English Language. Other objectives include:

  • To explore the views of teachers and students on the extent to which

instructional facilities affect student performance.

  • Assess the strategies that teachers use to minimize the challenges of attaining and using quality instructional packages.

 

1.4              Significance of the Study

Findings from this study would be of great benefits to students, teachers, parents and curriculum planners. To start with, students most especially in secondary schools would benefit from ICT facilities – computer, internet, television and radio-in the sense that by utilizing all these facilities in their course of learning English as a second language will improve their spoken and written competence in English. Again, teachers would benefit from this study because it will make them to know that using ICT facilities  to teach English language can improve students’ academic performance.

Through this study, parents would see the need to provide and motivate their children/ward towards maximum utilization of ICT facilities like computer, internet, television and radio in learning English. Lastly, curriculum planners would also benefit from this study because they will see the importance of ICT in the teaching and learning of English language and make it a compulsory subject to be taught across the three tiers of education, that is, primary, secondary and tertiary institution.

1.5              Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

  • What are the views of teachers and students on the extent to which

instructional packages affect students’ performance?

  • What are the strategies that teachers use to minimize the challenges of attaining and using quality instructional packages?

 

1.6            Scope of the Study

This study covers all public secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. It investigates ICT and academic performance of students in English Language under the following sub-headings (variables): computer, the internet, television and radio.

1.7           Definition of Terms

For the purpose of understanding this research work by its readers, the following terms employed in the study were defined conceptually:

  1. ICT: This is an abbreviation for Information and Communication Technology. It means diverse set of electronic gadgets or tools used to disseminate information.
  2. Academic Performance: This refers to observed level of educational achievement of a learner in a subject or subjects as indicated by his or her scores in test/examination which are well monitored and supervised by approval body (es).
  3. Computer: This is an electronic device that accepts, processes and stores data as information for future use.
  4. The Internet: This is a worldwide collection of computer networks cooperating with each other to exchange data using a common software standard or protocol called the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).
  5. Television: This is an electronic gadget that disseminates information using sound and motion pictures/images to a larger number of viewers who are in different locations at the same time.
  6. Radio: This is an electronic medium that disseminates information to a wider spectrum of audience at a given period of time. It aids immediacy of information.

THE EFFECTS OF ICT INSTRUCTIONAL PACKAGE ON SENIOR SECONDARY STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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