Background of the study
Computertechnologies are information handling tools that are used to produce, store, and process, distribute and exchange information. These different tools are now able to work together, and combine to form networked world-which reaches into every nook and cranny of the globe (UNDP Evaluation Office, 2001). It is an increasingly powerful tool for participating in global markets, promoting political accountability; improving the delivery of basic services; and enhancing local development opportunities (UNDP, 2006). According to Ogunsola (2005) ICT “is an electronic based system of information transmission, reception, processing and retrieval, which has drastically changed the way we think, the way we live and the environment in which we live”. It can be used to access global knowledge and communication with other people (Ogunsola, 2005). Students who use ICTs gain deeper understanding of complex topics and concepts and are more likely to recall information and use it to solve problems outside the classroom (Apple Computer, 2002).
In addition, through ICT, students extend and deepen their knowledge, investigation, and inquiry according to their needs and interest when access to information is available on multiple levels (CEO Forum on Education and Technology, 2001). Information communication technology (ICT) has no doubt changed the face of teaching and learning globally. And serious nations are taking the advantages inherent in ICT to impact on the educational sector. Though Nigeria is also making efforts to join the ICT fray, these efforts appear to be ineffective. Computer laboratories are largely non-existent in many public schools across the country. And where they exist, they are nothing to cheer. Due to this general neglect and other factors, comprising corruption, outdated curriculum, ill-motivated teachers, materialism and academic laziness on the part of Students and Teachers, the nation has been reaping mass failure in public examinations. Arising from this, stakeholders are calling on government to provide basic facilities including ICT-driven teaching aids for the nation’s educational system (The Punch Newspaper 2012).
Therefore, the Impact of ICT in Nigeria and any other developing society especially in Anambra Secondary Schools can’t be overemphasized. It is very pertinent if one can note that technological advancement has shown lights to the dark paths of students all over the globe.
As part of the IT curriculum, learners are encouraged to regard computer as tools to be used in all aspect of their studies. In particular, they need to make use of the multimedia technologies to communicate ideas, describe projects and order information in their academic work.
It also has been shown that if some secondary schools advance by using computer tools, educational development will be enhanced in the schools and student’s academic output, performance and societal impact will be on the increment. Therefore, it is important to state that government at all levels needs to do a lot in the area of ICT development on our educational sectors.
Robinson(1991:100) stated that information technology (ICT) can be used to serve three main purposes which are:
- To deliver all or part of the learning content to learner
- To supplement and extend content provided in a different form
- To provide a 2 way channel of communicaton for exchange between tutors and students with their peers for feedback, debates, support and for solving learning problems.
- Statement of the Problems
Obviously, there is a rapid increase in the implementation of ICT tools in so many sectors of the nation and globe. This rapid increase of computer (ICT) usage points to the needs of improving the literacy of students especially in their secondary school education level. Problems and challenges faced by secondary education without the help of the tools of ICT are therefore numerous.
Prior to the present century where the advance of Information communication Technology has taking the lead in reducing the stress of human beings especially students, people suffer in educational researches and productivity. Meanwhile, one could have just logged into an information search website (www.google.com) to update him or herself with whatsoever research information he or she seeks if one is ICT equipped. Our students are faced with High stress and cost of Information search and retrieval in the offline library system (OLS) where no computer exists. Consequently, the time it will take a secondary school researcher to conduct his or her research in the offline mode tends to a period of 1 to 2 years.
Furthermore, the processing of student’s results manually has been the major challenge faced by form teachers of our secondary schools which cumulate to poor students’ result management.
Lots of files are also being misplaced through the manual record system used in our secondary schools instead of the Database Management System (DBMS) which has the ability to store and retrieve data in an automated form with access authentication and low redundancy functionality. These summed up to the reason why the researcher embarked on this research work “Impact of Information Communication Technology (ICT) on secondary school education” in order to expose and justify the impact of ICT on secondary schools in Anambra state and procure viable recommendations to evoke the responses of the three tiers of government to equip our secondary schools with ICT-Driven education technological tools such as; E-Library, Computer Laboratory, Online Research Center, Projectors etc.
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