An evaluation of the role of computer studies in promoting secondary education today: A case study of Jimeta Metropolis, Adamawa State

Transcription

1 Discourse Journal of Educational Research Vol.(); pp. 9-, May 0 n evaluation of the role of computer studies in promoting secondary education today: case study of Jimeta Metropolis, damawa State Peter Zakawa Kwache ollege of Science and Technology, damawa State Polytechnic, Yola, Nigeria. peterkwache@gmail.com bstract: This survey study examined the role of computer studies in promoting secondary education using questionnaire for data collection, simple frequency distribution and percentage rate for analyzing the data collected from the sampled schools under the area of study. The results of the study showed that computer education plays a significant role in the attainment of secondary school objectives but discovers that most of the schools have not yet introduced the teaching and learning of computer education as a subject despites its supposed inclusion in the secondary school curriculum, and even schools where computer education is being taught, there are no enough computers for students practical, no qualified computing personnel, and sometimes these schools are faced with the problem of erratic electricity supply. The study further reveals that computer literacy level is very low among the teachers and management staff of secondary schools but relatively fair among students of senior secondary education. The study recommends that government as a matter of urgency should provide computers, its related outfits and basic IT infrastructure for public schools so that the teaching and learning of computer and computing technology can be integrated into the secondary schools education. Key words: omputer studies, IT infrastructure, secondary school education, computer literacy level. INTRODUTION Education can be described as a process by which people are prepared and trained to live and function effectively, efficiently and productively in and around their environments (Ukeje In: Metiboba, 99). The growing stage of youngsters is that particular period of time that provides them with the opportunity to develop the principles of life, make career decisions and begin the pursuit of one's goals, thus education is an important aspect for the youths. Education should include that kind of training that should be the extension to the fields of interest of these youths. The main motto of education is to provide knowledge, make every one aware about proper conduct and gain technical competency. Education helps in the development of an individual, physically, mentally and socially. The importance of education particularly secondary school education to youths is that it helps prepare them for greater responsibility. Thus secondary school education should help the youngsters to define their career objectives, make them capable of deciding as to what they want from life, and enable them make progress in their fields of interest; computer education will go a long way in helping them realize this dream. Furthermore, the Nigeria secondary school education should be geared up with ample amount of training that should allow beneficiaries to aim at a particular skills acquisition; this emphasizes the role of computer studies in promoting secondary education omputer technology has gain recognition worldwide whether it is being used for financing, chatting, ing etc; that is why it is always said that computer education is a must since almost every activity is computer driven and one cannot be able to make progress as far as his career options are concerned except it is matched with knowledge of computer and/or computing technology. Thus the study of computer as a subject in secondary schools is crucial because at this stage, education is central and critical to the child s future development.

2 0 There is clear and widespread agreement among the public and educators that all students need to be proficient computer users or "computer literate." However, while districts are spending a great deal of money on technology, there seems to be only a vague notion of what computer literacy really means. For instance, can the student who operates a computer well enough to play a game, send or surf the Web be considered computer literate? Or will a student who uses computers in school only for running tutorials or an integrated learning system have the skills necessary to survive in our society? Will the ability to do basic word processing be sufficient for students entering the workplace or post-secondary education? learly not. In too many schools, teachers and students still use computers only as the equivalent of expensive flash cards, electronic worksheets, or as little more than a typewriter. The productivity side of computer use in the general content area curriculum is neglected or grossly underdeveloped (Moursund, 995; Eisenberg and Johnson, 006). Recent publications by educationist and related associations advocate for a more meaningful use of a computertechnology in schools. This suggests integrating computer skills into the content areas, and that it should not be taught in isolation as separate "computer classes" as this do not really help students learn to apply computer skills in meaningful ways. omputer literacy does not only imply ability to operate computers, but also use it as a tool for organization, communication, research, and problem solving. This suggests a quick shift from approach and emphasis on theory to practice. Today in numerous educational and training sessions, interactive computer programmes are used to teach young students and adults computer literacy skills (Ogunkola, 00). Statement of the problem Over the years, efforts have been made to provide computers to both public and private schools, at workshops and seminars organized to train teachers in order to improve their skills and knowledge of computing and computer applications to better their productivity, competency and efficiency in the course of their lessons delivery, but these could not go down well without problems. The classroom is a microcosm of society, and technology is having an increasing impact in schools throughout the country. In the same way that little is known about how technology affects communities in general, little is yet to be known about the effects that increased use of technology is having on school communities, in particular, on the sense of community of classroom learners (Wighting, 006). Thus the problems of secondary school education today ranges from low level of computer literacy among staff and students, inadequate computers for practical lessons and lack of internet connectivity in schools where there are computer laboratories and in some instances unsteady power supply; also is the issue of inadequate trained staff/technicians for enhanced computer training and teaching, all these prompted the need to investigate the role of computer in promoting secondary school education today. Purpose of the study The main purpose of this research is to critically investigate the role of computer studies in the attainment of quality secondary education in Jimeta Metropolis of damawa State, Nigeria, other objectives include; to ascertain the level of the introduction of the teaching and learning of computer studies as a subject in the secondary schools; to determine the level of use of computer in schools; to find out the level of computer literacy among staff and students of secondary schools; to ascertain the availability of computers and related facilities/outfits in secondary schools, to find out possible problems mitigating against the teaching and learning of computer in secondary schools with a view to proffer solutions Research questions The general research question is, what is the role of computer studies in promoting secondary school education today? Others include: To what extent has the teaching of computer studies as a subject been introduced in the secondary schools? Do the schools use computer for data processing and/or office documentation? Do the schools have computer laboratory and other related facilities? What is the literacy level of the teachers and students as regard computer? For what purpose(s) do the teachers use computer either than formal learning purposes? For what other reason(s) do the students use computer?

3 It is expected that the secondary schools will realize the need for proper usage and maintenance of the computer in their possessions. LITERTURE REVIEW n overview of the Nigeria secondary education today Secondary education is the type of education offered to children who have completed their primary education so as to prepared them for tertiary education. It is divided into three years of junior secondary and three years of senior secondary school. Education that is offered at this level has two purposes; One is to prepare pupils to exit school with the necessary skills that would help them find employment, and the other is to prepare them to continue with their academic careers in higher education. No matter which, computer studies is still essential at any of the secondary school level (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 00). Furthermore, students are channeled through placements into specific programs after the completion of junior secondary education. The options are senior secondary schools, technical colleges, vocational training centers, or apprenticeship schemes. One of the objectives in splitting secondary education into junior and senior secondary education was to create an exit point after completing junior education. The implementation of the terminal objective plan at the end of junior secondary has been problematic, hence the inclusion of vocational subjects such as computer education so that at the end of this level, those who could not make it to another level can be self engaged in doing something for a living (Shikoha et al., 00). Prior to 9 the Nigerian secondary education system prepared students for basic white collar jobs and consisted of little more than basic numeracy and literacy education modeled on the ritish system of education. Scarcity of jobs led to high unemployment and a high failure rate that proved to be expensive for the state. It was for this reason that a new structure for the education system at this level was introduced. New policies contained in the National Policy on Education proposed a system of education that would be costeffective while simultaneously making students more marketable by equipping them with skills for a wide range of employment opportunities. The revised system placed emphasis on terminal objectives aimed at providing practical skills for those students who were judged to lack the ability to continue with an academic career into a higher educational institution (Moja, 006). The place of computer studies in the secondary school curriculum The inclusion of computer education as one of vocational subjects at both levels of the secondary education suggest the importance of computer studies not only to secondary education but to the over roll development of the secondary schools children (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 00). The assistance of a computer and/ or computing technology during the teaching-learning process is essential. The society has become more computer literate over the past few decades, and as technology advances, society s reliance on computing systems has increased. Therefore incorporating the teaching of computer in the secondary school system of education is necessary in order to create familiarity with various computer assistant applications at a younger age, particularly within a classroom environment. The role of computer in the teaching/learning process is not only in classroom but can also be used as a way to interact with students away from the school environment, as an aid to homework and assignments that have been set during holiday. This added benefit means that an system can be setup or a discussion board where students experiencing any difficulties with their work can either have the option to ask the teacher discreetly for assistance or alternatively can discuss issues with their peers to solve problems between themselves. This concept allows assistance to always be at hand with the added benefit of making a task more interactive. Similarly, a course website can be created in order to provide information for future students who are thinking of signing up to a certain class. This will allow the students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the course outline and what is required of them during the duration of the course and how the course can be accessed (Hodorowick, 000). The benefits of a computer system are that it is fast and efficient, gathering information almost immediately, with the ability to process and access information that would take too long manually. Furthermore, different types of learning material or teaching aids can be accessed from the internet, which can be used to make classroom activities more interactive. This system allows for flexibility to teaching style with the added bonus of promoting responsiveness to the variations of teaching methods that are available and that have been promoted by a computer system. The benefits of using computer in teaching and learning science further revealed that 0% of teachers believed that, the use of computers helps to increase student s scientific knowledge of science subjects, 0% were not sure, while 0% of the teachers noted that with the use of the internet, students can access information on different

4 subjects from various libraries or data bases provided on the internet (Odera, 0). Readily available computers to students and teachers can make them do major part of their school work using web resources, software repairing written work on their computers and consulting special databases and learning software to help solve say mathematical problems. Teachers can also consult databases for lesson plans, can interact with other teachers to share teaching ideas, and can help students become more self-sufficient and creative in their school work (arnoy, 00; Usman, 009). The role of computer in teaching and learning is universal as every activity today is computer driven. The computer is fast and efficient; it fetches information in milliseconds or even less than that. Now, one can learn and study online, there are virtual classrooms and libraries online that you can even get learning materials from. Eventually all educational processes are now on computers. The computer is a remarkable device with much more capabilities beyond our thinking but one should always remember that man created computer and all of the programs that run on it, thus the inclusion of computer education in the secondary school curriculum is timely and of great relevance as knowledge of computer will be useful in writing subsequent examinations meant for tertiary institutions admission. The problems of teaching and learning of computer today Even though there is no policy that is hitch-free during implemented, the non introduction of computer education as a teaching subject by majority of public schools despites its inclusion in the secondary school curriculum has implication on teachers and students perceptions of the subject. ccordingly, the most common problems associated with the teaching and learning of computer today as noted by Kwache (00) are:. Government ttitude:- The attitudes of the various arms of governments in and outside schools towards the provision and deployment of computer and its related outfits such as internet in our schools is rather slow and in some instances absent.. Lack of qualified teachers and IT technical staff in almost all the public schools despite mass production of National Diploma Graduates from our polytechnics and universities who could be employed for such jobs.. orruption:- The corrupt nature of our leaders and policy implementers do not allow them to release fund for the procurement of computer and computer technology related facilities as well as training personnel that will support and mange IT equipment in schools. urrency devaluation:- With the current global economic meltdown and devaluation of Nigeria s currency couple with our leaders unwillingness to release fund, the procurement of computers and IT infrastructure has become difficult and in most instances unaffordable 5. Inconsistent and erratic power supply:- The irregular supply of power coupled with the non affordability of generator by most public schools contributed immensely to the deployment of computer and IT related infrastructure. Furthermore research has it that many science teachers shy away from incorporating technology into their teaching and learning process despite the availability of computers in some of the schools. lark (000) pointed out that few teachers used computers based technologies for instructional purposes and observed that computers are not being integrated into most instructional curricula; this is true of the Nigerian s public institutions today. In concluding this part, a major responsibility of schools entering this new era of globalization is to prepare students for the new challenges that are rapidly changing our society. One of the greatest challenges currently facing our youths is finding meaningful employment. The ability to communicate fluently and demonstrate high level of computer literacy are essential criteria required from people wishing to enter the workforce in every sector of the Nigeria society today and in fact globally. Literature show that only 0-0% of senior secondary school graduates nationally continue on to formal tertiary education, and with computers now infiltrating every aspect of human life it places a high burden of responsibility upon our education system to improve the development of our students' language and computer literacy (Rekdale, 0.). METHODOLOGY The design for this study is evaluative and descriptive in nature; hence the need to sample people s opinions using questionnaire and observations. ll the management staff, teachers and students in all the secondary schools in Jimeta metropolis were used for this survey. The sample size is respondents obtained from six(6) randomly selected secondary schools, as follows:

5 Management staff, from each school, totaling to Teachers, 6 from each school, totaling to 6 Students, 5 from each school, totaling to 90 Instrumentation Data was collected using the structured questionnaire administered to respective respondents in order to solicit for their opinions; however observations were made to ascertain the availability of certain facilities relevant to the study in question, while the collected data was analyzed using simple frequency distribution and simple percentage rate. RESULTS Data presentation, analysis and interpretation In this section, Table, gives the summary of the questionnaire given to the various categories of respondents and the number retrieved; Table, shows the data analysis of the questionnaire administered to management staff; Table, shows the analysis of the questionnaire administered to teachers while Table gave the results of the analysis of questionnaire administered to students, for the different sampled schools..table show that, 0, and 9 questionnaires were administered to the management staff, teachers and students respectively of the six (6) selected schools, while, and respectively were retrieved, this suggest that out of a total number of questionnaires administered only 06 were retrieved which represent % of the total questionnaires administered. From Table, it can be argued that even though most of the management staffs are not computer literate, computer is still being used for data processing and office documentation. From Table, one can ascertain that most of the teachers from the study area do not use computer in their lesson preparation and delivery, this is because most of them are not computer literate while Table shows that most of the schools are yet to introduce the teaching of omputer studies as a subject, even though students do acknowledge the relevance of computer to their studies. DISUSSION The results of the data presented and analyzed above, is hereby discussed in relation to the research questions raised. The use of computer by all the respondents Responses to item number (Table ) and item number (Table ) suggest that management staff and students use computer for data processing while items numbers and (Table ), suggest that most of the respondents do not agree to the use of computer for lesson planning and delivery, however, responses to items number and 9 of Table, shows that majority of the respondents acknowledge the relevance and use of computer to the teacher s job. vailability of computer laboratories and related facilities In response to this, it can be observed from Table, (item number ), Table (items number 6 and ), and Table (item number 5), that majority of schools do not have requisite computer laboratories and its associated facilities as only few schools indicated availability of computer laboratories with few computers The level of the teachers and students computer literacy Table (item number ) and Table (item number ) shows that the computer literacy level of most teachers are low, while on the other hand Table (items numbers, and 6) suggest that the level of computer literacy among students is average and better, higher than that of teachers as most of the respondents indicated that they use computer for

6 Table. Summary of the number of questionnaires. ategory Schools No. dmn. No. Returned Not Returned % Returned Management GMM 66.6 Elshaddi 66.6 Restoration 66.6 St. Peter seminary 5 0 G.D.S.S. Karewa. G.G.S.S. Yola 66.6 Total 0 65 Teachers GMM 6 50 Elshaddi 6 50 Restoration 6 50 St. Peter 6 5. GDSS Karewa 6 50 GGSS Yola Total 55. Students GMM 5 5. Elshaddi 5 0 Restoration St Peter 5 9. GDSS Karewa GGSS Yola 5. Sub-Total 9 0. Grand Total various function. This suggest that teachers should strive to be computer literate. Purpose(s) for which the teachers use computer Most of the respondents of this category are of the opinion that teachers use computer essentially for communication, as only a few use computer for sourcing materials for lesson plan and delivery Other purposes for which the students use computer ased on the analyzed data shown in Table (items numbers and 6) students use computer for other reasons either than learning purposes, and these include typesetting, games, music, online study, ing, entertainment, etc. In relation to the general purpose of the study, it is clear from both literature and results of this study shown that computer is highly used in most of our schools for teaching and also for other functions but this is more common in private schools. It can be ascertained that the level of computer literacy among teachers is very low compared to that of the students as most students can operate computer if not for other things but at least for music, games and movies. The results further indicates the need for teachers to be computer literate so as to enable them use computer effectively Most of the schools indicated that there are no computers laboratories and where one exists the center is not connected to the internet. Further findings depict the relevance and role of computer and computing technology in promoting secondary education today, however, there are problems associated with the teaching and learning of computer studies and its deployment, particularly in public schools, these among others include: a. The non implementation of the teaching and learning of computer studies in most public secondary schools today b. Lack of qualified teachers that would handle the teaching of the subject.

7 5 Table. n Overview of the Management Staff responses to the Questionnaire. Tested items/questions Opts Freq Responses/interpretation. I am a computer literate. It is clear that majority of the management staff are not computer literate since 9 out of do not agree.. We use computer in processing our work agreed that their schools use computer for data processing, while 6 don t and not sure. This means more than 50% of the sampled schools don t use computer for data processing.. My school teaches computer as a subject. of the respondents are of the opinion that their schools teach computer as a subject, while disagree and only neutral. This means a larger percentage of the sampled schools do not teach computer as a subject. My school has a computer laboratory with at least five (5) computers and above. Many schools do not have computer laboratory even those schools in which computer studies are offered as subject. 5. My school has at least one qualified computer teacher. 6. The use of computer makes teaching more simple and easy. Only of the respondents agreed that their schools have qualified computer teachers, disagreed and neutral. Majority agreed that computer makes teaching simple and easy, even though 5 has a contrary view.. The learning of computer is important for students of today as it will enhance their studies. 9 bout 0% agreed that computer studies enhance students learning abilities, 5% disagree and undecided.. It is necessary for every teacher to be computer literate as this will improve his/her work. bout 6% agreed that teachers need to be computer literate to better their work, 6% disagreed while % was undecided The key to alternative options lettered - reflected in the Opts column is: = greed (G); = Not greed (N); = Not Decided (ND) except stated otherwise. c. Lack of computers and its related outfits in most of the secondary schools; instances show that only a limited number of computers were present in few of the schools which do not go round the class population (denying most students access to computers) d. Poor computer literacy level amongst management and teachers who are suppose to promote the learning of computer in their respective schools. onclusion This study, based on literature review and data analyzed and discussed has established that computer education plays a significant role in promoting secondary education today, despites the relevance of the computer education to secondary education, most schools and in particular public schools are yet to introduce the teaching and learning of computer studies. This may be attributed to lack of computers and other related facilities, lack of qualified teachers, and worst is lack of the political will on the part of the government to support the integration of computer education into the secondary schools curriculum as expected in the national policy on education

8 6 Table. n overview of the teachers responses to the questionnaire. Tested items/questions Opts Freq Responses/Interpretation. I am a computer literate. 5 From the analysis of the teachers are computer literate, are not while 5 are not sure of their status.. I use computer to obtain materials for my lesson preparation. 5 nalysis shows that only % of the teachers make use of the computer in lessons preparation, 6% disagreed while % were undecided.. The use of computer using power point in lesson presentation is important. 5 nalysis shows that % agreed that lessons presentation required power point in the use of computer, 6% disagreed and % were undecided.. The use of computer by students improves their learning ability. % agreed that students can improve their learning abilities through the use of computer, % disagreed while 5% are undecided. 5. My school teaches computer as a subject % agreed that computer is taught as a subject in the school especially the sss, 9% disagreed and none was undecided. 6. My school has a computer lab. With at least five (5) computers. % agreed that though computer is taught in the school, there is no computer lab with at least 5 computers, 5% disagreed while 9% were undecided.. Our computer Lab is connected to the internet. nalysis reveals that 0% agreed that the computer lab has internet facilities, 60% disagreed while 0% were undecided.. The use of facility enhances teachers communication with students and colleagues. 6 6% agreed that facility enhances better communication between teachers, students and colleagues % disagreed and 0% were undecided. 9. It is necessary for every teacher of nowadays to be computer literate. nalysis shows that % agreed that it is necessary for every teacher in this age to be computer literate, % disagreed while 5% were undecided. Recommendations ased on the results of this study, the following recommendations are hereby proffered:. That government should ensure that the teaching of computer education is introduced in all levels of our secondary education as soon as possible. Teachers in public schools should embark on computer literacy class with or without the support of government. Teachers who are computer literate should use computer and over-head projectors for presenting their lesson, as this will arouse students curiosity and interest throughout the lesson, it will also ease teachers work as teaching will be faster and easy.. There is need for qualified computer teachers who in turn will train and supervise the use of computers in secondary schools.

9 Table. n Overview of the students respondents to the questionnaire. Tested items/questions Opts. Freq. Responses/Interpretation. My school teaches computer as a subject of the students are of the opinion that their schools teach computer as a subject while 0 say their schools do not teach computer as a subject, however only are neutral.. I attend computer class in my school of the students attend computer classes, 0 of the students do not attend computer class while do not know.. Though my school does not have computer class, I use to process my work to get materials for assignments % the students get their work processed through the computer 6% do not process their work through computer while 0% of the students are yet to decide.. Some teachers use computer for presenting their lessons in my class % agreed that teachers used computer in presenting their lessons, 6% disagreed while % are undecided. 5. My school has a computer lab. With at least five (5) computers. 0 0 % agreed the school possessing computer, % disagreed while 0% are undecided. 6. I use computer for playing games, music etc Over 0% agreed of using computer to play games and music s, % disagreed while % are undecided.. The use of computer in processing data is better and faster than typewriter. 66 9% confirms the importance of computer to typewriter in secondary education, 6% disagreed and % are undecided.. It is necessary for every secondary school students to know how to use computer % agreed to the fact that computer literacy is very necessary especially to students, 6% disagreed % are undecided. The key to alternative options lettered - reflected in the Opts column is: = greed (G); = Not greed (N); = Not Decided (ND) except stated otherwise. 5. Internet and facility are necessary to support teachers and students work in school 6. The students and teachers should be encouraged to use the internet and facilities by connecting computer laboratories to internet; this is to enhance better communication skills and to improve on previously acquired ones. REFERENES lark KD (000). Urban Middle school Teachers use of Instructional Technology. J. Res. omput. Educ. :- Eisenberg M, Johnson D(996). omputer Skills for Information Problem-Solving: Learning and Teaching Technology in ontext. ERI Digest. Obtained from: /skills.htm, on 0//0 Federal Republic of Nigeria (00).National Policy on Education, th Edition. Hodorowick L (000). omputers and Education, omputer Ethics Kwache PZ (00). The Imperatives of IT for Teachers in Nigeria Higher Education, Merlot journal of online learning and teaching, ():.

10 Moja T ( 000). Nigeria education sector nalysis: n nalytical synthesis of Performance and Main Issues, obtained from: Metiboba S (99). Education and Society: ross-ultural nalysis obtained from on March,0 Moursund D (995). Effective practices (part ): Productivity tools. "Learning and Leading With Technology," (), 5-6. Odera YF (0). Integrating omputer Science Education in Kenyan Secondary Schools. Int. J. Info. ommunication Technol. Res. (5): 6-0 Ogunkola J (00). omputer ttitude, Ownership and Use as Predictors of omputer Literacy of Science Technology in Nigeria. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Educ. ():5-5. Rekdale P (0). omputers and Education, Obtained from: on th Feb.0 Shikoha GR., hopal N and Pradesh M (00).omputer Education In School. The Headstart Programme, IESE and World ank. Usman (009). Survey study on Effects of the Non-Implementation of IT in Public Secondary Schools in Jimeta Yola, Metropolitan, an un published paper. Wighting MJ (006). Effects of omputer Use on High School Students Sense of ommunity, Regent University, Virginia. Heldref Publications.