RESOURCES AVAILABILITY AND THE TEACHING OF COMPUTER SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
This work was designed to investigate resources availability and the teaching of computer science in secondary schools. The study was conducted in Essien Udim Local Government Area. A survey design was used to carry out the study. 38 teachers and principals formed the sample of the study. The instrument used in collecting data was Assessment of Resources Available for Teaching of Computer Science Questionnaire (ARATCSQ) and the data collected were analyzed using simple percentage.
The results reveal that human resources, material resources and facility resources needed for teaching of computer science in the schools investigated were not adequate for effective teaching. It was recommended among there that Government should provide enough funds for schools to purchase computer resources and employ applicant with B.Sc. (Ed) and B.Ed. in computer education to teach the subject in our secondary schools.
Resources Availability and the Teaching of Computer Science in Secondary Schools
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Computer education is of paramount important to national development and it is on this premise that the federal government of Nigeria sought to introduce computer studies in the education system from primary through to secondary schools. education systems around the world face formidable challenges that are taxing conventional strategies.
Fresh approaches are needed to address persistent problems of the past and provide students with an education appropriate to the needs of a modern, information-based global economy. Now, after, more than two decades of unfulfilled promises to revolutionize education, computer and communication technologies are finally able to offer opportunities to significantly improve teaching and learning.
In any educational system, the level of available resources places a restriction on the degree to which any new subject can be introduced into the school curriculum, especially where only the most basic facilities have so far is to such importance to the future industrial and commercial health of a country that investment in the equipment, teacher education, and support services necessary for the effective delivery of an ICT –based curriculum should rank high in any set of government priorities. The curriculum proposed takes account of these resource issues and minimum requirements for effective delivery in different circumstances (UNESCO, 2004).
The importance of computer/computer education cannot be over emphasized. The effective teaching and learning of computer in the school system should be accorded priority in any educational system. The major aim should always be that of assisting teachers and student to do what is expected of them under prevailing environmental conditions. One of the ways of doing this, is to carefully scrutinize the resources available for teaching.
Resources for teaching science according to Daluba (2014) could be human (e.g teachers and laboratory assistants); materials (e.g. library, laboratory, teaching aids, classroom etc). facilities (e.g. running water, constant electricity supply, etc); and appropriate chemicals and reagents. There is need to use modern and standard resources for teaching because according to Offormatu (1990) these enable students to improve on their performances.
Aboderin & Solomon (2014) reported that reasonable computer studies are yet to start in Nigerian secondary schools, the computer –student ratio is relatively small, funding by government has not been encouraging, computer education syllabus is unpopular among students and parents and thus hardly implemented, and teachers are inadequate to implement computer education. Teachers in Nigerian secondary schools cannot implement computer education because majority of the teachers are not competent in basic computer operation and in the use of simple application software (Yusuf, 2005b).
Teachers required access to information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure for a number of reasons. These include their need to live as citizens in a world undergoing rapid and major transformations as a result of increase used of ICT, their need to embed ICT use in their teaching and administrative duties and, increasingly, their need to use ICT in their professional studies (Burnip, 2006).
In the cause of Nigeria’s quest to advance technologically and compete favourably with other advanced countries of the world, both human and material resources in the teaching of computer needs to be sought for without delay. It is against this background that the researcher intends to evaluate the state of resources availability for the teaching of computer science in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.
1.2 Statement of problem
The principal stock in trade of education is the transmission or transfer of information from the teacher to the learner(s). If there is any technological development that has a very great potential for development in education and can improve education quality, expand learning opportunities and make education accessible, it is the development in ICT where the knowledge of computer cannot be looked down. It is as a result of the great advantages which ICT offers that Nigerian educational reforms stressed the importance of computer technology in schools during 32 ministerial council meeting of the National council on education in 1987 (FRN, 2004).
In the bid to integrate ICT into education in Nigeria for effective teaching and learning to take place, internet services in schools tagged school Net Nigeria was launched in September 2001. Eleven years after the launched, it is said to note that many secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State may not have computer sets not to talk of internet connectivity. Due to the fact that computer education has failed to take off in the majority of schools in Nigeria, fears are that technological development may be a pipe dream for the country. Given this scenario, it is necessary for this study to look into availability of resources-human, materials and facilities and teaching of computer science in secondary schools in Essien Udium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Resources Availability and the Teaching of Computer Science in Secondary Schools
1.3 Purpose of the study
The general purpose of this study was to examine the availability of resources and teaching of computer in secondary schools in Essien Udium Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:
- determine the extent of human resources availability for the teaching and conduct of practicals in computer science.
- determine the extent of material resources availability for the teaching and conduct of practicals in computer science.
- determine the extent of facility resources availability for the teaching and conduct of practicals in computer science.
1.4 Significant of the study
The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to the teachers, students, educational sector and the society at large. It will encourage the use of modern instructional materials mostly in the area of ICT for teaching and learning of computer science. It will also bring to the awareness different competence a computer science teacher should possess to be able to teach the subject well. Furthermore, it will help educational administrators to adopts computerized system of administration.
Resources Availability and the Teaching of Computer Science in Secondary Schools
1.5 Research Questions
To guide the study, the following research questions were asked.
- To what extent are human resource available for the teaching of computer science in secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area?
- To what extent are material resources available for the teaching of computer science in secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area?
- To what extent are facility resources available the teaching of computer science in secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area?
1.6 Delimitation of the study
This study was delimited to secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area. Only principals and computer science teachers in schools in the study area were used for the study. Also, the resources that were looked into include human (teachers, laboratory assistance and laboratory technicians); materials (curriculum, library; laboratory, teaching aids, classroom, books) and facilities (Pipe born water, constant electricity supply generator).
I am Prince Stephen. The admin of nairaschool.com.ng. I’m a passionate writer, editor and an experienced educational blogger who writes articles on education, educational research and school news. I based in Afaha Nsit, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
