ATTITUDE
OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATORS TO ICT USAGE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT (A
CASE STUDY OF WUSE COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE, ABUJA)
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the study
According to Daniels (2002) ICTs
have become within a very short time, one of the basic building blocks of
modern society. Many countries now regard understanding ICT and mastering the
basic skills and concepts of ICT as part of the core of education, alongside
reading, writing and numeracy. However, there appears to be a misconception
that ICTs generally refers to ‘computers and computing related activities’.
This is fortunately not the case, although computers and their application play
a significant role in modern information management, other technologies and/or
systems also comprise of the phenomenon that is commonly regarded as ICTs.
Pelgrum and Law (2003) state that near the end of the 1980s, the term
‘computers’ was replaced by ‘IT’ (information technology) signifying a shift of
focus from computing technology to the capacity to store and retrieve
information. This was followed by the introduction of theterm ‘ICT’
(information and communication technology) around 1992, when e-mail started to
become available to the general public (Pelgrum, W.J., Law, N., 2003).
According to a United Nations report (1999) ICTs cover Internet service
provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology
equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation
centers, commercial information providers, network-based information services,
and other related information and communication activities.
The field of education has been
affected by ICTs, which have undoubtedly affected teaching, learning, and
research (Yusuf, 2005). A great deal of research has proven the benefits to the
quality of education (Al-Ansari, 2006). ICTs have the potential to innovate,
accelerate, enrich, and deepen skills, to motivate and engage students, to help
relate school experience to work practices, create economic viability for
tomorrow's workers, as well as strengthening teaching and helping schools
change (Davis and Tearle, 1999; Lemke and Coughlin, 1998; cited by Yusuf,
2005).As Jhurree (2005) states, much has been said and reported about the
impact of technology, especially computers, in education.
1.2
Statement of the problem
A majority of educational
administrators perceive ICT to offer advantages to school management but many
also struggle to see specific benefits and methods for use. A number of studies
have identified these contrasting perceptions from educational administrators.
(Korte&Hüsing 2007, Balanskat et al 2006, Becta 2008). In an EU Schoolnet
(2010) pre-pilot educational administratorssurvey on usage of Acer netbooks
involving 6 countries, a significant majority of educational
administratorsagreed that netbook use impacted positively on learning, allowed
for personalized learning and helped to extend learning beyond the school day.
However, other research suggests that a significant minority of teachers do not
see considerable learning benefits for students from ICT, regardless of the
sophistication of their ICT systems. The Empirical survey found that a fifth of
European teachers felt that using computers in class did not have ‘significant
learning benefits for pupils’ (Korte&Hüsing 2007)1 . A survey of UK
teachers also showed that educational administrators’positivity about the
possible contributions of ICT was moderated as they became ‘rather more
ambivalent and sometimes doubtful’ about ‘specific, current advantages’ (Becta
2008, p45).
1.3
Objectives of the Study
1. To know the level of ICT use for educational
purposes by educational administrators.
2. To analyze the attitudes among educational
administrators, towards the use of ICT for educational purposes.
3. To determine the significant relationship
betweeneducational administrators’ level of ICT use and their attitudes towards
ICT.
1.4
Research Questions
1) What is the level of ICT use for educational
purposes by educational administrators?
2) What are the attitudes among educational
administrators,towards the use of ICT for educational purposes?
3) Is there a significant relationship
betweeneducational administrators’level of ICT use and their attitudes towards
ICT?
1.5
Research Hypotheses
Ho:
There is no significant relationship betweeneducational administrators’ level
of ICT use and their attitudes towards ICT.
Hi:
There is significant relationship betweeneducational administrators’ level of
ICT use and their attitudes towards ICT.
1.6
Significance of the study
The purpose of this article is
to share with the readers the findings of a study conducted to investigate the
level of ICT use among educational administrators. Also, this study seeks to
investigate the attitudes of educational administrators towards the use of ICT
for educational purposes. Technology is now at the threshold of its maturity
within all the sectors. An overview of the research in the value of using ICTs
in management of school process shows that the utilization of ICT will have a
major influence on the management of school process. On other words, ICTs had
proved to be an effective tools for educational purposes, although it has
extend and transformed the way students learn and teachers teach. This research
will serve as a pivot for other researchers that may want to research on this
topic.
1.7
Scope/Limitations of the study
This study is concerned with the
attitude of educational administrators to ICT usage in secondary school
management using Wuse comprehensive college Abuja as the case study.
Limitations
of study
- 1.
Financial constraint
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">- Insufficient fund tends to
impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials,
literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet,
questionnaire and interview). - 2.
Time constraint
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">- The researcher will
simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This
consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.
1.8
Definition of terms
Attitude:is
an expression of favor or disfavor toward a person, place, thing, or event.
Educational
Administrators: Are employed in universities and colleges,
schools, preschools, and daycare centers. They manage routine activities and
provide instructional leadership at these institutions.
Information
and Communication Technology:Is an umbrella term that includes
any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular
phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so
on, as well as the various services and applications.
