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THE IMPACT OF ICT ON PRINCIPAL ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN THE PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL
CHAPTER ONE
- Introduction and Background to the Study.
Education is one of the sectors that have witnessed the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Africa. The global development in technology has great impact on this sector of economy. In recent times, educational establishments are challenged to dso more with fewer resources as they try to meet the complex and changing demands of the society. The use of ICT in African countries generally and in Nigeria particularly is increasing and dramatically growing. However, while there is a great deal of knowledge about how ICT is being used in developed countries, there is not much information on how ICT is being introduced into schools in developing countries.
To achieve these challenges, some organizations have taken up the task and are committed to the effective use of information and Communications Technology (ICT) for enhancing teaching, learning and management processes in Nigeria schools. States’ Ministries of Education and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) e-schools programme, Multi-Choice in partnership with schools Net (a non-profit Organization of stakeholders in education) have deployed the use of digital television set and other ICT gadgets as a learning tool in public tools.
Beukes-Amiss and Chiware (2006) opined that, there is generally limited access time per month using ICT by educational administrators, and even less time spent with reliable Internet access. Availability of ICT vis-à-vis access in term of ratio of principal and computers available differs significantly. Despite the new and emerging technologies, there are still challenges in the way education is being managed in secondary schools by educational administrators.
While information communication technology (ICT) is an important area of study in its own right, it is having a major impact across all curriculum areas. Easy worldwide communication provides instant access to vast array of data, challenging assimilation and assessment skills (Fowowe, 2006). Rapid communication plus increased access to ICT in the home, at work, and in educational establishments, could mean that learning becomes a truly lifelong activity- an activity in which the pace of technological change forces constant evaluation of teaching process itself.
The term information Technology (IT) was used to mean ICT, the term which was synonymous with computer but as the passage of time, it covered other equipment created to enhance acquisition, storage and dissemination of information materials.(Akpan,2008) Most of these equipments was initially confine to the vicinity of offices. Libraries in the course of time embraced the use of these equipments to carry out their day-to-day activities as usage was adapted to carry out some routine activities. It functions does not end there. The current issue is the use of ICT in the schools by educational administrators. Meanwhile, some studies have been conducted on uses of ICT by principal particularly on the issue of their professional development (Christiana Maki, 2000).
Most of these studies were carried out in developed countries where the use of ICT has come of age, and where there are resources and materials to maintain them. However, the use of ICT by principal in Nigeria is just beginning to gain popularity and researches in this area are just emerging. The use of ICT by principal to manage the schools is highly advantageous. This is because it enables the administrators to demonstrate understanding of the opportunities and implications of the uses for learning and teaching in the curriculum context; plan, implement, and quality management of secondary school environment (UNESCO, 2004). In the light of these therefore more research is needed to showcase further development of ICT use by secondary school administrators (school principal s) in Nigeria.
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.
Any society that does not take the use of Information, Communication, Technology (ICT) very seriously is not only self-defeating but cannot progress scientificantly when it comes to the use of technology in this twenty first century (21st C). This is because the impact of ICT has significantly changed the way education is managed; and in the use and distribution of knowledge. There was a time when the principal teaching resources available to principal and institutions were the books in the library, their chalkboard and an occasional map on the classroom wall, but with the advent of ICT, education management is made simpler: teaching resources are made available online, training of principal can be done via the internet and again information management of staff and students in an educational institution are created on a data base for ease accessibility. (Imogie, 2002).
The traditional method of managing distance education and transmitting in knowledge and skills through print materials that were self-instructional is gradually giving way to internet-based materials. We cannot achieve quality in secondary education without sound knowledge of information and communication technology. ICT is viewed as a factor that can promote quality secondary education. Johnson (2007), points out that communication is a fundamental act of the education process. Hence, to enhance quality in secondary school education, proper attention must be given to information and communication technology.
A handful of African countries have already put in place a national ICT policy while some of these policies define goals and implementation strategies for ICT in the education sector, nearly half the countries (Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa) have chosen to develop an ICT policy that is specific to the education sector. The new phase of ICT for education in Nigeria is such that it is plagued with internal conflict and political instability, coupled with corruption; that make progress on ICT for education impossible and by extension the ability of principal to effectively and efficiently manage their various institutes using ICT. Information, Communication, Technology remains a channel for tracking, analyzing, modeling and delivering information that share the sentiment of digital polity (The Guardian, 2009).
The Lagos State government has said that the deployment of ICT as an integral tool in governance had resulted in savings of about N200m monthly. The Lagos state commissioner of science and Technology, Kadri Hamzat speaking at the monthly Member Evening and Roundtable Talk, organized by the institution of Directors in Lagos, disclosed that the state use ICT to enable it provide better and more efficient public service in its day to day services. He noted that ICT aided the people in power to know the aspirations of citizens while using the available resources to achieve those ICT objectives.
- Statement of the Problem
A majority of principal 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.
In Nigeria, studies have revealed that majority of the principal are either ignorant or lack the knowledge of the usage of ICT in the day to day management of the various educational institutions. Informal observation revealed that educational administrators-principal s and teachers; have not experienced models of ICT use in their own learning before they can go ahead to implement same in the quality management of schools generally. Thus, principal are neither computer literate nor professionally trained qualified. If this trend continues, many important records will be lost, the avoidable cost of stationeries on the school will be too much to bear and the expected/ global change in education will not be achieved.
It is now a common knowledge today that less than 25% of the principal are trained on the use of ICT in secondary school administration thereby creating a gap that is needed to be filled in no time in order to benefit from the numerous advantages of ICT. Therefore, this study will examine the perception of principal in selected secondary schools in
Eti-osa local government of Lagos State on the use of ICT to enable the principal to overcome and gain from these challenges in terms of the administrative and instructional tasks and the relationship of the level of computer use by these principal (principal s) in Eti-Osa Local Government area of Lagos state, Nigeria. This study will also to explore the relationship between level of computer use by principal s and factors that are thought to be influencing it, including perceived computer access; and principal s’ attitude toward computers, in order to overcome these challenges as well as implement its use in quality management of secondary schools. The determination of which factors are related to computer use by principal s will bring benefits to decision makers in establishing programs and incentives that would promote computer use.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study to investigate into
- The current level of usage of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) by the principal in secondary schools
- The factors that are thought to be influencing the quality management of secondary schools by principal in terms of access to computer use.
- The educational administrators’ level of competence of ICT in relation to the quality management of secondary schools.
- The extent to which the government has provided and implemented ICT policies in secondary schools.
1.4 Research Questions
To achieve the set objectives, the following research questions are formulated.
1 What is the current awareness level on the usage of ICT by principal in the public secondary schools secondary schools?
2 Is there a significant difference in the factors militating against the full integration of ICT in secondary schools?
3. Are there adequate resources from government for ICT in the public secondary school in secondary schools of Lagos state?
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were tested in the study:
Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the awareness level of ICT and the usage of ICT among principal in public secondary schools
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between the factors militating against the full integration of ICT and the quality management of public secondary schools in
Eti-Osa LGA of Lagos State.
Ho3: There is no significant relationship between adequate resources from government for ICT and the role of principal in the management of public secondary schools
1.5 Significance of the Study
The findings of this study carry series of significance: In the first place, principal will be able to create database on staff and students for administrative purposes, and which will in turn enable principal for the quality management of secondary schools. Furthermore, the database on students will be beneficial in the administration process and close monitoring of students’ academic progress. Also, database on teachers can be useful to the school administrators in assessing students/teacher ratio, the population of students vise-a vise required infrastructure that will accommodate such a population.
Secondly, the database will enable the ministry of Education to adequately make provision in its budget for the schools based on information obtained. It will also assist the ministry of Education in the establishment and improvement of ICT centers in secondary schools.
Thirdly, possibly, this study will aid the government to implement the policies on National policy on ICT and thus, to appreciate the need to train principal via in –service trainings in the use of computers for the quality management of secondary schools in Lagos State.
Fourthly, the researcher hopes that the findings of these investigations will enlighten the public to adopt a much more practical approach of using ICT.
1.6 Limitations of the study
The researcher was limited by time and availability of data for comparing the ten (10) schools. There is constraint on free access to the internet and library for resources, books and equipment and also, funds available is limited.
1.7 Operational Definitions of Terms
Avakio: is a computer programme developed in Greece for managing school resources.
CPU: Central Processing Unit
DSL: Digital Subscriber Line
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTML: Hypertext Markup Language
ICT: Information, Communication and Technology
ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network
EFA: Education for All.
ENIAC: Electronic Numerical integrator and calculator
EDVC: Electronic Discrete Variance Computer.
EDSAC: Electronic Delay storage Automatic Computer
EDI: Electronic Data Interchange
Email: Electronic mail
LAN: Local Area Network
TAM: Technology Acceptance Model
TRA: Theory Reasoned Action
TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol
WWW: World Wide Web
Information: This is data that have been processed analyzed, interpreted and meaningful to the receiver of a massage. It is needed for problem solving and decision making. Message is an essential element in information and should therefore be “accurate, concise and of superior value” (Johnson, 2007).
Communication: This is the process of transferring information from one source to another or from one person to another or group of persons (audience). Information is therefore closely related to communication.
Technology: It is the process of using information to have meaningful control over nature in order to survive the challenges and changes in our environment so that a civilized life of higher standard of living can be achieved.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has completely revolutionaries the entire world started as Information Technology (IT) which deals with the aspect of managing, and processing information through the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect, process and transmit and receive information.
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