Level of Adequacy of Information and Communication Technology in Early Childhood Education Classrooms in Oredo L.G.A Edo State
Chapter One
Preamble of the Study
All over the world, Information and communication technology (ICT) has turned out to be an accepted element in all our lives and has a central role to play in education. Similarly, the world as it is currently, is experiencing technological breakthrough in teaching and learning. Early childhood education is not left out of the race because children live in rich communication environment. Information Communication Technology (ICT) can be defined as “anything which allows us to get information, to communicate with each other, or to have an effect on the environment using electronic or digital equipment” (Siraj-Blatchford & Siraj-Blatchford, 2003,p.4). Some authors use the term learning technologies, while others simply describe it as technology.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
All these gadgets put together, have significant roles to play in the education of young children in this 21st century. Hence the researcher undertook to examine the level of it’s adequacy in Early childhood education and Nursery classrooms in Benin metropolis.
Meanwhile,early Childhood Education (ECE) on the other hand,refers to the type of education received between ages 3 to 5 within the school environment. It is sometimes referred to as nursery school or play group (Farrant, 1982). The National Policy on Education (FRN, 2009) classified ECE as educational institution for children prior to their entry to primary school, where children are left in the care of individuals or organizations.
It has been discovered in the recent past that the use of ICT in the education of young children is widely practiced/advocated for.This is so, as a result of the multiple benefits which acrues from its adoption in the teaching and learning process.
Benefits of incorporating ICT in the teaching and learning process
The merits of incorporating ICT in the education of young children can not be overemphasised.However, for the sake of this paper, a few of these advantages have been outlined to include:
Speaking and Listening – In the classroom, ICT allows greater opportunities for sustained forms of talking, such as asking and answering questions. The use of webcams extends interactivity, and allows for instant feedback and reflection on the processes involved in talking, both in groups and individually.
Interactive whiteboard – IWB technology puts emphasis on shared and public talk and on pupils’ responses. Through ordinary talk, details cannot be easily remembered unless recorded in some way. Sound recording has been available for some years, of course, but transportable sound recording devices (such as MP3 or MP4 formats) make it more straightforward and support emphasis on listening. Also, digital cameras are likely to help the pupils’ ability to reflect and comment on use of language: gesture, posture and facial expressions are integral elements of speaking. In more formal situations, video presentations allow pupils to view and review formal and informal presentations from the earliest years.
Early reading – With renewed interest in phonics teaching, there is currently a wide range of software available to support early reading using synthetic phonics. Through the use of ICT-based phonics books, clear connections can be made between sounds and letters on a page. Learning to read is a long and difficult process, and many pupils struggle to concentrate when using books alone – increasing concentration and attention time is a key advantage to ICT. Many pupils view software differently from ICT – perceiving it to be more exciting. There are lots of audio-based reading schemes now available to schools, many of which offer significant advantages over books. For struggling readers, there are also many software-based reading intervention programs available that can dramatically improve pupils’ achievement. Some feature speech recognition software and integrated assessment for learning.
Vocabulary – Interactive dictionaries can prove invaluable in the classroom. The days of having to refer to a weighty tome in the corner of the classroom are long gone, and the essential development of vocabulary is made easier through interactive resources.Sentences – ICT makes sequencing words easier. There are many products available to help with sentence writing skills, such as Textease or Clicker, and many offer added speech facilities to help pupils check their work.Comprehension – The use of ICT resources that include aural and visual comprehension activities can make a significant difference to a pupil’s development. Pupils have to acquire listening skills, which they will need in all areas of the curriculum. If the only voice they ever hear is the teacher’s, this can prove difficult. Many products are available that offer paper-based comprehension activities alongside sound, animations and video. These multimedia products open up a world of experiences to the pupil, allowing them to develop core comprehension skills without even realising it.Composition – Presentational software and databases extend possibilities for composition. Mixed-mode texts can be constructed on paper, but digital technology, with its facility for importing pictures and manipulating text, means that the presentation of writing can be more varied, involving design features which paper-based writing does not allow. Using word processors allows pupils to edit text without their changes showing on the page. They don’t need to think so hard about spelling or presentation and so can focus on the content. They can present information in a range of ways and use a spellchecker or thesaurus.
Drama – A strength of using ICT-based drama in literacy lessons is that it allows pupils to be experimental, reflect on their learning and reshape their ideas after reflection. Digital cameras, capturing moving and still images can greatly aid drama processes, particularly the development of dialogue. Capturing drama moments – by using freeze-frame functions – on camera and displaying the images on the IWB allows for ease of sharing, evaluating and extending understanding.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the level of adequacy of ICT in early childhood education and nursery classrooms in Benin metropolis.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in gathering information relevant to the level of adequacy of ICT in early childhood education and nursery classrooms in Benin metropolis. Two hundred (200) teachers in selected nursery and primary schools in Benin Metropolis were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
One hundred and sixty (160) questionnaires were distributed and one hundred and forty (133) were returned. This figure was the sample size. Out of the one hundred and thirty-three, only one hundred and twenty (120) were properly responded to. As a result, the researcher used one hundred and twenty for this study when more than 50% of the respondents agree to the questions, the answer is taken as valid for the purpose of this study. In analyzing the data, the approach that will be adopted is to find out the percentage and positive and negative answers to the question posed.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Level of adequacy of i.c.t in early childhood education in oredo local government Edo State
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of Level of adequacy of i.c.t in early childhood education
Summary
This study was on Level of adequacy of i.c.t in early childhood education in oredo local government Edo State. Four objectives were raised which included: to find the level of availability of ICT in Early childhood education and nursery classroom, to ascertain the level of adequacy in the provision of ICT in early childhood education and nursery classroom in Oredo L.g.a Edo State, to find out the difference in the level of adequacy of ICT in Early childhood education and nursery classroom in Rural and Urban Schools and to find out the difference in the level of adequacy of ICT in early childhood education and nursery classroom based on ownership of schools ( Private and Public. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made up of headmistresses, head teachers, class teachers and non teaching staffs were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
The findings from this study identified many benefits of using ICT by teachers for enhancing inspiring pupils and increasing the provisional satisfaction. The teachers involved in this study considered that ICT in ECE offered valuable opportunities to make children’s learning visible and contributed to developing and enhancing relationships with children, families and teachers when integrated in meaningful and purposeful ways within the early childhood teaching and learning community. It is important that teacher’s beliefs, roles and experiences are considered, if changes are to be made to foster and optimize opportunities for young children’s learning, and how these beliefs, roles and experiences influence and shape the ways in which teachers implement and integrate ICT within the early childhood context.
Recommendation
Researchers and educators should encourage ICT in ECE from the perspectives of children and families. This will help in exploring how early childhood teachers notice, recognize and respond to the impact of ICT on young children, through a series of case studies.
- Further researchers should examine early childhood teacher education to incorporate adequate ICT content.
- Government should give teachers opportunities to actively engage in dialogue to explore and articulate their pedagogical approach, to ICT in ECE.
- Teachers should help to create opportunities for young children to understand and appreciate the benefits of visual images and graphics in knowledge which are part of their everyday experiences
References
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