An Assessment of Information and Communication Technology Utilization in the Teaching of Accounting Among Senior Secondary School Students in Osun East Senatorial District
Chapter One
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to assess information and communication technology utilization in the teaching of accounting among senior secondary school students in Osun East Senatorial District. The specific objectives of the study sought to:
- determine the availability of ICT resources for teaching Accounting in Senior Secondary Schools in Osun East Senatorial District;
- investigate whether ICT resources are being used for teaching Accounting in the selected secondary schools;
- examine the challenges faced in the use of ICT resources in the teaching of Accounting in selected Secondary Schools;
- determine the relationship between the ICT resources and academic performance of students offering Accounting in the selected Senior Secondary Schools.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework
This study focuses on assessment of the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning. ICT according to Kiplang’at (2004) in Ojiambo (2006) has no universal accepted definition because the applications and technology involved constantly keep changing almost on daily basis. ICT according to him deals with digital data and the ways of storing, retrieval, transmission and receipt of information. Zwass (2006) defined ICT to include information processing technologies such as computers and the internet, line telecommunication, mobile phones and other wireless communications, networks, broadband, and other different types of devices ranging from barcode scanners and Braille readers global positioning systems. The Association of African Universities (2003) defined ICT as “a shorthand for the computers, software, networks, satellite links and related systems that allow people to access, analyse, create, exchange and use data, information and knowledge in ways that, until recently, were almost unimaginable. ICT refers to the infrastructure that brings people together in different places and time zones, with multimedia tools for data, information, and knowledge management in order to expand the range of human capabilities” (Heeks, 1999). Ngurukulem (2005) defines ICT as a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, create, disseminate, store, retrieve and manage information. Jimoh (2007) defined ICT as the handling and processing of information (texts, images, graphs, instruction etc) for use, by means of electronic and communication devices such as computers, cameras, telephone. Ofodu (2007) also refer to ICT as electronic or computerized devices, assisted by human and interactive materials that can be used for a wide range of teaching and learning as well as for personal use. From these definitions, ICT could therefore be defined as processing and sharing of information using all kinds of electronic device, an umbrella that includes all technologies for the manipulation and communication of information.
The various ICT facilities used in the teaching – learning process in schools according to Ofodu (2007) include; radio, television, computers, overhead projectors, optical fibres, fax machines, CD-Rom, Internet, electronic notice board, slides, digital multimedia, video/ VCD machine and so on. However, looking at the role of education in nation building and the population explosion in the secondary schools these days, the use of ICT in the teachinglearning process becomes imperative. This is true because its adoption by the teachers will enhance effective teaching. Such issues like good course organisation, effective class management, content creation, self-assessment, self-study, collaborative learning, task oriented activities, and effective communication between the actors of teaching – learning process and research activities will be enhanced by the use of ICT based technology.
Application of ICT in Lesson Preparation
A key aspect of effective teaching is having a prepared lesson plan for what will happen in the classroom. Creating such a plan involves setting realistic goals, deciding how to incorporate course textbooks and other required materials and developing activities that will promote learning. In teaching, more time is spent in preparing any good lesson than presentation. Lesson preparation is all about selection of appropriate and effective learning activities. Therefore, teachers have a view of the content, the objectives, and the learning experiences he or she will offer to the learners. They also look at the resources available and choose the one suitable for the particular topic for the teaching. To this end, Volman and VanEck (2001) posited that in preparing any lesson to be taught to the students, the teacher refer to the course of study for the lists of topics to be covered, the course content, objectives of the lesson, students activities, equipment and materials. Volman et al. explained that lesson preparation ensures that the teacher takes time to reflect his mind about the topic of the lesson, how he will present it and the resources needed to make the presentation a success. He consulted different reference materials, such as textbooks, journals, newspapers, magazine, in the library for preparing the lesson.
In today’s information and communication technology age, the new way of preparing lesson has emerged. ICT have been applied by teachers in lesson planning and in preparing handouts or exercise sheets and lesson note. Such ICT include computer, radio, television, overhead projectors, optical fibres, fax machines, CD-ROM, Skype, electronic notice board, slides, digital multimedia, video/VCD machine. It has been used for searching topics and also in preparing direct instruction in the classroom (Roblyer & Edwards, 2000). According to them, some software used by teachers in lesson preparation includes; Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Internet for searching information and locating teaching materials.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the procedure that was used in carrying out this study. The procedure was discussed under the following subheadings: design of the study, area of the study, population of the study, sample and sampling technique, instrument for data collection, validation of the instrument, reliability of the instrument, method of data collection and method of data analysis.
Design of the Study
This study adopts a descriptive survey research design. A descriptive survey research design, according to Ali (2006) is one which uses sample of an investigation to document, describe, and explain what is in existence or non-existence on the present status of phenomena being investigated. The author further stated that in descriptive survey study views and facts are collected through questionnaire and/or interviews schedule for answering research questions. A descriptive survey research design was suitable for this study because data was collected through questionnaire from lecturers on the extent of application of information and communication technologies in the teaching of accounting among senior secondary school students in Osun East Senatorial District.
Population for the Study
The population for the study is 1,476 teachers currently teaching in some selected secondary schools in Osun East LGA, Osun state State. The information on population of the teachers was obtained from Academic Affairs and Establishment Unit of the selected schools.
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