THE LEVEL OF COMPUTER LITERACY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN EZZA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EBONYI STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Over the years, most schools across the nation have been joining the technology revolution. Today, students have at least some form of technology available to them in school. This trend is not likely to change, so there is an increasing need for teachers who are literate in the use of the various types of technology. Manson and McMorow (2006) suggested that there are two distinct components to computer literacy; “awareness and competence”.

Awareness requires that a person should have understanding of how computer affect their daily life or society at large, and competence requires that a person should be able to exhibit a hands on expertise with a software application. Both of these components should be evaluated when looking at computer literacy within the classroom setting.

In modern classrooms, teachers and students have access to wide variety of technology. Various types of technology including computers, projectors, handhelds, television and digital cameras are more accessible now than ever before (Jawad Khan, 2013). This type of technology also called instructional technology has helped in moving the classroom from a teacher-centered environment to a more student centered one (Trotter, 2008). Through the use of technology, necessary information is transmitted widely within the shortest possible time. Through the use of these technologies researchers, scholars, and professionals are able to meet, interact and exchange ideas in the field of education.

Lu and Miller (2012) also stated that instructional technology encompass a wide variety of technologies as well as systems used to deliver information. Many secondary school classrooms are integrating technology to help students better understand the concepts that are being taught (Croxall and Cumming, 2010).

          While teachers are trying to implement new types of instructional technology into their classrooms, many of them are faced with barriers that hinder their attempt to advance. Beyond mere awareness and competence, anxieties, lack of training, and absolute equipment are barriers faced by the teacher on a daily basis (Redmann and Kotrlik, 2008). Through various research studies that have been conducted with secondary school teachers according to Francisca (2011), the researcher has found out that teachers have positive attitude about technology despite the barriers they face when trying to become literate in the functioning of the equipment. If the problems faced by the teachers are tackled, they will better fully integrate more technologies into the classroom, thus giving students a wide learning opportunities and help them to become technologically prepared for their problem solving in the future. The use of technology in education helps in the following: Introduction of simulations and games pedagogical strategies, computer based instructions, administrative effectiveness, school discipline, research publications facilities, and effective teaching-learning process. Also, of recent, teachers log into websites to access necessary information for research and assignments. However, adequate use of technologies in schools demands effective computer literacy skills and acquisition (Okolo and Iloanusi, 2014).

Computer literacy on this context deals with the ability to understand and use technology for instructional purposes. It tries to examine the capability of teachers who may use the technology for delivering of lesson to student to ensure effective teaching-learning (Williams, and Yusuf, 2012).

With the introduction of computer education into secondary school curricula, there is an urgent need to examine the teachers’ awareness of the extent of utilization of various uses of computer such as an instructional delivery process (e.g); the use of computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The uses of computers by the secondary school teachers however assist in the curriculum contact delivery. Computers in the school system assist in the academic environment to store, display, transmit, and analyze data by the educational researchers.

A couple of examples of these uses are helpful. For instance Kpolovie (2006) observed that the use of statistics helps administrator, academicians, teachers, and researchers by overcoming the rigor of manual analysis of primary data.

          The researcher in his opinion viewed computer literate individual as someone who has basic knowledge in all aspects of computer while computer literacy is the ability to understand the basic knowledge of computer and its application in all the areas of human endeavors.

Computer literacy is therefore, inevitable for both the teachers and principals, if schools are to be effective and if their academic goals are to be achieved. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) cited the importance of computer literacy in teacher education programs, exposure to changes in the methodologies, curriculum reform, and that innovation in the profession is very important. It noted that computer literacy skills enable teachers to implement effective record keeping strategies, computer assisted instruction and communication.

          The researcher embarked on this study to investigate the influence of computer literacy skills as it impact teachers’ teaching in secondary schools especially in Ezza North Local  Government area of Ebonyi State.

Statement of the Problem

Even though computer science and technology is a relatively new phenomenon in the teaching and learning environment in Nigeria, the use of computer is reflected in many areas of human activities such as medicine, domestic activities, engineering, architecture, and education which encompass all educational programs. However, computer science and technology in the educational sector calls for all the stake holders in education to be computer literate, if the schools are to cope with the challenges in the society.

Due to the rapid advancement of technology in educational sector today, many works which were done manually have become computer-based. Consequently, teachers need to upgrade from manual computational method to computer based. Most Professional teachers cannot prepare educational programs such as Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) which could be stored in the CD ROMs and enables students to learn at their own pace.

In Ebonyi state, it is assumed that only few of the teachers have the training to effectively use technology in the classroom such as computers and projectors. This has not been ascertained by any known research. There is need therefore to find out the extent to which secondary school teachers have acquired computer literacy. That is why the question that agitates the mind of the researcher is: What is the level of computer literacy among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state?

Purpose of the Study

The main focus of this study is to discover the level of computer literacy among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government areas of Ebonyi state. Specifically, the study sought to determine:

1.     Literacy level of Microsoft word among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state.

2.     Literacy level of computer Microsoft excel possessed by secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state.

3.     Literacy level of internet among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state.

4.     Literacy level of Microsoft PowerPoint among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebony state.

Significance of the Study

While attempts have been made to determine the level of computer literacy possessed by secondary school science teachers and the use of technology in the general classroom setting, few studies have looked specifically at the secondary school teachers. Therefore, the research shall benefit the following groups:

·        The government

·        The teachers

·        The students

·        The future researchers

It is very important to briefly explain how the above mentioned groups should benefit this research work.

The government: The employers of labour shall benefit from this project work in the sense that it will enable them to know the ability/capacity of secondary school teachers in Ezza North for teaching computer. Government will find this study very useful to enable them picture the exact number of computer literate teachers in our secondary school system.

Teachers: Today, a lot of things could be done with computer. This project will help the teachers to know their capacity in terms of computer literacy skill and hence develop the spirit of undergoing more training to become computer literate. Knowing the necessity of computer literacy in our society, teachers can be motivated through this study to arouse their students’ interest toward studying computer.

Students: In our institutions of higher learning, the importance of computer cannot be over emphasized. Having known the importance from this project work, it encourages the students and gives them the motivation to study computer with full interest. The students will equally write their project work through the knowledge of this project work.

Future researchers: This group of people as well will benefit much from this work because it will give them the knowledge about project work, research method and how to go about it. There are so much ideas and pieces of information the researcher will gain from this work that will help to equip them even to write books/novels on their own. They will know the number of secondary schools and their locations in Ezza North Local Government in Ebonyi State. They will also know the number of science teachers that are computer literate in Ezza North local government area.

The Scope of the Study

The study will focus on the level of computer literacy among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state. The study discussed the extent of Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft excel knowledge, internet literacy and Microsoft PowerPoint Knowledge among the secondary school science teachers in the various public secondary schools used for the work. The people to collect information from will be the principals and teachers in the various government and private schools selected in the study area.

Research Questions

In order to achieve the purpose of this study, the following research questions were developed to guide the study;

1.     What is the Literacy level of Microsoft word among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state.

2.     What is the Literacy level of computer Microsoft excel possessed by secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state.

3.     What is the Literacy level of internet among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebonyi state.

4.     What is the Literacy level of Microsoft PowerPoint among secondary school teachers in Ezza North local government area of Ebony state.