THE ROLES OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

CHAPTER ONE

1.0              INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

            Information and communication technology (ICT) is an umbrella term that include any communication device or application encompassing radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network, hardware and software system satellite system and so on, as well as the various services and application associated with them, such as video conferencing and distance learning. Over the years, education as been recognized as the bed rock of every society. The word has grown to the point that the uneducated man looses relevance in the society. Thus the demand for education is so highly esteemed that it is almost becoming insatiable. It is quite easy to agree with Coombs in Keegan (2002) that many countries in the world today need ICT in education system which will be useful for students population of 100,000 and more but government in both developed and developing countries no longer have the money to erect and maintain ICT equipment and ICT building for such large number of students or if they do have the money they would put the money into the changing political and developmental priorities. What is needed now is a source of education that is capable of satisfying the educational needs of all section of the society and handling the education needs of those who are unable to pursue full time regular courses with it, in service personnel house wives, disabled persons, aged people, people residing in remote already, school dropout etc should be able to avail themselves of the courses offered. This has to be student academic education or open learning system where they can mate se of ICT effectively to boast them academic performance wherever that are with the advent of the internet, the world has become a global villages, communication and information can now be both assessed and shared through the information super high ways the contemporary society as come to the point where academic of students become easier to enable them to perform better academic Nsereka (2003) would.

            In the past few years, the experience of school using information and communication technology (ICT) has gradually been disseminated whole one could talk about the use of communication devices such as the telephone fax, SMS, HyperCard, Hyper media, video conferencing and teleconferencing electronic, news gathering election publishing one has got to also talk about wireless paging the computer and of course the internet and information super high way. Based on the foregoing indicators that can help students to perform excellently in their academics.

1.2              STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

            The basic problem of study is to examine the Roles of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Educational Research have positive impact on student academic performance in higher education or not.

1.3              PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

            The purpose of the study has been broken into the following specific objective such as to

i.                    Find out whether information and communication technology (ICT) has any impact on student academic performance in Tertiary Institution.

ii.                  To examine the roles of information communication technology in Education Research

iii.                Determine the teaching methods in student performance that support use of information and communication on technology.

iv.                Determining the relationship between the use of information and communication technology media and the academic performance of the students.  

1.4              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Another important dimension of ICTs in research is the use of online full text databases andonline research libraries/virtual libraries which are the direct outcome of the growth intelecommunications networks and technology. These databases and libraries provideresearchers with online access to the contents of hundreds of thousands of books from majorpublishing houses, research reports, and peer- reviewed articles in electric journals.ICT has also played a major role in university and industry partnership in Europe.

1.5              LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

            This research is intending to carry out a complete the roles of information and communication technology (ICT) in Educational Research. But due to time and financial the research work will be carried out Federal College of Education, Abeokuta only. 

1.6              SCOPE OF THE STUDY

            This study is restricted to the role of information and communication technology in Educational Research. However the scope of this research work would be invited to an assessment of one selected higher institution. Federal College of Education, Abeokuta Ogun State.

1.7              RESEARCH QUESTIONS

            The following research question have been made to guide the study

i.                    Does Information and Communication Technology have any impact on students’ academic performance?

ii.                  Does (ICT) enhances qualitative and quantitative academic achievement of student in higher education?

iii.                Does the roles of information communication technology in Education Research?

iv.                Does the teaching methodsof teacher affect the performance of studentsusing (ICT)?

v.                  Is there relationship between the use of information and communication technology (ICT) media and the academic performance of the students?