AVAILABILITY/USES OF COMPUTERS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
There is an increasing global realization of the benefit of computer development in all areas of life including education. This is the reason why computer usage is globally regarded as a basic requirement and building block of modern society (Daniel, 2012). At present the computer technology has permeated nearly all aspect of human organizational role. Computer encompasses almost all facets of human endeavours. So much has been written on it and its relatedness to all areas of discipline.
Today, computer technology in school is one of the most far-reaching and fast growing developments in education that facilitates teaching/learning process. In the study of sheng (2015) the integration of computer into educational parlance is to solve teaching and learning problems even more rapidly and accurately than hitherto conceived.
The availability and use of computer system in the classroom for teaching and learning process is imperative as it give chance to the learners and instructors to operate, store, control and retrieve data other than to promote self regulated and active learning (Ali, Haolader &Muhammad, 2013). One of the area where computer can be used in the school to promote teaching/learning process is in the area of computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). Computer based learning includes an expanded propensity towards collaborative learning among learners and instructors to plan and prepare lesson and design materials such as content. Computer has seen as potentially capable to empower both the instructors and learners for educational changes and improvement (Team, 2013).
To enhance the academic performance of students, there is a need to turn from conventional teaching methods to modern teaching methods through the application of computer assisted instruction. Computer is space and time independent making it convenient for students to go through the program either at home or on a school computer. This encourages interactivity, which individualizes content for each learner based on their needs and it provides formative feedback to multiple choice questions.
Computer enhances learning rate where the learners are able to learn more materials given the same amount of time as compared to conventionally taught learners. Moreover, students receiving instructions through computer retain instructions better (Cotton, 2011). The issue of low achievement among the learners has been tormenting the instructive framework right from the elementary classes to university level. This issue wastes human potential and facilities for education. The findings of the study will confirm the effectiveness of computers in teaching of computer science and also predict that computer based instruction is better than conventional teaching approach.
Availability/uses of computers and academic performance of students in public and private schools
1.2 Statement of problem
The rate of failure in computer studies in senior secondary schools is a serious issue that requires the attention of all the stakeholders in Education from the ministry of education to the students themselves. Low performance of students has become a source of concern to educators and planners, parents, teachers, government and the public. The persistent low grades in computer studies by students has been tackled in various ways by parents, schools, educationist and the government in a bid to solve the problem of poor academic performance in computer studies in schools (Ekanem, 2014). Parents and teachers have provided necessary learning environment in the view of overcoming the root of this problem but yet the problem seems magnified. The government has averred teachers re-training but the root of the problem are yet to be resolved. Since all these efforts made so far have not been able to solve the problem of teaching/learning deficit in computer studies, the researcher is therefore motivated to investigate if the availability of computer in the teaching learning process can improve the academic performance of students in both public and private.
1.3 Purpose of the Study.
The main purpose of this study was to examine the availability/uses of computers and academic performance of students in public and private schools. Specifically the study sought to:
- Examine the availability and use of computer in public secondary schools.
- Examine the availability and use of computer in private secondary schools.
- Examine the difference in the academic performance of students in public and private schools in c computer studies.
1.4 Significance of the study
The findings of this study will be of benefits to students, teachers, and educational administrators.
The students may stand to benefit as they can study independently with the use of computer to enhance effective teaching and learning.
The teachers work will be made easier as the computer will serve as independently learning materials for students.
The results will be of benefits to educational administrators to achieve their objective which is to set-up computer study at the secondary school level as to well as devising clear strategies and technologies to be used by the Federal and State Government in introducing computer education in Nigeria.
1.5 Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide the study:
- What is the extent of availability and use of computer in public secondary schools?
- What is the extent of availability and use of computer in private secondary schools?
- What is the difference in the academic performance of students in public and private schools in computer studies?
Availability/uses of computers and academic performance of students in public and private schools
1.6 Research Hypothesis
Research hypothesis formulated for the guide the study:
- There is no significant difference in the academic performance of students in private and public secondary schools in computer science.
1.7 Limitations to the study
In conducting a research study of this kind, there are bound to be some challenges. Thus, some of the challenges encounter in the course of this study is as follows:
- Time constraint: time duration allowed for the completion of this research work could not be enough for the research to have a wider scope. Hence some schools were sampled and student out of all the schools in the area.
- Financial problem: this constituted one of the major limitations to the researcher especially as the researcher had to source for relevant materials on the topic and visit the sampled schools under the investigation for data collection.
- Insufficient references materials: this also was a problem as the researcher needed enough relevant literature on the topic.
1.8 Delimitation of the Study
This study was meant to examine the availability/use of computer and the academic performance of students in public and private secondary schools in the Local Government Area.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Computer: It is the electronic device that accepts data as an input and processes them electronically to produce the desired output or information with the aid of a set of instructions.
Academic performance: this is a term often used in educational institution to describe the extent of achievement of educational objectives
Private schools: this refers to institution own and managed by a private individual.
Public schools: this refers to institutions own and managed by the Government.