Utilization of ICT facilities for quality teaching and learning in the 21st century: an overview of public secondary schools in Rivers State

Abstract

This study aimed at examining the utilization of ICT facilities for quality teaching and learning outcome in the 21^st century in some public secondary schools in Rivers State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design method of investigation was adopted for the study. Questionnaire carved in analyzing the study while analysis of data was done using mean and standard deviation for analysis of research questions. A total population of the schools were 247 and total number of teachers 8234, and number of selected schools 35. The sample size of three hundred and fifty (350) was used for this study. Hence, two groups are the target sample population, one hundred and fifty (150) of questionnaire were given to the teachers and two hundred (200) for students. This was done by the use of simple random sampling technique and all copies of administered questionnaire were retrieved. The findings revealed that computer is the only ICT facility available in the schools under review, all other items listed were not available; ICT facilities were not utilized for quality teaching and learning in the 21^st century classroom in public secondary schools in Rivers State; ICT facilities play major role in providing quality teaching and learning in the 21^st century classroom in public secondary schools in Rivers State. It was also found out that the factors militating against the utilization of ICT facilities are lack of computer literate teachers, lack of ICT laboratories, irregular power supply, high cost of purchasing ICT facilities and inadequate funding in 21^st century classroom in public secondary school in Rivers state. From the findings of this study, it was recommended among others that governments should equip public secondary schools with modern ICT facilities for academic performance; the Ministry of Education should integrate ICT in the school curriculum at various levels; training and retraining of teachers on ever-changing ICT should be incorporated in the school policy; NGOs and international organizations should step-up in assisting the government provide ICT facilities in the secondary schools; teachers should adopt ICT to support traditional teaching and learning method wholly as a means of ascertaining the goal of 21^st century in teaching and learning.