Availability And Utilization Of Ict Facilities In The Teaching And Learning Of Intergrated / Basic Science

Statement of Problem

Information and communication technology is already a vital factor in the successful development of education; therefore, teaching and learning for the new emerging societies require effective utilization of ICT’S to facilitate instructional delivery.

The federal republic of Nigeria (FRN, 2002) in line with the global best practices in the field of education came up with a national IT policy. The national IT policy’s strategies for education include the integration of it into the mainstream of education, training and the establishment of facilities for electronic and distance learning networks and ensuring internet connectivity among others.  

Despite these efforts by both government and non-governmental agencies in making ICT facilities readily available and accessible to schools, some vital areas of ICT application in teaching appear not attended to in secondary schools in Awgu local government area of Enugu state.

The implications of this scenario are far reaching to the field of education in general and basic science education in particular. If basic science teachers and students do not take full advantage of ICT in teaching and learning, the chances to expand educational opportunities or improve the quality of existing education could be lost. More also, the opportunities to provide basic science teacher education to a broader audience are hampered as much as the vision and mission of education are mere dreams. It has been noticed that in most secondary schools in Agwu local government area, ICT facilities are not made available or accessible to enhance their adequate utilization, while in some cases, the teachers lack the requisite knowledge on ICT utilization even when it is available, and in other cases the facilities are inadequate which may also be responsible for the poor quality of graduates produced in our secondary schools in terms of knowledge of basic science . The problem of this study is to identify the ICT facilities that are available for teaching and their utilization by teachers for the purposes of teaching basic science in Awgu local government of Enugu state.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to determine the availability and utilization of ICT in teaching basic science in junior secondary schools in Awgu local government area of Enugu state. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. Identify the various Information and Communication tools available for the teaching and learning of basic science 

2. Determine the extent of utilization of in the teaching of social in public secondary schools in Awgu local Government Area of Enugu state

3. Identify the factors that hinder the effective utilization of ICT facilities for the teaching and learning of basic science ?

4. Suggest strategies that can be employed to improve the effective use of ICT facilities in the teaching and learning of basic science ?