Availability And Utilization Of Ict Facilities In The Teaching And Learning Of Social Studies

Non-interactive ICT:  a non interactive program is one that, when started, continues without requiring human contact. A compiler is a non interactive program, as are all batch processing applications.

Interactive ICT: Interactive processing means that the person needs to provide the computer with instructions whilst it is doing the processing. For example, imagine that a computer is running a program that takes a set of files from one directory and does some work on each one. As each file is processed the computer sends a screen message to the operator "Where do you want this file to be stored". i.e. the user 'interacts' with the computer to complete the processing.
Multimedia ICT: Multimedia enables us to provide a way by which learners can experience their subject in various manners. The key to providing this experience is by presenting graphic, video and audio simultaneously to engender the students’ interest rather than presenting them one after the other. The appeal of multimedia learning is best illustrated by the popularity of video games currently available in the market (Beichner, 1994). Therefore  multimedia can be defined as an integration of multiple media elements (audio, video, graphics, text, animation etc) into one synergetic and symbiotic whole which results in more benefits for the end user than any one of the multiple media elements can provide individually (Fenrich, 1997).

A careful look at the secondary schools in Awgu Local Government Area Of Enugu State reveal that many teachers still rely more on the traditional “talk and chalk” method of teaching rather than embracing the use of Information and communication technology ICT. There is the need therefore to replace the traditional pedagogical practices that still underpin our educational system in the state, hence the need for the utilization of ICT to boost the teaching process and method.

It is important that mention be made of public and private schools in Awgu local government Area. According to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 2014), Public schools are schools which are maintained at the expense of the state government for the education of the children of a given district and that constitute a part of a system of free education. Private schools, also known as independent schools, non-governmental or non state schools, are not administered by local, state or national government, thus, they retain the right to select their students  and are funded in whole or in part by asking their students to pay high amount of money as tuition rather than relying on mandatory taxation through public (government) funding. Private school is a school under the financial and managerial control of a private body or charitable trust, accepting mostly fee-paying pupils. It is also an independent school supported wholly by the payment of fees. A school supported by a private organization or private individuals rather than by the state.

The defining distinction between public and private schools is their different sources of support. Public schools depend primarily on local, state, and federal government funds, while private schools are usually supported by tuition payments and sometimes by funds from other non-public sources such as religious organizations, endowments, grants, and charitable donations.
It may also be obvious that in secondary schools in Awgu local Government Area, ICT facilities are either provided and are insufficient or that the teachers may lack the requisite skills to adequately use the facilities, hence they have been minimally used to enhance the teaching of social studies in such areas as practical lessons, experiments, teaching large classes, conducting and grading of assessment tests. It is therefore against this background that this study seeks to determine the availability and utilization of ICT in teaching social Studies in Secondary Schools in Awgu Local Government of Enugu State.

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 social studies education in particular. If social studies 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 social studies 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 social studies. 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 social studies in Awgu local government of Enugu state.