UTILIZATION OF ICT IN TEACHING OF BUSINESS STUDIES IN URUAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1        Background to the Study

              Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have become key tools and had a revolutionary impart on how we see the world and how we live. Today, the place of (ICT) in education and in the world in general cannot be undermined. Modern day businesses are conducted and facilitated through the use of telephone, fax machine and computer communication networks through the internet.

          The phenomenon has given birth to the contemporary e-commerce, e-government, e-banking and e-education among others. According to Bamidele (2006), ICT is a revolution that involves the use of computers internet and others communication technology in every aspect of human endeavors. Ozoji in Jimoh (2007) defined ICT as the handling and processing of information for use by means of electronic and communication devices such as computers, cameras telephones.

      Similarly, Ofodu (2007) defined ICT as electronic or computerized devices assisted by human and interactive materials that can be used for a wide range of teaching and learning as well as for personal use. Hence, for these devices to be effective, an environment where it is operated plays important roles. By way of definition, an environment is the surrounding where one live. It can also be described as the aggregate of all internal and external conditions affecting the existence, growth and welfare of organization. Environment is the influence an individual comes in contact with after the hereditary has been through the gene plasma. It can be deducted into physical, social and abstract environment.

      Physical environment is the objects or materials found in the home, school and community. Physical environment also includes the people like parent, teachers, siblings, peers and structure of home and school.  Social environment is the social life, societies and clubs affecting individual while abstract environment is the feedback reactions and the responses received on interaction with others. Environment can also be classified as urban and rural environment. Therefore, environmental factors are those variables that make up the environment which can change the behavior of individuals living in that environment. Based on the importance on the importance of ICT and environment, it is necessary to investigate the extent to which environmental factors influence the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business studies in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

        It is has been noted that several factors including teachers quality, class size, power supply as well as student interest can contribute to poor academic performance in schools. The importance of environmental factors in the effective using of ICT cannot be overemphasize, hence, the researcher intention to further investigate the extent to which environmental factors such as teachers quality, class size as well as power supply and utilization of ICT could influence the teaching of Business Studies in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

1.2    Statement of the Problem

          The menace of academic failure among the young school graduates has stared both government stakeholders in the face. There is a consensus of opinion about the fallen standard of education as a big problem that hindering the fostering of the Nigerian nation in terms of quality man power resources. Most students in secondary schools experience academic problem that manifest itself in the form of academic poor performance in secondary students. Some posited that the downward trend in performance is attributed to the teaching process, while some attributed the trend to teacher factors.  Therefore, this study on the matter of controversy sought to investigate the influence of environmental factors such as teacher’s quality, classroom size, power supply on the utilization of ICT in teaching of Business studies in Uruan Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom state.

1.3    Purpose of the Study

          The main purpose of the study is to determine the influence of environmental factors on utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business Studies in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Specifically, the study seeks to:

     i.        Determine the influence of teacher’s quality on utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business studies.

    ii.        Determine the influence of classroom size on utilization of ICT in teaching of Business Studies.

  iii.        Determine the influence of power supply on utilization of ICT in teaching of Business Studies.

1.4   Significance of the Study

          It is the researcher’s hope that findings from this study would:

     i.        Enlighten the teachers on the importance of ICT in teaching of Business Studies

    ii.        Enlighten the stakeholders and governments on the need to produce or provide ICT resources in the school, since the use of ICT facilitate teaching.

  iii.        Assist the government on the need to employ teacher’s with ICT know how for effectiveuse of available of ICT resources in the teaching learning process.

  iv.        Provide relevant information to future researcher who would carry out further research on the related issues.

1.5    Research Question

Three research questions were raised to direct the study thus:

     i.        To what extent does the teacher’s quality influence the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business Studies?

    ii.        To what extent does classroom size influence the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business studies? 

  iii.        To what extent does the power supply influence the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business studies?

1.6             Research Hypotheses

The three null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study thus:

     i.        There is no significant influence of teacher’s quality on utilization of ICT in the teaching id Business Studies

    ii.        There no significant influence of classroom size on the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business Studies

  iii.        There is no significant influence of power supply on the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business Studies

1.7         Delimitation of the Study

       The study was restricted to an investigate into the influence of environmental factors specifically, teachers quality, classroom size, as well as power supply on the utilization of ICT in the teaching of Business Studies in junior secondary schools in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

1.8     Limitation of the Study

The possible setbacks in the process of conducting the study were inadequate time frame and insufficient fiancés to purchase and process the materials required for the study.

1.9   Operational Definition of Terms

The following terms were operationally defined:

Environmental Factors: An identifiable element in the physical, cultural, demographic, economic, political, regulatory or technological environment that affects the survivals operation and growth of an organization.

Utilization of ICT:  Information and communication technology is an umbrella that includes the utilization of communication devices or application such as radio set, television, computer hardware and software, satellite system and so on. All these devices can be used in diverse ways in promoting the quality of information one receives or send, the devices are broadly used in the teaching-learning process  e.g television can also be used as audio-visual device which can go a long way in promoting quality of teaching at any level of education.

 Information Communication Technology (ICT): This refers to the convergence of audio-visual and telephone networks with computer networks through a single cabling or link system used for transmitting of information from source to destination (receivers).

Teaching:  Teaching is the concerted sharing of knowledge and experience which is usually organized within a discipline and more generally the provision of stimulus to the psychological and intellectual growth of a person by another person or artifact.      

Business Study: Is the studies that enhance students to have ideas about others commercial work.  

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