CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The importance of ICT is quite evident from the educational perspective. Though the chalkboard, textbooks, radio/television and film have been used for educational purpose over the years, none has quite impacted on the educational process like the computer. While television and film impact only on the audiovisual faculties of users, the computer is capable of activating the senses of sight, hearing and touch of the users. ICT has the capacity to provide higher interactive potential for users to develop their individual, intellectual and creative ability. The main purpose of ICT consists just in the development of human mental resources, which allow people to both successfully apply the existing knowledge and produce new knowledge (Shavinina, 2001).
The collective and rigid nature of learning and the passive nature of the learning associated with the use of radio, television and film do not contribute any innovative changes to traditional methods in education system. Information and communication technologies are being used in the developed world for instructional functions. Today, computers perform a host of functions in teaching and learning especially as many nations are adding computer literacy, reading and writing literacy skills students will need for succeeding in a technologically developed world (Thomas, 2005). At the instructional level, computers are used by pupils to learn reading, mathematics, social studies, art, music, simulation and health practices.
In educational multimedia application, Shavinina (2006) asserted that today’s learning contents are domain-specific products and that they dominate the world market. According to Shavinina (2006), domain-specific educational multimedia is directed to knowledge acquisition skills development in the language arts, history, physics, literature, biology and so on.
There is no doubt that ICT provides productive teaching and learning in order to increase children’s creative and intellectual resources especially in today’s information society. Through the simultaneous use of audio, text, multicolor images, graphics, motion, ICT gives ample and exceptional opportunities to the pupils to develop capacities for high quality learning and to increase their ability to innovate.
Nigeria cannot afford to lag behind in using multimedia to raise the intellectual and creative resources of her citizens especially the children. This is particularly important for children whose adulthood will blossom in a cyber environment entirely different from that of the present (Shavinina, 2006). Nigerian children need to be taught by radically new educational programme and variety of educational contents with multimedia playing key role (Ayo, 2000).
Technology plays a significant role in all aspects of life today, and this role will only increase in the future. The potential benefits of technology for young children’s learning and development are well documented (Wright & Shade, 1994). As technology becomes easier to use and early childhood software proliferates, young children’s use of technology becomes more widespread. Therefore, early childhood educators have a responsibility to critically examine the impact of technology on children and be prepared to use technology to benefit children.
Computers supplement and do not replace highly valued early childhood activities and materials, such as art, blocks, sand, water, books, exploration with writing materials, and dramatic play. Research indicates that computers can be used in developmental appropriate ways beneficial to children and also can be misused, just as any tools can (Shade & Watson, 1990). Developmental appropriate software offers opportunities for collaborative play, learning and creation. Educators must use professional judgment in evaluating and using this learning tool appropriately, applying the same criteria they would to any other learning tool or experience. They must also weigh the costs of technology with the costs of other learning materials and programme resources to arrive at an appropriate balance for their classrooms.
Computers are intrinsically compelling for young children. The sounds and graphics gain children’s attention. Increasingly, young children observe adults and older children working on computers, and they want to do it. Children get interested because they can make things happen with computers. Developmentally appropriate software engages children in creative play, mastery learning, problem solving, and conversation. The children control the pacing and the action. They can repeat a process or activity as often as they like and experiment with variations. They collaborate in making decisions and share their discoveries and creations (Haugland & Shade, 1990).
The teacher’s role is critical in making certain that good decisions are made about which technology to use and in supporting children in their use of technology to ensure that potential benefits are achieved. Teachers must take time to evaluate and choose software in light of principles of development and learning and must carefully observe children using the software to identify both opportunities and problems and make appropriate adaptations. Choosing appropriate software is similar to choosing appropriate books for the classroom, teachers constantly make judgments about what is age appropriate, individually appropriate and culturally appropriate (NAEYC, 1992).
Early childhood educators must devote extra effort to ensure that the software in classrooms reflects and affirms children’s diverse cultures, languages, and ethnic heritages. Like all educational materials, software should reflect the world children live in: it should come in multiple languages, reflect gender equity, contain people of color and of differing ages and abilities, and portray diverse families and experiences (Derman-Sparks & A.B.C. Task Force 1989; Haugland & Shade, 1994).
As pre-school educators become active participants in a technological world, hence they need in-depth training and ongoing support to be adequately prepared to make decisions about technology and to support its effective use in learning environment for children. Mayor (1997) advocates for teachers to be fully equipped to understand and communicate to both children and adults the skills required to build more sustainable life in a technological changing and highly globalized world. The potentials of technology are far-reaching and ever changing. The risk is for early childhood educators to become complacent, assuming that their current knowledge or experience is adequate. Technology is an area of the curriculum, as well as a tool for learning, in which teachers must demonstrate their own capacity for learning (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).
- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
The use of Information Communication Technology in teaching early childhood education in secondary schools, like any other devices is because of the ability or its capability to store large volumes of data, organize and analyze data accurately in other to produce quality information it has been the rapidly expanding trend. Could it be that there is a problem in the application of the ICT in early childhood education classroom activities?
1.3 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The purpose of this work is to ascertain the current statues of ICT use in early childhood education. Specific objectives of this work are as follows:
- Access the extend to which some schools use information communication technology in teaching of early childhood education in secondary schools and operational activities
- Find out the advantages of the application or use of information communication technology to the teaching of early childhood education in secondary schools
- Identify problems in the use of ICT in teaching and learning situations
- Recommend ways of using information communication technology in teaching early childhood education in secondary schools effectively in order to promote the technique in teaching and learning for the growth of the Nigerian educational sector, most especially in secondary schools.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions would guide the study
- To what extend has Information Communication Technology has been used in teaching of early childhood education in secondary schools and operational activities
- What are the advantages of the application of Information Communication Technology in the teaching of early childhood education in secondary schools?
- What are the problems in the use of ICT in teaching and learning situations?
- What are the ways in which the application of information communication technology can be used effectively, in order to promote the technique in teaching and leaning for the growth of the Nigeria educational sector?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
There is no significant differences in the performance of students who use information communication technology and those who do not.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The cardinal objective of carrying out this research is paramount with respect:
- The teacher: The teacher will hopefully benefit from this study because it will help the teacher to get a better understanding of ICT and also how it can be used to teach the students effectively, thereby making teaching easier for the teacher
- The administrators: Also, this work or study will hopefully benefit the administrators, because it will make documentation easier for them instead of keeping documents in paper form, they can easily keep it in their computers and they can easily find it when they want to make use of it.
- The students: This work or study will benefit the student hopefully because it will make it easy for the students to understand what the teacher is teaching, and also the students can also get more information in the internet thereby widening their knowledge.
1.7 THE SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
The research is on the use of Information Communication Technology and its importance in teaching early childhood education in secondary schools. The study is to enhance teaching and learning using Information Communication Technology which provides a safe and non-threatening environment for learning with the flexibility to meet individual needs and the ability of such students. The use or application of internet that is world wide web gives students immediate access to richer source of materials, difficult ideas are made more understandable when communication technology make them isib1e and effect the power of trying different ideas and take risks, encouraging analytical and divergent thinking (Hansell, 2002:149).
The work is limited in secondary schools within Jos North because of lack of time for the researcher to travel to other places of sources of data. And also lack of finance to enable the researcher to transport himself to other various places or cities in the country. However, care is taken to ensure that all data collected for this study are sufficient for the analysis.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
The following term concepts may have other meaning but for the purpose of this study are giving operational definitions. ICT Information Communication Technology involves the use of computers and telecommunication devices for requiring processing, organizing, storing and distribution of various types of information used in many fields of human endeavors.
COMPUTER: An electrical device which processes data at a very great speed according to a program stored within the device.
CHIP: Silicon chip is a very thin piece of silicon or other semi-conductor materials. Only a few millimeters square on which all the components of a complete circuit (e.g. a radio, watch, calculator or computer).
CPU: Central processing unit is the part of the computer that controls and co-ordinates the operations of all the other part of the computer. It changes raw data (which is not useful or meaningful) to processed information.
E-MAILS: A system for transmitting messages and computer fuels electronically from one computer to another e.g. computer network over the internet in an office.
KEYBOARD: the part of computer that looks like a typewriter. It is used to input raw data into the computer.
MONITOR: The part of computer that looks like television. It displays raw data and processed information on the screen.
PROCESSING: The production of text using a computer application made for the input processing and retrieval of text.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Is the process that allows the transmission of available or visible information over long distance by means of electrical or electronic signals e.g. telephones, radio, TV, telegraph and fax data.
INTERNET OR E-MAIL SERVICES
A computer set to prepare the message
A telephone set for communication
A modem to convert signals from analog signal (telephone) to digital signals which the computer understands.
