ABSTRACT
The study examines
the availability and level of utilization of E-learning technologies in
teaching and learning of Business education programmes in Tertiary Institutions.
The survey design was adopted in the study. A population of 240 respondents was
used in the study. A sample of 180 respondents comprising business education
students was selected using the simple random sampling technique. The technique
of Mean and frequencies were employed in data analysis. The findings of the
study indicate interactive ICT facilities are grossly lacking for teaching and
learning of Business education programmes. Also, it was revealed in the study
that interactive E-learning technologies are not utilized for teaching Business
education programmes. Non interactive ICT devices were also revealed to be
lacking for teaching of Business education programmes and were thereby rarely
utilized in business education implementations. From the findings of the study,
it was recommended that Government and other relevant stakeholders in education
should provide adequate ICT resources for the teaching of Business education programmes
in tertiary institutions. This will enable teachers to effectively utilize them
in the classroom and at the same time help to equip students with appropriate ICT
skills needed for effective functioning in the modern electronic age,
In-service training programme such as seminars, on-the-job retraining and
retraining programmes, workshops on ICT resources utilization should be mounted
on a regular basis for serving business educators in tertiary institutions and
finally, ICT agencies should assist with free distribution of ICT resources to
tertiary institutions as their corporate social responsibility to communities.
Free donation of ICT equipment will help communities of practice to utilize
them since findings shows that non utilization is associated with
non-availability of ICT resources.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Teaching and learning are inseparable
concepts with learning playing more of judgmental role to teaching. It is
believed that “unless the child learns the teacher has not taught”. Though
teaching and learning are intimately linked processes and are interdependent as
well as inter woven, teaching is a social phenomenon, while learning is a psychological
phenomenon. It is teaching which generally results into learning but there can
be learning without teaching. Teachers in the recent trend of teaching and
learning are therefore seen as facilitators or guide, and I believe this can better
be enhanced through utilisation of ICT facilities.
The nub of teaching learning process lies in
the moment by moment relationship between the willing leaner and the competent
co-teacher. Rao (2008) quoted Burton (2001) who argues that teaching can be
made effective by relating it to learning; teaching objectives can be
identified in behavioural term and appropriate learning situations may be
created to realise these objectives. The appropriate teaching condition or
structures may be generated for effective learning; the effective teaching aids
may be selected for creating strategies and tactics may be selected to achieve
the optimal object of learning; the concept of relationship of teaching and
learning will be an aid to understand the nature of teaching and thereby,
teaching theories may be evolved. The knowledge of the relationship will
equally be helpful for teaching to produce effective Business Education
teachers.
ICT has been acknowledged globally as one of
the greatest techniques infused into the teaching learning process. It is used
in the context of this research work to imply a diverse set of electronic
technologies, technological tools and resources used to communicate,
disseminate, store and manage information in the course of teaching and
learning. ICT include computers, the internet, broadcasting technologies and
telephony (Adoni and Kpangbam, 2010; Chukwudi and Ejita, 2008). The impact of
ICT on learning is the vision that it enables learning anywhere, any time and
anyhow. ICTs are utlised during academic activities especially by lecturers and
students (Usang, Azubuike and Umoren, 2007). Anissimov (2009); Bless and Truth (2009) and
Bliss (2009) agrees with this view but further noted that there is variation in
the level of usage of ICT in tertiary institutions among countries.
The
emergence of information and communication technology (ICT) has totally
revolutionalized the way we access, process, store, retrieve and disseminate
within organisation or across the globe according to Miller and Akume (2009).
Information
and communication technology refers to a systematic process of gathering,
processing, storing, sending and retrieving of information through the print,
broadcast, computing and telecommunications media (Onwuagboke, 2009). Similarly,
Achuonye (2002) sees information and communication technology as the
collection, storage, processing dissemination and use of information.
Information and communication technology has the potential to accelerate,
enrich and deepen skills; motivate and engage students in learning; it also
help in relating school experiences to work practices, helps to create economic
viability for workers; contributes to radical changes in school; strengthen
teaching and provides opportunities for connection between the school and the
world (Kirschner and Woperies, 2003).
Ogunsola
(2005) sees ICT as an electronically based system of information transmission,
reception, processing and retrieval which has drastically changed the way we
think, the way we live and the environment in which we live. Information
and communication technology offer several opportunities in education,
they can be used as a means of preparing the current generation of students for
future workplace, that is, providing tools for tomorrows practices. This is underscored
in the foreword written by Lemke .C. (1999) in the Milken exchange on education
technology commissioned report. Lemke noted inter alia “ today’s students live
in a global knowledge based age, and they deserve teachers use of technology
(ICTs) students can be given the opportunities of becoming a part of the
knowledge age and skills imparted to the
young people in an increasing complex world.
Teachers will need to use ICTs in order to equip tomorrow’s
employees and customers with the requisite competence and knowledge to use ICTs
within their work (Davis & Tearle, 1999).
ICT has impacted on the quality and quantity of teaching and learning
through its dynamic, interactive and engaging. ICT has simplified education
through the application of electronics media, internet etc. Ndukwe (2006),
emphasized that the production and introduction of calculators and computers in
the education system worldwide has helped in simplifying teaching and learning in
schools, thereby content, and it provide real opportunities for individualized
instruction.
Business education is one of the
courses taught in tertiary institution is that aspect of the total education
programme that provides the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes needed
to perform in the business world as producer or consumer of goods and services
that business offer (Igboke, 2012). Azubuike (2013), noted that business
education fall under creative, technical and vocational courses within the high
institution programme. The course is aimed at equipping students with practical
business skills which will enable them to participate meaningfully in
production in future. As a practical course, it is intended to prepare student
for the world of work; both as employees and as employers , oyebade (2008) and (chibuzor, 2012) and also
stated that business education is an essential element of general education;
this is because it is concerned with entrepreneurship development among the
students. He further stated that, it is concerned with the act of imparting
business orientation. Furthermore, Okoli (2010) noted that business education
is an important part of the general education which emphasizes on the
acquisition of skills and competencies for use in offices and business related
occupation. Similarly, Nwazi (2010) describes business education as
encompassing education for office occupation, business teaching, business
administration and economic understanding. In all, Abdulkadir (2011) opines
that one remarkable important characteristic of business education programme is
that, its products can function independently as self-Employed and Employers of
labour. To this end, the tenet of business education embraces basic education
for teaching career, entrepreneurship, business understanding, office
management and vocational practices.
Azubuike (2013), enumerated the following as the
objectives of business education at all levels of education;
–
To develop basic skills
for personal use in the future
–
To prepare students for
further training in business education.
–
To provide the needed
background for teaching in business courses.
–
To develop basic skills
in office occupation.
–
To relate the knowledge
and skills acquired to national development.
–
To acquire the basic
knowledge and skills of business education.
–
To provide orientation
and basic skills with which start a life of work for those who may not undergo
further training.
.
Statement of the Problem
Over the years there has been a general poor performance
in Business education programmes, this is not only applicable in secondary
examinations were business education subjects are taught but also in university
precisely under business education most students who enrol in business
education department do not graduate successfully with their mate.
Unfortunately, in many tertiary Institutions in there
are little or no ICT tools for teaching and learning in various classrooms.
teaching and learning method in the class rooms in department of business
education still adopt the old traditional method of teaching, where the teacher
acts at repertoire of knowledge while student are busy coping what is said and
expected to vomit them verbatim during examination. It is worrisome because this
has led to massive failure in examinations as the students are rarely grounded
in their learning but are mainly subjected to mere memorization of the topics
taught.
The present study contributes to the
literature on the use of ICT in education by examining the availability and
level of utilization of E-learning technologies in teaching and learning of Business
education programmes in Tertiary Institutions.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study is to determine the
availability and the level of utilization of E-learning technologies in
teaching and learning of Business education programmes in Tertiary Institutions.
The specific objectives are
1.
To ascertain the
availability of interactive ICT in teaching and learning of Business education programmes
in Tertiary Institutions.
2.
To ascertain the level
of utilization of interactive ICT in teaching and learning of Business
education programmes in Tertiary Institutions.
3.
To determine the
availability of non-interactive ICT in teaching and learning of business education
in Tertiary Institutions.
4.
To determine the level
of utilization of non- interactive ICT in teaching and learning of Business
education programmes in Tertiary Institutions.
Significance of the Study
The findings of the study will be of
immense benefit to the students, teachers, education shake holders, the government
philanthropists.
Information
and communication technology is of great important to teachers and students of
business education in Tertiary Institutions; this is because from this
research, they will able to ascertain the important of information and communication
in teaching and learning.
Secondly, this work will be of great important to
educational stakeholders. This is because from the research they will be able
to know the plight of the student and therefore work out modalities to solve
the problems.
Thirdly, this work will be of great important to the
government through the ministry of education they would be able to ascertain
the course of poor performance of the student of business education and work out
modalities to solve the problems.
Furthermore, the work will be of great important to
the philanthropists in the area, this is because from the work, they will be
able to identify problem of students in studying business education. This will
encourage them to donate information and communication technology tools that
will be used in teaching and learning in the area.
Finally, the findings would be
useful to curriculum planners.
Curriculum planners who would wish to resolve the issue of the
availability and utilization E-learning technologies instructional materials
may have cause to know the true situation and properly restructure business
education programme curriculum to take care of inadequacies. Curriculum
planners would be more objective when the findings are taken to consideration.
Research Questions
The
following research question’s guided the study:
1.
To what extent are
interactive ICT available for teaching and learning of Business education programmes
in Tertiary Institutions?
2. To what extent are interactive ICT utilized in
teaching and learning of Business education programmes in Tertiary Institutions?
3. To
what extent are non interactive ICT available for teaching Business education programmes
in Tertiary Institutions?
4. To
what extent are non interactive ICT utilized in teaching and learning of Business
education programmes in Tertiary Institutions?