CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Computer science education, information and
communication technology (ICT) are at present becoming one of the most
important elements defining the basic competences of students. Information
technology integrates medial, informative and computer science education, but
also all the educational subjects mentioned in the curriculum basis of general
education. In science and biology education there increasingly appear concepts
of integrated teaching showing the student the world in a holistic manner. The
principle of universal activity of students in cognitive, emotional and
motivations well as in practical sphere is preferred. More and more often
attention is paid to the fact that the contemporary problem is not so much lack
of information as its surplus, and the crowd of information as well as its
unnecessary excess of details may be an effective tool of disinformation. Hence
forming students such skills as selection, evaluation and organizing of
information (forming its structure) seems justified, so that they can serve
drawing conclusions (Wikipedia, 2012).
Ability to work with information and communication
technologies (ICT) is recognized as one of the key competencies necessary for
success in life and competition in the labour market (Levy and Murmane, 2001;
Salganic. 2001: Eurydice, 2002) which every citizen should posses
(Recommendation of the European parliament and of the council, 2006), and term
‘computer literacy’ was introduced to distinguish between users and non users
of ICT (Bawden, 2001). Concerning ICT, two important roles are assigned to
schools. The first is to fulfill the expectation of society for demanding ICT
skills, and the second is to raise the quality of education in the schools with
the support the ICT. Many scholars, teachers and teacher-trainers have recognized
the potential of ICT to enhance teaching and learning and as a side effect the
number of published articles about the use of ICT in school work is enormous
(Bell and Bell, 2003). However, despite significant investment in training and
resources, in reality school are still far below the level of ICT use in
science, transport, communication industry, and many other fields (Hawkins
2002; Hepp, Hinostroza, Lawal and Rehbein, 2004; Machin, McNally and Silva,
2007; Eteokleous, 2008).
Usage of ICT in schools is so diverse that it is
almost impossible to list all possible applications. Taylor (1980, 2003)
recognized three roles of computers in a classroom as tutor, tool and tutee.
Introduction of ICT in biology lessons can raise not only level of knowledge
but students attitudes towards biology as well (Haunsel and Hill, 1989;
Kubiatko and Halakovia, 2009). As biology (Science) teachers we additionally have
to distinguish between two groups of applications. In the first group are
generic application used in all subjects like word-processing, searching for
information, communication using emails and multimedia presentations. In this
case if a science teacher does not use ICT in a classroom damage to the students
is limited because they can achieve missing skills with their work in other
subjects, or at home (Kuhlemier and Hemker, 2007). In the second group are
applications adapted or developed to be used in science teaching (MCFarlane and
Sakellariou, 2002) like imaging systems in microscopy (McLeans 2000; Fidhe,
Bonvin and Bosman, 2006), virtual dissections (O’Byme, Patry, and Cannegie,
2008), simulations (RamasundaramGrunwald, MangentCameford and Bliss, 2005)
virtual laboratory (Jenkins, 2004) and real laboratory exercises with data
acquisition system ( Sorgo, Hajdinjak and Briski, 2008). The most important
difference among these two groups of applications is that if a science teacher
does not use such application in teaching students in most cases they would not
be able to compensate loss with work in other subjects or at home.
The introduction of computers into the teaching and
learning in Nigerian secondary schools has followed two general tracks. The first one was the introduction of the
compulsory subjects, computer science and or informatics, into the
curriculum. The second one involved the
use of computers in a rainbow of different of different subjects. The
introduction of computer into student work in other subjects is encouraged by
the authorities, but the final decision about their use in teaching is left to
the discretion of the teachers. The
difference between these two paths is that teachers from the first group are
trained professionals in computer science and informatics while teachers from
the second group are more less enlightened ‘computer amateurs’. Occasionally cooperation between a teacher of
informatics and a teacher from some other subject occurs and enhance student
work (Sorgo and Logar, 2006).
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The ubiquity, availability
and exponential growth of digital information and communication technology (
ICT) create unique opportunities for learning and teaching in the senior secondary school biology curriculum
(Wilhelmina S. VanRooy, 2012) Digital technologies make it possible for
emerging disciplinary knowledge and understanding of biological processes
previously too small, large, slow or fast to be taught indeed, much of
bioscience can now be effectively taught via digital technology, since its
representational and symbolic forms are in digital formats (Levy and Murmane,
2011).
Ever since ancient
times people have devised various techniques for communicating their thoughts,
needs and desires to other. In early
civilized time, people tend to congratulate in geographically localized
clusters in which communication were adequately achieved through speech and
written messages. As civilization spread
over larger geographical areas, a variety of long-distance communication,
methods were tried such as smoke signals, carries pigeons etc, one of the
earliest know optical links, was the use of five signals by Greeks in the eight
certain events ( Nigerian communication
and Resource Development, 2005).
However, because of
environmental and technology limitations it generally turned out to be faster
and more efficient to send letter message by courier over the road network. The
discovery of telegraph by Samuel; F.B Morse, 2003 ushers in a new development
in communication (Shedd, 2004).
1.2
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It was observed that most schools rarely use ICT in teaching biology
which affects the students’ academic performance in both external and internal
examinations which could be as a result of many factors that would be revealed
in this research.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
main purpose of this study is to investigate the extent of the effect of
information and communication technology on teaching of biology and to find out
whether students that were taught with ICT aided materials such as computer system,
internet facilities projectiles, video player e.t.c perform better that those
taught with textbook only.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.
Does
teacher’s qualification has any effect on students’ performance in Biology?
2.
What
is the attitude of student towards the use of ICT in teaching Biology?
3.
Does
teachers’ qualification affect his/her competency?
4.
What
is the attitude of teachers toward using ICT in teaching of Biology?
5.
Are
there enough equipments in the ICT laboratory for effective teaching?
6.
Has the government made any effort to supply enough equipment
to the School ICT laboratory?
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study can be used
to:
i.
Maximize the positive utilization of ICT
in teaching of biology in Senior Government Secondary School in Owutu, Ikorodu.
ii.
Disclose various strategies that can be
employed by biology teachers in teaching biology in Senior Government Secondary
School in Owutu, Ikorodu.
iii.
Determine the most appropriate material
(ICT aided material) in teaching biology in Senior Government Secondary School
in Owutu, Ikorodu.
1.5
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study dealt with
an investigation into the role of ICT on teaching of biology in senior
secondary school where Senior Government Secondary School in Owutu, Ikorodu randomly
selected for the study, while the populations consisted of students from each
school and divided into two where the first set of pupils from each school were
taught with ICT aided materials the
other set were taught without ICT aided materials. Each set of students consist
of 20 students were proposed for the research work.
1.6 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
In the cause of this
research several factors were responsible in limiting my research work to the
aforementioned ranges:
i.
Lack of ICT infrastructures.
ii.
Inadequate power supply.
iii.
Limited timeframe for exploration.
iv.
Insufficient finance and support for
information gathering.
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
·
ICT:
This simply means Information and Communication Technology
·
ICTMATERIALS:
These are technology invented tools used for teaching and learning of
mathematics during the teaching-leaning process, e.g the digital calculator.
·
TEACHING:
This refers to the transformation of teachers acquired knowledge or skills to
the students or learners.
·
LEARNING: This is the learners ability to effect a
change in behavior as a result of external stimulus (learning)
·
AIDS:
These are materials used in facilitating teaching-learning process.
·
STIMULUS:
Anything that rouses the mind of the learner e.g teaching