CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the several educational technologies which came up after the industrial revolution. According to Jimba (1998) “At the end of the 2oth century, a new revolution has just began to shape the context of human civilization, it is called the result of the convergence between Information and Communication Technology. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are of various dimensions, ranging from the traditional black board and instrumental media to computer technology. The latter computer technology is what has broadened up the scope of ICT. Any discussion about the use of computer system in the schools is built upon understanding of the link between schools, learning and computer technology.
Information and communication technology has got input on the teachers and pedagogy, teachers are key component in the learning environment and therefore the impact of ICT on the teachers and the strategies they employ to facilitate the learning environment are critical. They sometimes appears to be an assumption that using ICT to support teaching and learning requires change for all the teachers, whereas clearly same teachers (including textbook writes) have been creating learning environment for years without ICT. However, these teachers tend to use ICT, because they readily perceive that in doing so they will provide even better learning environment better (1999).
Information and communication technology (ICT) is the knowledge and understanding of computer combined with the ability to use them effectively. It is seem as a system of data collection. It is the ability of telling the computer to do what you want it to do. On a least specialized level, information and communication technology (ICT) involves knowing how to turn on computer, start and stop simple application programmes, save and print information.
Information and communication technology is not limited to the acquisition of knowledge alone; it also presupposes personnel’s, practical hands on experience. It is generally used as a system in accomplishing task, such as electronic communications under the control of a set of instructions called programme. Professionally it can be conceived as a tool, throughout the world, many countries have introduced information and communication technology (ICT) into their educational system via, different courses of action, their uses is also underlined as a necessity for improving the quality in the teaching and learning process.
The use of ICT in the teaching and learning process is a relevant and functional way of providing education to the learners in order to assist them to imbibe the required capacity for the world of work, very few jobs today do not require the use of skill in technology, collaboration and team work all of which can be required through teaching with ICT. This ICT is fundamentally changing the way we live, learn and work.
Aladej Sana (2009): observes, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has transformed the means by which we inform ourselves, remain up to date with world events and areas of personal interest and for further learning, for many books and journals are no longer the first or primary source of information for learning we now regularly rely on images, video, animation and sound to acquire information and to learn, increased and improved access to the internet has accelerated this phenomenon.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) usage is an important indication of the teacher’s preparedness to carry out the obligation of daily lessons. In fact Woodrow (1992) assents that any successful transformation in education practices required the development of positive user attitude toward new technology.
The development of teacher’s positive attitude toward ICT is a very significant factor not only for increasing integration but also for avoiding teacher’s resistance to ICT usage Wasson (1998). The use of Information and Communication Technology can help revitalize teachers and students perception, this can help to improve and develop the quality of education by providing curricular support in different and difficult subject areas. To achieve objective, teachers need to be involved in a collaborative projects and development of intervention strategies, which would include teaching partnerships with ICT as a tool. Teachers attitude are major prediction of the use of new technology instructional settings. Teacher’s attitude toward ICT shapes not only their own ICT experience, but shape also the experience of the students they teach. According to Zhao and Ziko (2001),