Ict Utilisation And Integration In The Classroom Education Essay

ICT Utilisation and Integration in Classroom Education: Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Lagos State, Nigeria

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Technology can be used to strengthen student learning and enhance pedagogy and can be used effectively as a cognitive tool for teaching and learning in the classroom (Bruce & Levin, 2001; Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 2000). The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has become a global priority, as it fosters 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and digital literacy. Teachers use technology for a variety of reasons, including record keeping, writing lesson plans, creating worksheets, and communicating with parents. However, despite the widespread use of technology in schools, it seems that teachers are more inclined to use technology to support their existing practices (such as providing practice drills or demonstrations). Previous studies have revealed how and why individuals adopt new information technologies (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis, 2003), but it is not yet fully understood what influences teachers to use technology in their classrooms; we need a better understanding of the beliefs that inform these decisions.

Previous studies have shown various attributes that can be associated with the utilisation and integration of ICT in the classroom. For instance, teachers’ attributes are variously grouped into personal characteristics, one of which is self-efficacy, perceptions, and ease of use (Albion, 2001; Enochs, Riggs, & Ellis, 1993; Kellenberger, 1996; Riggs & Enochs, 1993; Wang, Ertmer, & Newby, 2004a). These attributes are critical because they shape how teachers perceive their ability to integrate technology into their teaching practices. When a teacher perceives that he or she can effectively use technology in the process of teaching and learning, it will impact that teacher’s ability to use technology in the classroom. However, the factors that influence self-efficacy beliefs towards technology integration remain largely ambiguous, particularly when examining the possible influences of students’ attitudes towards technology. These beliefs are likely to be related to each other and interact dynamically in influencing teachers’ decisions about the use of technology in the classrooms.

Bandura (1997) describes perceived self-efficacy as “beliefs in one’s capabilities to organise and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments.” As this applies to the integration of technology into education, self-efficacy beliefs toward technology integration have been theorized to be a determining factor in how well a teacher is able to effectively use technology to improve teaching and learning. This suggests that teachers with higher self-efficacy are more likely to experiment with and adopt innovative teaching methods that incorporate ICT.

Given that teachers act as change agents for technology integration in schools, it is critical to understand the factors that facilitate and those that act as barriers to teachers’ use of technology in schools. Research has found that teachers’ beliefs about the use of technology are influenced by many factors, such as environment, funds, and availability of required technologies (Leggett & Persichitte, 1998). For example, in developing countries like Nigeria, infrastructural challenges such as unreliable electricity and limited internet access often hinder effective ICT integration. The factors can be classified as either arising from the external environments where the teachers work or the personal characteristics of the teachers (Chai & Khine, 2006). While both internal and external conditions affect technology use in classrooms, Ertmer (2005) argues that although environmental conditions in terms of technological infrastructures have improved, factors pertaining to teachers’ beliefs are yet to be resolved. In Nigeria, there are some cultural factors such as religion, belief, and age that can contribute to teachers’ inability to integrate technology in the classroom (Forster, 2008). In addition, an issue that arises from Nigeria is that only well-trained teachers have enough confidence to actually use ICT as a teaching mechanism in the classroom (Forster, 2008). Before the emergence of ICT, pre-service teachers were not exposed to modern channels of information, which would have developed in them self-guided learning materials, placing more focus on learning rather than teaching.

Insufficient access to computers is one of the main obstacles for ICT programmes. This is particularly relevant for educational institutions located in rural areas where the school or training institution is the only access point for computers. Swarts (2002) noted that government cooperation is necessary for ICT programmes to be sustainable. Its cooperation is needed to support the education curriculum system, which is vital for the survival of ICT utilization and classroom integration (Kozma, 2008). Without government intervention and policy support, the gap between urban and rural schools in terms of ICT access and utilization will continue to widen.

Purpose
This study will therefore look into teachers’ beliefs about technology usage in the classroom among secondary school teachers in Lagos State, the integration of technology into teaching, and its influence on students’ attitudes toward technology. By examining these factors, the study aims to provide actionable insights for policymakers and educators to enhance ICT integration in Nigerian schools.

Significance of Study
This study will be significant to the following individuals as stated below:

Teachers will be aware of the key concern driving policy and interest in the pedagogical integration of ICT and the premise that ICT is important for bringing changes to classroom teaching and learning so as to foster the development of students’ 21st-century skills.

It is important because it will help to build up teachers’ confidence in using technology in general, which would hence increase their intention and willingness to use technology in the future (Yuen & Ma, 2008).

It is also useful because it will help to develop a school environment that enables teachers to have more hands-on experience with new technologies (Allan, 2007; Fleming et al., 2007).

Students may acquire special skills, including the ability to become lifelong learners within a context of collaborative inquiry and the ability to work and learn from experts and peers in a connected global community (Law, Pelgrum & Plomp, 2008).

Researchers will benefit from this study as it contributes to the limited research in this area and adds clarity to the relationships among these beliefs. It will also help suggest ways of convincing teachers to use ICTs in their classrooms because they are indispensable in this technologically globalized era.

Research Questions
How do teachers’ beliefs relate to their instructional technology practices in the classroom?

How do environmental conditions affect ICT use in the classroom?

What obstructs teachers’ positive beliefs about ICT integration in the classroom?

Literature Review
A major gap has always existed between affluent people living in developed societies with access to modern information technology and underprivileged people living in impoverished and rural communities in developing and least developed countries. Even today, an unequal adoption of technology excludes many from harvesting the fruits of the digital economy (Giri, 2002). This digital divide is particularly evident in educational settings, where access to ICT tools and training is often limited.

To investigate the factors hindering teachers’ readiness and confidence in using ICTs, Tella, Tella, Toyobo, Adika, and Adeyinka (2007) examined Nigerian secondary school teachers’ uses of ICTs and implications for further development of ICT use in schools using a census of 700 teachers. They found that inadequate knowledge to evaluate the role of ICT in teaching and learning, lack of skills in the use of ICT equipment and software had resulted in a lack of confidence in utilizing ICT tools. This is consistent with Preston (2000), who concluded that a lack of technical support is the key inhibitor to the use of ICT in the classroom. As indicated by Bradley and Russell (1997), recurring faults and the expectation of faults occurring during teaching sessions have reduced teachers’ confidence and caused teachers to avoid using technology. In addition, obstacles such as access to equipment, time pressures, lack of mentors, and opportunities for apprenticeship of observation also have an impact on teachers’ ability to use ICT (Slaouti & Barton, 2007). Further, teachers’ workload and time management were found to be inhibiting the implementation of computer instruction in the classroom (Guha, 2000). While there is a great deal of studies about how ICT is being used in developed countries, there is not much information on how ICT is being integrated into schools in developing countries (Beukes-Amiss and Chiware, 2006).

Investments in ICT for educational innovations and improvements have been continuing, but the need for teachers who will employ it in the classroom as a staple part of the curriculum is disregarded (Niederhauser and Stoddart, 2001; Vacc and Bright, 1999). ICT does not have an educational value in itself, but it becomes precious when teachers use it in the learning and teaching process effectively. As Shakeshaft (1999, p. 4) notes, “just because ICT is present does not mean that students are using it.” The impact of ICT is strongest when used in a particular content area and further supported by use across the curriculum (Ward and Parr, 2010). Since teachers are the key figures to utilize ICT in educational settings productively and to help integrate ICT into the curriculum, there is every need for them to develop and have a positive attitude towards its utilization and efficacy in the classrooms.

Research Design
The design adopted in this study is a descriptive survey method. This will allow the researchers to have a complete description of the impact of teachers’ beliefs on the utilization and integration of ICTs in the classrooms.

Recommendations
The findings showed that most teachers perceived ICT as very useful and as making teaching and learning easier but still do not believe in utilizing and integrating them during teaching and learning, especially in the Nigerian situation where there is no steady power supply, high cost of equipment, unavailability of ICTs in most schools, and lack of expertise, particularly in public schools. It was recommended that professional development policies should support ICT-related teaching models, in particular those that encourage both students and teachers to play an active role in teaching activities. Additionally, emphasis should be placed on the pedagogy underlying the use of ICTs for teaching and learning.

References
Ertmer, P. A. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration? Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 25-39.

Hennessy, S., Harrison, D., & Wamakote, L. (2010). Teacher factors influencing classroom use of ICT in sub-Saharan Africa. Itupale Online Journal of African Studies, 2(1), 39-54.