learning - Academic Conferences Limited

Babatunde Alabi Alege and Stephen Olufemi Afolabi
The present crop of teachers would benefit from the study as it would serve as eye opener for
them on the need to teach using information technology and also help them gain appreciable
insight into the power of these technologies worldwide.
The study hopes to be of benefit to curriculum developers and those charged with responsibility of
implementing various educational policies in Nigeria.
The authors may also benefit from the study as it may have shed light on some aspects that
needed to be reviewed.
The study would have implications for the improvement of the quality of education in Nigeria as a
nation.
3. Research questions
The following questions shall guide the study:
What are the attitudes of teachers toward the use of Computer/Internet as teaching tools in
Southwest Nigeria?
What are the competency levels of teachers on the use of Computer/Internet as teaching tools in
Southwest Nigeria?
To what extent do teachers in Southwest Nigeria use Computer/Internet in the instructional
process?
What are the barriers to ICT integration in teaching-learning process in Southwest Nigeria?
3.1 Current Situation
The presence and potentials of information and communication technologies in almost every human
activity is overwhelming. Globalization and advances in ICT have brought about phenomenal
improvements and great opportunities for developing countries to participate meaningfully in the
global digital economy (Nigeria Vision 2020, 2009). The use of ICT promotes development and
improves services in any organisation. It brings changes in today's business environment. In
academic environment, it speeds up information delivery, facilitates teaching, learning and research.
In spite of the above observation about the potentials, and benefits of using ICT, the level of
awareness and use in Nigeria appears to be very minimal. (Haliso, 2011). The literature dealing with
technology and pedagogy attests to the powerful impact ICT can have on the teaching and learning
process (John, 2010). Research indicates that level of collaboration and communication are
enhanced by the use of computers for knowledge building and thinking skills (Howe et al., 1997;
McFarlane, 1997).
Nigeria started implementing its ICT policy in April 2001 with the establishment of National Information
Technology Development Agency (NITDA) with a vision ‘to make Nigeria IT capable country in Africa
and a key player in the information, using IT as the engine for sustainable development, and global
competitiveness (Federal Ministry of Science & Technology, 2001). The strategic Action Plan provides
for a period of 5 years for the key sectors- health, education infrastructure, human resource
development, agriculture, legal/regulations, private sector/industry, media/community- as part of an
integrated approach to achieving national development within the context of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), the Federal Government 7-point Agenda, the National Economic
Empowerment Development Programme (NEEDS) and a host of other socio-economic development
programmes and initiatives. According to Adeosun, (2010) the mission statement of NITDA
recognized the need to use IT for education (p.iii). In addition, the general objectives (3 out of 31)
focused on integrating ICT into the mainstream education and training, with a strategy to “restructure
educational systems at all levels to respond effectively to the challenges and imagined impact of the
information. Yusuf (2005) noted that although the mission, general objectives and strategies
recognized the importance of ICT in education, the document has no sectored application to
education and issues relating to education are subsumed under human resources development. ).
Adeosun (2010) also pointed out that Nigeria has no particularly articulated policy for ICT in education
in spite of her strong commitment to the promotion of ICT in her educational and economic goals. The
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) developed some standards for
computer uses in schools, including students- computer ratio, in which schools are required to
10