Effect Of Internet Use On Learning By Secondary School Students In Lagos State Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The internet is a tool that has changed the way communication is done. Secondary school students have the opportunity to use the Internet to improve their learning as information about the subjects offered in class can be downloaded and studied by the students. Observations revealed that a significant percentage of secondary school students who have access to the Internet utilize this tool in ways that will impact their learning negatively. The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of Internet use on learning by secondary school students. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study and the study population consisted of 874 secondary school students of Eva Adelaja Senior Girls Secondary School and St. Finbarrs College both in Lagos State Nigeria. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select the sample size of 175 and the questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Data was analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics consisting of tables of frequency and percentage counts. Results showed that majority of the students (61.7%) indicated that the Internet was not available for their use for learning and 88% also expressed that they accessed the Internet through the cyber café. The tools used on the Internet by majority of the respondents were email services, blogs and social media services like blackberry messenger and Whatsapp. Findings also revealed that most of the secondary school students agreed that the Internet had influence on their learning as they spent more time on the Internet and they did not read as before. Challenges militating against the use of the Internet as indicated by most of the secondary school students were slow Internet network, distractions from the social media and lack of personal smart device. Secondary school students should learn how to set boundaries on when it comes to the use of the Internet, they should give maximum attention to studying which has the potential of improving their learning and academic performance The study recommended that Parents, school administrators and teachers should regularly advise and guide the secondary school students to use Internet tools. Teachers and parents should make sure that learning of secondary school students is not affected negatively because of the use of the Internet by giving them enough take home assignments and parents should ensure they complete them.

Keywords: Internet, secondary school students, learning, Nigeria

Word Count: 382

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

       Background to the study

All over the world, secondary school education has been regarded as the most important as well as the most patronized by people. This perhaps may be due to the fact that it is the foundation of the whole educational pursuit, which is expected to provide literacy and enlightenment to the citizens. The role of secondary school education can therefore be seen in the sense that all beneficiaries of the other levels of education by necessity have to pass through his level.

The Nigerian Educational System has experienced series of reforms tailored towards achieving national and global developmental goals. The National Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004) stipulated the aims/goals of education as building: a united, strong and self-reliant nation; a great and dynamic economy; a just and egalitarian society; a land of bright and full opportunities for all citizens, and; a free and democratic society. These goals, along with the United Nation’s Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), have been top on the Nation’s Education agenda, informing various administrations’ reforms and strategies in education. The Federal Ministry of Education has the overall responsibility of formulating policy and guidelines for standards in Nigerian education.

Federal, State and Local Governments, and other stakeholders work together to give direction to the sector (education is on the concurrent legislative list). Structurally, the education system in Nigeria consists of six years primary education, three years junior secondary, three years senior secondary and four years secondary school education (6-3-3-4 system). The six year primary and three years junior secondary education make up the current Universal Basic Education (UBE). The UBE programme was introduced in 1999 and passed into law in 2004 by the Federal Government to ensure unfettered access to quality and functional education. It is characterized by 9 years of continuous education with certificate examination coming only at the end of the JSS3

Fabunmi (2005) stated that recognizing the importance of secondary school education, all governments in Nigeria (past and present) have placed premium on it by making secondary education the center piece of their educational policies. Since the colonial period therefore, both colonial and independent governments in Nigeria have instituted one form of educational reform or the other. This indicates that there is a link between the past and present in the educational development of Nigeria. That is the country’s historical antecedents have impact on how educational policies are formulated and implemented. Starting with the colonial period, Nigeria, having been colonized by Britain adopted the British form of education, which consists of primary, secondary, sixth form as well as higher education.

Akudolu (2008) stated that learning in Information Age requires new secondary school role. Secondary schools cannot depend only on the traditional tools such as chalk, textbooks, overhead video projectors and other types of traditional instructional materials to teach students the skills required for survival in the Information Age. They have to use technologies of the day such as computers, interactive video, CD-ROM, Satellite communications and develop new secondary school roles. The development and use of these Information and Communications Technology (ICT) devices and ideas to promote human learning is the hall-mark of an ICT-driven curriculum. Effective implementation of this type of curriculum requires new secondary school roles regarding the and how of instruction.

The era when secondary schools were traditionally considered as “directors, lecturers and disseminators of information is over. The new roles of secondary schools include managers and leaders of instruction. He also opines that secondary schools should assume the roles of seekers, long-range planners, collaborators, researchers and mentors/mentees. However a secondary school cannot assume these roles unless he/she is at home with ICT.

The ICT has had tremendous impact on the school social system. It has engendered more constructivist approaches to teaching, improved overall student motivation to learn, to stay and behave better in school, and it has radically improved secondary schools’ professional development through constant update of their knowledge on the latest technologies, and the latest use of computers in content areas. Also, ICTs have been useful as tools in ensuring a safe school environment as improved communication is facilitated among parents, secondary schools, students, and administrators.

ICT provides students with varieties of opportunities as contained in the research review of Davies and Tearle (1999); Lopez (2003). First, ICT offers a constructivist approach to learning through the provision of interactive learning experiences. When interactivity is prominent in learning, it increases students’ performance. ICT also increases interactivity with instructional programmes. Second, learning through ICT is more effective as it provides opportunities for using multiple technologies (video, computer, telecommunication etc), thereby providing visualization aids in the internalization and understanding of difficult concepts and processes. This gives opportunities for providing links between theory and practice.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) is a term which is currently used to denote a wide range of services, applications, and Technologies, using various type of equipment and software, often running over telecom networks (Heathcote 2000). ICTs include well known telecom service such as telephone and fax. Telecom service used together with computer hardware and software from the basis of a range of other service, including email, the transfer of files from one computer to another, and in particular, the Internet, which potentially allows all computers to be connected, thereby giving access to source of knowledge and information stored on computers worldwide (Heathcote 2000). Its Application includes videoconferencing conferencing, teleworking, distance learning, management information system, stock taking; technologies can be said to include a broad array ranging from ‘old’ technologies such as radio and TV to ‘new’ ones such as cellular mobile.

The Internet is a global network of computers linked together over large distances. It was created by the American Military as a means of communication and has been in existence since the 1950’s. Up until the mid to late eighties the Internet was mainly used for educational purpose. This was due to high costs. The rapid development of technology has seen improvement in communication links and a lowering of costs. The implication of this is that the Internet is now more widely available to more people.

Since the Internet is now available to a wide sector of the population in the western world many educational establishments have seized on its educational potential. The Internet is a valuable source of information for students looking for ideas for assignments etc. It also serves as a useful tool for secondary schools in helping to prepare lesson plans as there are a number of sites, especially in America, dedicated to providing educational material. For example, between 2000 and 2010, the rate of the growth of Internet accessibility use was 444.8% (Internet World Stats, 2010b). Likewise in Nigeria, 46.3% of the students of this century were Internet users in 2010. There are many benefits associated with Internet accessibility device, such as access to needed information, worldwide access to news and events, and interpersonal communication through email. However, along with the phenomenal growth of the Internet usage, there has been a growing concern worldwide regarding the risks associated with Internet over-use. It is now believed that there could be widespread addiction to it, in particular amongst secondary school students. (Buchholz 2009).

      Statement of the problem

The internet is tool that has changed the way communication is done. It provides the link to access information wherever it is stored all over the world. The educational sector has benefited immensely from the Internet. Secondary school students have the opportunity to use the Internet to improve their learning as information about the subjects offered in class can be downloaded and studied by the students. The Internet makes it possible for students to learn new things and thereby increase their vicarious experience. Educational videos are also available for free and students can share experiences through email and social media platform on the Internet.

However, despite the perceived usefulness of the Internet in learning of secondary school students, it is as if secondary school students are not using it to the full. Observations revealed that a significant percentage of secondary school students who have access to the Internet utilize this tool in ways that will impact their learning negatively. They browse for sports and entertainment stories and chat their time away on the social media. How empirical is this observation? Can it be said that secondary school students also have challenges in utilizing the internet for learning? This study titled Effect of Internet use on learning by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria becomes imperative.

      Objectives of the study

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of Internet use on learning by secondary school students, the specific objectives are to:

find out the availability of Internet use for learning by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria;

determine the access points of Internet use for learning by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria;

ascertain the tools used on the Internet by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria to enhance learning;

find out the influence of Internet use on learning of secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria; and

identify the challenges militating against the use of the Internet for learning by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria.

     Research questions

The research questions derived from the specific objectives are:

How available is the Internet for secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria to use for learning?

What are the access points of Internet use for learning by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria?

What are the tools used on the Internet by secondary school students to enhance learning?

What is the influence of the use of the Internet on learning of secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria?

What are the challenges militating against the use of the Internet for learning by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria?

     Scope of the study

This study will examine the effect of Internet use on learning of secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria. How the social media, email, and different websites are used for learning will be considered in students in selected schools in Shomolu Lagos.

      Significance of the study

The findings of this study will benefit the secondary school students as they would have the opportunity to indicate how their use of the Internet has affected their learning. The information provided by them will assist parents, secondary school managements and other concerned individuals and organizations to develop ways to help them focus on their study and use the Internet moderately.

The results of this study will also assist parents to take decisive actions in monitoring the use of the Internet by their children. This is very important as it would assist their wards to spend more time studying using the internet or reading their textbooks. Parents will have the opportunity to guide their wards in the proper use of the Internet.

The results of this study will also assist secondary schools management as well as the teachers in emphasizing the use of the Internet for educational activities that can improve the learning of students. Teachers can incorporate Internet learning methods in computer studies so as to help the students identify various information resources on the Internet that can improve the learning and the techniques of accessing these information resources. This will assist the students to utilize the Internet to improve their learning.

    Operational definition of terms

Internet: refers to the global interconnection of computer networks that facilitates information sharing and communication.

Learning: refers to activities geared towards the acquisition of knowledge by secondary school students in Lagos State Nigeria.

Secondary School: refers to the educational institutions, like the selected schools in Lagos State that provide basic knowledge to students in preparation for higher education.

Secondary School Students: refer to students of the selected secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria that are involved in learning activities.

Pages:  70

Category: Project

Format:  Word & PDF               

Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo                                     

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.