Teacher’s Challenges In The Utilization Of Ict In Teaching And Learning Of Accounting In Secondary Schools In Owerri Municipal Council Of Imo State

ABSTRACT

This study was set to investigate teachers’ challenges in the utilization of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning of accounting among senior secondary school students in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. Descriptive survey research design was employed for this study. The population consists of 728 teachers from the seven (7) Public schools in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. A sample of 182 senior secondary school government teachers in 7 senior secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council was selected. Rating scale was used as the research instrument and was rated as Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD). Cluster tables and mean scores were used to present and analyze the data. The results of finance; lack of maintenance culture; and lack of infrastructural resources constituted the teachers’ challenges in the utilization of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others to that teachers should make it as part of their duties to always attend conferences workshops, and seminars on Information and Communication Technology as this will boost their horizon on its utilization during class instruction. It was also recommended that government should consider investing hugely in education sector as making these wherewithal available will enable schools to acquire Information and Communication Technology equipments as well as a proper maintenance culture.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This chapter is organized under the following sub-headings: background to the study, statement of the problem, scope of study, purpose of study, significance of study and research questions.

Background to the Study 

Education is an instrument par excellence and the means of developing human intellect, technological skills, character and effective citizenship for self – reliance and national development. Education has been defined by various authors such as Ajayi and Ayodele (2003), Anugom and Obioha (2010), and Asiabaka (2010) in different perspectives. According to Ajayi and Ayodele (2003), education over the years has been the desire of man to acquire knowledge. The attraction which education enjoys stems from the fact that it equips ok one for life. It is through education that an individual masters his environment and acquired the necessary equipment for living a worthwhile life (Ajayi and Ayodele, 2003).

The society therefore promotes its members through education which is seen as instrument for societal transformation (Anugom and Obioha, 2010). Asiabaka (2010) also sees education as the key to national development; it provides the intellectual capability needed by man to harness the human and material resources for scientific and technological advancement. According to federal government of Nigeria (2004) “Secondary education is the education children receive after primary education and before the tertiary level. The broad goal(s) of secondary education shall be to prepare the individual for useful living within the society and higher education”. It was stated that Secondary education shall be of six years duration, given in two stages: a junior secondary School stage and a senior secondary School stage; each shall be of three years duration. Thus, one of the subjects offered in the secondary schools is accounting.

Accounting has been referred to as the language of business. It is an aid to trade and one of the foundations on which the whole structure of business rests. Accounting is a process of identifying, recording and interpreting economic events and can be said to be the determination, analysis, interpretation and communication of economic data. Onye (2014) asserts that accounting is the study of Science of cash flow, in relation to purchases, payment, incomes and expenditures. It has to do with every transaction of individuals and organizations that involves exchange or transfer of finances (FRN, 2013). Accounting has the sole functions of developing in individuals, skills, knowledge, attitudes and values towards solving problems and towards satisfaction of real needs in life. To this end, in order to achieve the goals of teaching senior secondary School accounting, the teacher must put into consideration the necessary aids which information and communication technology of one of them.

Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT. This was in line with the assertion of Akude (2005) that information and communication technology usually abbreviated as ICT is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of communications like telephone lines and wireless signals; computers middle wave as well as software, storage audio – visual systems which enable users to create, access, store, transmit and manipulate information. Accounting to Ezekoka ( 2009: 140), ICT can be defined as the combination of network, hardware, and software as well as the means of communication, collaboration and engagement that enable the processing, management and exchange of data, information and knowledge. She opines that it is a means of accessing or receiving, storing, transferring, processing and sending ideas, perception or information through computers and other telecommunication facilities.

The importance of the utilization of Information and Communication Technology in Teaching and learning senior secondary School accounts cannot be overemphasized as it not only makes it easier for the teacher to teach the subject but also enables the students to fully comprehend the subject as they are exposed to motion and pictures through the use of ICT facilities as well as make teaching of the subject real to them. Therefore, the teacher in order to utilize these ICT facilities in teaching the subject must make some necessary preparations to ensure its effective and efficient usage. These preparations include ensuring that they are knowledgeable about the use of ICT and that the facilities are made available and adequate and are kept in conducive environment. It is therefore based on this background that the researcher deemed it necessary to investigate on teachers’ challenges in the utilization of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning of accounting among senior secondary School students in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State.

Statement of Problem

The importance of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning of senior secondary School accounts cannot be overemphasized. Yet some secondary Schools in Imo State do not have these Information and Communication Facilities present and this has made it’s teaching and learning to still remain in it’s conventional method and this impinge greatly on students’ ability to grasp the basic concepts in government. A visit to some senior secondary Schools in Owerri Municipal Council revealed that there are presence of these information and communication technology facilities in these Schools but are not been utilized, while in other schools, there are no Information and Communication Technology facilities present. However, one begins to wonder why those schools with ICT facilities do not make use of it and why it is not present in order schools. It is like some factors pose as challenges to the non – utilization and non – availability of these ICT facilities. It is therefore borne out of there worrisome situations that the researcher is motivated to find out the teachers’ challenges in utilizing ICT facilities in teaching and learning of accounting among senior secondary School students in Owerri Municipal council.

Scope of Study

This study covers all the secondary schools in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State. It is delimited in identifying how teachers’ lack of knowledge in ICT, lack of finance, lack of maintenance culture, and lack of electricity has challenged the utilization of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools.

Purpose of Study

The general purpose of this study is on teachers’ challenges in the utilization of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning of accounting among senior secondary school students. Specifically, the study sought to:

1. ascertain how teacher’s lack of knowledge in ICT has challenged it’s utilization in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools.
2. examine how lack of finance has affected the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools.
3. find out how lack of maintenance culture has challenged the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools.
4. identify how lack of infrastructural resources have challenged the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools.

Significance of Study

It is expected that the findings of the study well be of immense benefits to the government, school management, teachers, students and subsequent researchers in the following ways:

The government will understand the necessities of investing more in the educational sector as the procurement of educational media such as Information and Communication Technology facilities needs adequate fund to its acquisition in the schools.

The school management will also benefit from the study as they will be exposed to the importance of proper maintenance of the school’s educational facilities for both present and future use.

It is hoped that the teachers will always see the necessities of attending seminars and conference where they can get acquainted to the present trend in teaching as well as understand the importance of been knowledgeable about the use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching.

The students will also be exposed to the various steps of utilizing Information and Communication Technology facilities in learning as it will provide them with apt understanding of various concepts in their subjects.

It is also hoped that the findings of this study will add to existing knowledge as well as serve as reference material to subsequent researchers who intend to carry out a similar research of this nature in future.

Research Questions

The following research questions are raised to serve as guide to the study:

1. How has teachers’ lack of knowledge in ICT challenged its utilization in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools?
2. How has lack of finance affected the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools?
3. How has lack of maintenance culture challenged the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools?
4. How has lack of infrastructural resources challenged the utilization of ICT in teaching and learning of accounting in senior secondary schools?
   

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   Pages:  77

   Category: Project

   Format:  Word & PDF         

   Chapters: 1-5                                 

   Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.