ABSTRACT
The
purpose of this study was to assess the utilization of information and
communication technology (ICT) by secondary school administrators in Nsukka
education zone of Enugu state. This study employed the use of a survey design.
Five research questions and five null hypotheses were generated to guide the
study. The population of the study comprised 1,614 respondents (59 principals
and 1,555 teachers). Proportionate multistage sampling technique was used to
select 29 principals and 311 teachers, bringing the total to 340 respondents. A
researcher developed questionnaire titled, Information and Communication
Utilization Questionnaire (ICTUQ) was used as the instrument for data
collection. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research
questions, while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of
probability. The result of the study, among others, showed that the extent of
utilization of ICT by secondary school administrators in Nsukka education zone
of Enugu state is low It was also found that the challenges to the utilization
of ICT by secondary school administrators include, provision of computers,
epileptic power supply, government ICT policies and programmes, training of
administrators, inadequate funds, provision of incentives, willingness of
administrators, poor facility maintenance and reluctance to change. It was also
noted that the gender, age, experience, and status of the administrator does
not significantly influence utilization of ICT. The study recommended that ICT
facilities provided should be properly maintained in secondary schools in
Nsukka Education zone, that administrators should be trained and well motivated
to utilize the facilities and that adequate funds and power supply be made
available to ensure sustainable and effective utilization of the ICT facilities.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Information and communication technology (ICT) is an umbrella term that
includes the manipulation or application of any communication device
encompassing radio, television, telephones, fax machines, cellular phones,
computers, computer accessories, computers network, hardware and software,
satellite systems as well as the various services and applications associated
with them, such as video-conferencing and distance learning. It is a system of
computer and telecommunication technologies that are used in the acquisition,
analysis and transmission of information to ensure effective and efficient
administration of organizations. The United Nations Education, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2002) defined ICT as the range of technologies
that are applied to the process of collecting, storing, editing, retrieving and
transfer of information in various forms.
Operationally, information and communication technology is the
combination of networks, hardware and software, as well as means of
communication, collaboration and engagement that enable the processing,
management, and exchange of data, information and knowledge between individuals
and institutions for effective and efficient management. Indeed, people in
organizations can only do their work effectively if they receive accurate and
timely information (Maki, 2008). This is so because organizations and schools
depend on information systems to support the flow of data, information and
knowledge.
In order to achieve effective data collection, data entry and data flow
for making internal processes more powerful, it is necessary to utilize ICT in
school administration. Adeyemi
and Olaleye (2010) stated that ICT is necessary in the areas of budgeting,
collection and keeping of students’ data, collection of staff data, recording
of results and effective keeping of school records. Nwosu (2003) noted that ICT
assists the school administrator to meet the tasks of school management in the
areas of curriculum and instruction, school-community relationship and school
business operations. Mohammed (2006) observed that the introduction of ICT in
schools enhance the daily routine, programmes, updating the evaluation of
school programmes and solving individual, group and staff development
challenges. This study will explore the utilization of ICT in secondary school
administration in Nsukka Education Zone.
The use of ICT in the school administration is fast becoming an
indispensible tool for teachers and administrators. The Economic Commission for
Africa (ECA) observed that the ability to access and use information is no
longer a luxury, but a necessity for development (Adomi and Kpangban, 2010).
This assertion has implications on our school system, as it implies that the
effective use of ICT is currently a prerequisite not only for sustainable
development but also for effective and efficient school administration
The current developments in Nigeria have made it even more pertinent for
the use of ICT in secondary school administration. This include the Joint
Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) plan to introduce computer-based tests
in the 2013 University Matriculation Examinations (Ezeike, 2012) and various
public and private establishments that currently conduct ICT-based job
advertisements, applications and assessments for secondary school leavers. As a
result, students from poor ICT based schools may find themselves unable to gain
admission into universities, access job advertisements, apply for jobs and
examinations, and pass examinations due to lack of proper exposure to ICT
utilization. Eventually this can result to students’ dropout from such schools
in their search for more result-oriented schools. In the face of these
realities, secondary
schools that do not embrace the innovations inherent in the utilization of ICT
may not survive, because ICT is considered to be part of an extensive
modernization of administration and education.
Despite the importance of ICT in school administration, some experts are
still worried about the situation in Nigerian schools. Etudor-Eyo, Ante and Emah
(2011), indicated that administration of secondary schools in Nigeria is
largely dominated by the use of manual or analogue operational methods, as
secretaries and typists still working with outdated typewriters are common
sights in most, if not all, of the principals’ offices. This study will
investigate the use of digital technologies in the secondary schools under
study in other to throw more light on the above assertion of Etudor–Eyo, Ante
and Emah already cited.
Administration constitutes the most important human activity in all
organizations and has been viewed as an art as well as a science. Those who
view administration as an art believe that administration, like all art,
belongs to those who have the natural gifts, traits or abilities for it; while
those who view it as a science believe that the application of principles and
rules play crucial roles in solving administrative and organizational problems.
Administration is consequently the art and science of getting things done
effectively and efficiently. Sergiovani and Starrat (1980) define it as the
process of working with and through others to efficiently accomplish
organizational goals. Ogbonna (1995) sees it as the totality of the process
which entails the utilization of human, financial and material resources in
maximizing the realization of goals.
Effective and efficient administration is needed to sustain educational
institutions. Educational administration is the art and science of making use
of both human and material resources within and outside the school for the
realization of the school’s objectives. It involves the planning and
organization of activities and resources aimed at fulfilling
the goals of an educational institution. Ezeocha (1990) sees educational administration
as a way of coordinating and controlling the scarce resources of an educational
institution, namely, manpower, finance and capital equipment so as to achieve
desired educational objectives. In this study administration implies the
various activities of the school principals requiring the use of ICT, such as
the management of instruction, school-community relations management, school
plant management, and financial management, as well as student management and
staff personnel management.
Secondary school administration can thus be defined as the coordination
and control of the scarce manpower, finance and material resources of secondary
schools towards the attainment of the objectives of the schools. In specific
terms, Arikewuyo (1999) viewed the functions of the secondary school
administrators in terms of the provision of leadership for curriculum
development; provision of leadership for instructional improvement; creation of
environment conducive for the realization of human potentials; influencing the
behavior of staff members; and supervision of instructional activities in the
school system. A secondary school administrator is consequently the person who
plans, organizes, coordinates and controls the resources of an institution for
the achievement of the goals of enhanced teaching and learning. Operationally,
secondary school administration is defined as the management of instruction,
student personnel, staff personnel, community relations, school resources and
finances by the principals and teachers for the purpose of ensuring effective
and efficient input and the efficient achievement of the objectives of
secondary education.
In the context of this study, both principals and teachers are referred
to as administrators, because, within the limits of their duties, they perform
administrative functions at class or school levels. This study will
consequently seek to assess the.....
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