AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ICT  USE AMONG STUDENTS OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN BAYELSA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The abbreviation for "Information and Communication Technology" is "ICT." They are a varied collection of technical instruments and resources that are used in the processes of communicating, as well as creating, disseminating, storing, and managing information. These technologies include telecommunications, radio and television broadcasts, the internet, and personal computers (Volman, 2020). In recent years, there has been a groundswell of interest in how computers and the internet can be best harnessed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of education at all levels and in both formal and non-formal settings. This interest has been spurred on by the realization that there is a significant gap between what is currently being done and what could be done (www.en.m.wikibooks.org). But information and communication technologies are more than simply these technologies; previous technologies such as television, radio, and the telephone, which are now given less attention, have a longer and deeper history as educational aids. ICTs include all of these technologies and more. In underdeveloped nations, the usage of computers and the internet is still in its infancy, if it can even be said to exist at all. This is mostly due to the inadequate infrastructure and the high cost of access that comes along with it. The impact of ICTs on society is having a profoundly positive effect. They are having an effect on every facet of everyday life. The effects might be seen and felt more often at educational institutions (Chukwuma, 2020). ICTs give both students and instructors with additional chances in adjusting teaching and learning to individual requirements; thus, society is pressuring schools to appropriately react to this technological innovation. Tinio (2020) discusses the potentials of information and communication technologies to expand access to education and improve both its relevance and its quality in developing nations. He went on to say that ICTs greatly facilitate the acquisition and absorption of knowledge, thereby offering developing countries opportunities that have never been available before to improve educational systems, improve policy formulation and execution, and widen the range of opportunities available to businesses and the less fortunate. Isolation is one of the most difficult things that impoverished people and many other people who live in the world's poorest nations have to deal with, and information and communication technologies have the potential to alleviate this problem in ways that were previously imagined.

According to Watson (2019), information and communications technologies (ICTs) have completely altered the way people work today and are in the process of remaking the educational system. If kids are trained in the skills and technology of yesteryear in schools, there is a good chance that they will not be useful and appropriate in the world of tomorrow. This alone is motivation enough for information and communications technologies to garner attention and recognition on a worldwide scale. For instance, information and communication technologies (ICTs) are reliable instruments that may help facilitate the fulfillment of one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which is to achieve universal primary education by the year 2015. According to Kofi Anan, a former Secretary General of the United Nations, if we want to achieve the aim of Universal Primary Education by the year 2015, we need to make sure that information and communication technology open the door to education systems. This points to the rising need for ICTs in the education sector, as well as the increasingly significant role that they may receive. Because information and communications technologies (ICTs) provide increased opportunity for students and instructors to adapt learning and teaching to individual requirements, society is pressuring schools to deliver an adequate response to this technological innovation.

The integration of information and communication technologies is having a profound impact on the educational practices and the way pupils learn. Since the early 1990s, western world schools have made significant investments in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructures. As a result, pupils utilize computers far more often and for a considerably wider variety of purposes (Volman, 2020). Multiple studies have shown that students who utilize information and communication technology (ICT) facilities exhibit generally larger learning gains than students who do not use these facilities. The use of information and communications technology (ICT) provides a wide range of technological instruments that enhance the quality of the learning experience. This opens the door to the possibility of increased variety, diversity, and efficiency in educational settings. Business Education, like any other topic of study, provides a fertile ground for the exploration of the possibilities presented by information and communication technology (ICT).

There is no denying that in today's modern age, businesses cannot prosper without the advantage of being informative and communicative. Similarly, graduates of business education programs cannot be globally competitive if they are not equipped with information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Given this context, the researcher in question studies the frequency of ICT usage among business education students as well as its efficiency.

1.2       STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

It has been shown that no country can go above the level of knowledge it currently has. Education is power, and the key to realizing this potential is in providing students with a quality learning environment. The amount of education in a given society is a critical factor in the manner in which personal earnings are distributed within that community (Chukwuma, 2020). The body of scholarly research also tends to show that the degree of educational attainment of the population may translate into better rates of innovation, higher overall productivity, and speedier introduction and use of new technologies. New technologies, software, and apps are being developed nearly on a daily basis, each of which brings with it a host of fascinating and exciting possibilities. Nevertheless, realizing the potential of information and communications technologies (ICTs) can never be an aim in itself since technologies are only means. They have the potential to contribute to effective teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy, to improving access and outreach, to motivating learners to engage in or re-engage in learning, to improving the quality of teaching and learning, and to boosting the possibilities for learning that continues throughout one's life. Nevertheless, in order to make efficient use of the potential offered by ICTs, a great deal of difficulty must first be conquered, and certain conditions must be satisfied (Chukwuma, 2020). These include a broad range of topics, such as educational policies and strategies; physical, hardware, and software infrastructures; people and financial resources; implementation modalities; and educational materials and procedures for both teaching and learning. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on the efficacy of using information and communication technology (ICT) among students of business education in the state of Bayelsa.

1.3    OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study is to  investigate the effectiveness of Ict  use among students of business education in Bayelsa state. The study will be guided under these specific objectives:

i.          To examine the level to which ICT usage  is effective among student of business education .

ii.        To find out the challenges of ICT use among students of business education.

iii.      To investigate the benefit of ICT usage to students of business education.

iv.      To assess how ICT usage can be improved and effective for students of business education..

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions have been prepared for this study:

i.          What is the level to which ICT usage  is effective among student of business education ?

ii.        What are the challenges of ICT use among students of business education?

iii.      What are the benefit of ICT usage to students of business education?

iv.      How can ICT usage can be improved and effective for students of business education?

1.5    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This research will reveal the deficiencies inherent in business education students’ use of ICT technologies.

This research will help open the eyes of business education students to the unexplored variety of opportunities that exist in ICT use.

This research will also help business education students realize how to increase the influence of ICT on their studies.

The study will be of benefit to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6       SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will examine the level to which ICT usage  is effective among student of business education . the study will also find out the challenges of ICT use among students of business education. The study will further investigate the benefit of ICT usage to students of business education. Lastly, the study will assess how ICT usage can be improved and effective for students of business education. Hence this study will be delimited to Bayelsa state.

1.7       LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), which is why the researcher resorted to a moderate choice of sample size. More so, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.

1.8       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Information Communication Technologies: In this study, this refers to the computer and internet connections used to handle and communicate information for learning purpose.

Effectiveness: the degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result; success.

Business education:  training in subjects useful in developing general business knowledge

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