INTRODUCTION
Information communication
technologies are information handling tools that are used to produce, store and
process, distribute and exchange information. These different tools are now
able to work together and combine to from networked world which reaches into
every corner of the globe (UNDP evaluation office 2001) it is an increasingly
powerful too for participating in global markets, promoting in global markets,
prompting political accountability, improving the delivery of basic services
and enhancing local development opportunities (UNDP 2006)
According to Ogunsola (2005) ICT is
an electronic based system of information transmission, reception, reception,
processing and restively which has drastically changed the way we think, the
way we live and the environment in which we live. On the other hand social
studies is a key subject indispensable for the attainment of national unity
through the education of the various ethnic groups with another.
It can be used to access global
knowledge and communication with other people (Ogunsola 2005) students who use
ICTS gain deeper understanding of complex topics and concepts and are more
likely to recall information and use it to solve problems outside the classroom
(Apple Computer 2002).
THE NEEDS FOR ICT INTEGRATION IN SOCIAL
STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
ICT has globally changed the face of
teaching and learning.
Many nations are taking the
advantages inherent in ICT to impact on the educational sector. So ICT
integration in schools is needed in order to accomplish many objectives and
improve the quality of lessons in all subject areas as well as social studies.
It also deepen the student knowledge, investigation and inquiry it increasingly
pervades various aspects of our daily live work, business, teaching, learning,
leisure and health. Hence ICT leads to the processes based on information
gotten from technology it is necessary that every individual in our society
should be technology competent (computer literature).
For these reasons every schools
should be equipped with the necessary ICT in order to provide our children with
the needed tools and resources for being technology competent to be able to
attain the expected skills.
Norris, Sullivan and Parrot (2003)
point out the important of accessibility as teachers use of technology for
curricular function of their access to that technology (p.25) merely (38).
Providing the schools with all the
necessary equipment and training is not the most important thing but also given
them the continuous training and practice of computer. So ICT should be integrated
into all levels of an educational system from classroom to ministries for use
in management, teaching and learning activities this shows that teacher must
receive adequate ongoing training, technology that must much to the curriculum
of learning and adequate numbers of computer located within the classroom
(AL-Bataineh & Brooks (2003, p.479). as also concluded by Kagton, Harris
and Leask (2002) it is not necessary the technology that has to be innovative
but the approach to teaching and learning social studies must be understand.
THE USING OF ICT INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
IN TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES
The integration of information and
communication technologies can help revitalize teachers and students of social
studies. This can help them to improve and develop the quality of education by
making some difficult subject easy using ICT materials like:-
1.
Internet youtube:
It is easy for a student to view environment of other peoples country and
compare it to learn more on environment hence social studies is the study of
man and his environment. It also shows the student how other people dress and
the type of houses they built thereby bring changes in their ways of live.
2.
E-library: This
is where all the library in the world meet with the use of ICT E-library the
teachers get current and the must useful things in their area of study and
thereby apply it in their own schools.
3.
E-mail: This is
where you can send letters to other teachers or students in another school,
state or countries in order to interact or inform them of an important issues
and it is the fastest means of sending message provided the person is
connected.
Demetriadis et al (2003) reached conclusion in their
research study “training efforts are generally welcomed by teachers but
consistence support and extensive training is necessary in order for them to
consider themselves able o integrate ICT in their teaching methodologies P.35.
FACTORS
AFFECTING THE UTILIZATION OF ICT INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS IN TEACHING SOCIAL
STUDIES
According to Rogers (1995) one of the major factors
affecting people’s attitudes towards a new technology is related to the feature
of the technology ill self.
There are five basic features of technology that
affect its acceptance and subsequent adoption, relative advantage
compatibility, complexity observability and trainlibility. A new technology
will be increasing diffused if potential adapters perceived that innovation.
(1)
has an advantage
over previous innovations
(2)
is compatible
with existing practices
(3)
is not complex to
understand and sue
(4)
shows observable
results
(5)
can be
experimented with a limited basis before adaptation.
For all these factors affecting ICT in secondary
schools.
There are some guidelines needed to follow by teachers
in using ICT in secondary schools.
Guideline required by teachers in teaching social
studies using ICT instructional material.
For the use of ICT use and utilization judges the
value of ICT process or personnel by the degree they single or collectively
satisfy the needs. The foresight instructional behaviour controls, to a large
extents, the means for achieving them, instructional materials are not ends in
themselves but means of attaining specific instructional functions teachers
ability to effectively utilizes the availability media and this optimize the
attainments of instructional situation varies with their level of utilization.
These guidelines are:-
1.
Specification of
objectives
2.
maximal fit with
instructional task
3.
preparation and
preview
4.
multi-dimensional
presentation
5.
environmental
situation
With all these guide in using ICT
instructional materials on teaching social studies. It will be perfect if there
is no obstruction, which is the problem.
PROBLEMS OF USING ICT INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN
TEACHING AND LEARNING SOCIAL STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
(1) Teachers
professional knowledge technical know how:
Since ICT is a fairly new area of importance in
education especially in developing communities like Nigeria it is a lightly
technical field and to understand how it can affect the teaching and learning
situation one first has to understand the operational functionality of the
material.
2. Lack
of computers: Computer are still very
expensive and despite spirited efforts by the government agencies NGO,
corporate organization and individuals to donate computers to as many schools
as possible. There still remain a big percentage of the schools unable to
purchase computers for use by their pupils.
3. Lack
of electricity: Many schools are
still not yet connected to electricity; Nigeria being a developing country, the
government has parts of the country to the national electricity grids and those
schools that fall under such areas are left handicapped and may not be able to
offer computer studies or use it in aids of teaching. It is also notices that
has electricity can not efficiently make use of the computer because of the
epileptic nature of power in our country.
4. Broken
down computers: Many schools have
benefited from donated used computers, they have not been adequately equipped
with the same on maintenance and repair, hence its very common to see a schools
computer lab full of broken down computers some repairable and some not burglary:
For the reason that computer is still very expensive in Nigeria. Thieves still
have computer lab as their target in schools this has made many schools to
incur extra expenses tiring to burger proof computer lab and this makes some
school ran away from buying computers for their students.
5. Lack
of internet or slow connectively: Many
schools in Nigeria can not connect to the world wide web, due to the highly
costs involved in the connectively.
6. Increased
moral degradation: internet pornography, cyber-bulking and other
anti-social behaviours is worrying emerging problem.
7. Environment
factors: Part of the application of ICT processes is the target population
for whom the materials are to be used and the setting or vicinity where the
learning should take place, the degree of satisfaction derived by children in
respect to conformability of environment of that schools.
CONCLUSION
The use of ICT instructional
material in teaching social studies has every sign of long survival as long as
such digital computer become more available that means that when computer
become more affordable, the connectively bandwidths become widely use and less
constraint.
The multimedia application will
prosper. The progress of Nigeria secondary schools in this 21st century
will increasly rely on various forms of computer system and communication
facilities available in market that required to make education to be more
flexible.
The adopting and the use of computer
have a great impact on teaching and learning social studies despite all the
factors and problem associated to the use of ICT in Nigeria.
RECOMMENDATION
For ICT instructional material to be
used in Nigeria school system. The following recommendation are made:-
1.
Government should
provide institutions at all levels in the country with adequate information
technology facility.
2.
Government should
ensure adequate electricity supply in schools.
3.
Teachers should
be more committed to teaching with the use of ICT given the important of
practical knowledge in it.
4.
the institutions
and teachers education should mount periodic training sessions for teachers on
the use of ICT.
5.
Schools should
seek help from non governmental organizations, private sectors, individuals and
industries to assists in supplementing and substituting obsolete ICT like
projected and other software package.
6.
Efforts should be
made by government to post and provide teachers skilled in ICTs to each schools
to impact ICT skill to the students.
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