Abstract
The study examined the Impact of ICT usage in secondary school management in Wuse Comprehensive College, Abuja, Nigeria. The study was set to examine the impact of Information and Communication Technology on record keeping, communication, monitoring and evaluation, staff development, maintenance of discipline, decision making process, maintenance of facilities, conducts of examinations and presentation of results in Wuse Comprehensive College, Abuja. Survey research method using questionnaire was adopted for the data gathering. The research sample consisted of Deans of faculty/School Directors, Heads of Departments, Directors of Management Information Service, Staff of Faculty/School, and total (100) respondents from the selected Wuse Comprehensive College, Abuja. Purposive sampling method was used in selecting the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and Likert scale. Findings from the study revealed that ICTs such as computers perform the role of aiding school administration and data management in the area of record keeping and retrieval with a mean of 3.91. However, respondents disagreed that through Circuit Camera Television (CCTV), the administrators in Wuse Comprehensive College, Abuja monitored and evaluated staff in the discharge of their duties with mean score of 2.05 which means that the administrators in the selected secondary school did not ensure ICT compliance in monitoring and evaluation. However, the result also revealed respondents disagreed that through E- learning platform, the administrators in this school developed staff capacity with mean score of 2.97. They also disagreed that through ICT facilities management encouraged the use of ICT support services for orientation of newly employed staff in the school with mean score of 2.94. This means that management are yet to utilize the potentials of ICT for staff development purpose. Eight null hypotheses were tested, out of which three (3) were retained while five (5) rejected. The study concludes, based on the hypotheses tested, that ICT has great impact on the smooth running of the Wuse Comprehensive College, Abuja in respect of record keeping and retrieval, communication and staff development. The study recommends that the management should ensure ICT compliance to both academic and non-academic staff and students‟ for quality assurance of the secondary school. Also, the management should encourage the application of ICT (such as computer) in examination conduct, script marking and result to be released on-line. This will ensure timely release of students‟ result and storage of data as well as ease staff workload.
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background of study
According to Daniels (2002) ICTs have become within a very short time, one of the basic building blocks of modern society. Many countries now regard understanding ICT and mastering the basic skills and concepts of ICT as part of the core of education, alongside reading, writing and numeracy. However, there appears to be a misconception that ICTs generally refers to ‘computers and computing related activities’. This is fortunately not the case, although computers and their application play a significant role in modern information management, other technologies and/or systems also comprise of the phenomenon that is commonly regarded as ICTs. Pelgrum and Law (2003) state that near the end of the 1980s, the term ‘computers’ was replaced by ‘IT’ (information technology) signifying a shiff of focus from computing technology to the capacity to store and retrieve information. This was followed by the introduction of the term ‘ICT’ (information and communication technology) around 1992, when e-mail started to become available to the general public (Pelgrum, W.J., Law, N., 2003). According to a United Nations report (1999) ICTs cover Internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centers, commercial information providers, network based information services, and other related information and communication activities.
The field of education has been acted by ICTs, which have undoubtedly acted teaching, learning, and research (Yusuf, 2005). A great deal of research has proven the benefits to the quality of education (Al-Ansari, 2006). ICTs have the potential to innovate, accelerate, enrich, and deepen skills, to motivate and engage students, to help relate school experience to work practices, create economic viability for tomorrow’s administrators, as well as strengthening teaching and helping schools change (Davis and Tearle, 1999; Lemke and Coughlin, 1998; cited by Yusuf, 2005).As Jhurree (2005) states, much has been said and reported about the impact of technology, especially computers, in education.
