ABSTRACT
Technology has become indispensable in pedagogy world over. Integration of ICT in education improves the quality of education and academic performance. This study sought to investigate the integration of ICT in teaching and learning of Biology in secondary schools of Southern Region, Eritrea. The objectives of study were: to determine availability of ICT resources for teaching and learning Biology in secondary schools of Southern Region, Eritrea; to ascertain teachers’ ICT integration skills; to establish teachers’ attitude towards ICT integration in teaching and learning; to establish the instructional methods used by the teachers of Biology in classrooms; and to explore the challenges facing teachers and students in ICT integration in secondary schools of Southern Region, Eritrea. The study was guided by the Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model. The study was carried out in secondary schools of the southern region, Eritrea. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study targeted 27 public secondary schools in the region. Stratified random sampling technique was used to get a sample of 12 secondary schools from 12 sub-regions. The sample of respondents of the study was drawn from these 12 secondary schools of 12 sub- regions. The respondents were 12 school directors, 34 Biology teachers and 175 grade eleven students. Questionnaires, interview and observation schedules were used as instruments for data collection. Questionnaire for Biology teachers and students, Interview Schedule for school Directors, were employed. Piloting and consultation were conducted to establish validity and reliability before the instruments were used for the actual data collection. The data collected included both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The qualitative data obtained from the open-ended questions were analyzed thematically based on research objectives. The analyzed data was presented in the form of tables and figures. This study found that ICT resources were inadequate in the school; teachers were not well trained on how to integrate ICT in education, and the majority were using a teacher-centered approach in their teaching. The study also indicated that Biology teachers had a positive attitude towards ICT integration in education. Therefore, there was a low level of ICT integration. The study recommends that adequate ICT resources be available in schools for teaching and learning of Biology, teachers need to get adequate pre-service and in-service training on ICT integration in education, the learner-centered approach needs to be implemented in classroom instruction. Finally, ICT needs to be integrated into teaching and learning practices so that learning and performance of learners would be improved.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Preamble
This chapter presents the basic components of the study on the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. It deals with the details on the background to the study, statement of the problem, the purpose of the study, objectives of the study and research questions of the study. In addition to these, the chapter describes the significance of the study, limitations and delimitations of the study, assumptions of the study, theoretical framework, conceptual framework and finally operational definition of key terms used in the study.
Background to the Study
In this age of information and technology, digital technology has influenced all aspects of human life (Vhanabatte and Kamble, 2014). In this digital era, almost every aspect of our life is affected by technology. Technology plays a vital role in the way we learn, communicate, work and live. Globally, technology is growing fast and is opening opportunities for human and economic development. It is raising productivity, enhancing education, creating job opportunities and rising incomes. Thus, technology is hoped to enhance development, alleviate poverty and improve living conditions.
One branch of technology which is very helpful in pedagogy is Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). It has opened new avenues like online
learning, and it also brings more rich and updated materials in the classroom for teachers and learners (Vhanabatte and Kamble, 2014). UNESCO (2007) defined ICT as, “forms of technology that are used to transmit, process, store, create, display and share or exchange information by electronic means.” This broad definition of ICT includes such technologies as radio, television, video, DVD, telephone (both fixed-line and mobile phones), satellite systems, computer and network hardware and software, as well as the equipment and services associated with these technologies, such as videoconferencing, e-mail and blogs.
The role of ICT in schools is increasing dramatically. In developed countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Norway and Singapore among others, ICT is becoming educational reforms endeavour, to bring changes in pedagogy, curriculum, teacher training and assessment. It is believed that ICT integration in teaching and learning can bring educational quality and set learners for 21st-century skills and digital learning society (Mugambi, 2015). Also, UNESCO (2007) stipulates benefits of integrating ICT in education such as helping to improve quality of education, expand access to educational opportunities, develop learner-centered teaching, improve learning outcomes and motivate learners. Moreover, Tinio (2003) asserts that the use of different technologies in combination helps to meet individual differences.
Integration of ICT in teaching and learning can be influenced by many factors such as the availability of ICT resources in the schools, preparedness of teachers
in ICT knowledge and skills, the attitude of school community towards ICT use in education, the way teachers teach in classrooms among others. Studies conducted in various parts of the world have presented the aforementioned factors as follows. A research conducted to investigate the developments of ICT and the need for blended learning in Saudi Arabia showed that, although there was adequate ICT equipment in the schools, need of training on ICT for teachers were found to be fundamental. Further, the findings also showed that the teaching and learning style was dominated by traditional methods (Alzahrani, 2017).
In Tanzania, (Kihoza et al., 2016) used a case study to assess classroom ICT integration opportunities and the challenges faced. The findings of the study showed that most of the teachers demonstrated low ICT competence in their teaching, and there was inefficient support on the use of ICT. Lack of infrastructure and readiness to change among teachers were significant challenges. Similarly, in Kenya, a study by Wanjala (2016) on ICT integration in instruction among secondary school teachers showed limited use of ICT in instruction. This was due to low self-confidence and incompetence in the use of ICT, inaccessibility to ICT resources and lack of adequate technical support. Furthermore, a study by Kamau (2012), in Kenya, findings demonstrated that in most schools, ICT facilities were inadequate and that there was little utilization of the available resources in the schools. Most students seemed to engage more in entertainment whenever they accessed the computers than using them for their
academic purposes. Most teachers lacked computer training and this made it difficult to incorporate ICT in the teaching and learning process.
Though numerous studies concerning the integration of ICT in pedagogy have been conducted world over, in some young developing countries like Eritrea, one might not find much of in-depth research. Eritrea officially called the State of Eritrea is a country in the horn of Africa, and its capital city is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti. It has a total area of approximately 124,000 square km and a population of about six (6) million. Eritrea is a multi- ethnic and multi-lingual country with nine recognized ethnic groups. The country is divided into six (6) administrative regions and 58 sub-regions. The economy of the people depends on agriculture, and about 70% of Eritrean people live in rural areas and are engaged in livestock and farming.
Eritrean education system follows 2-5-3-4 structure: two years in pre- elementary, five years in elementary, three in middle school, and four in secondary school. Education is compulsory and free between 6 and 13 years of age in elementary and middle school. Medium of Instruction is the mother tongue in elementary school and English in post-elementary school. Most of the schools in Eritrea are state-owned. Secondary school comprises students’ age from 14 to 17 years.
Just like any other country, among subjects taught in secondary schools in Eritrea is Biology. The Biology curriculum in a secondary school in Eritrea
focuses on the structure, function, heredity, origin, evolution, growth classification and distribution of all living organisms. Biology is all about studying life and living organisms. It also helps in understanding the complex forms of life. Furthermore, it allows humans to understand their bodies and their environment better. In the Eritrean education system, Biology is taught, as an integrated part of science in elementary and middle schools and as a separate subject in secondary schools. Biology is one of the core subjects in secondary schools in Eritrea education system. Performing well in Biology is a pre- requisite to pursue studies in higher education in Biology and related fields like health sciences, agricultural sciences.
