INVESTIGATION ON TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION ON THE INCLUSION OF COMPUTER SCIENCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Computer has a long history of existence. Today computer technology has undergone series of transformations. According to kremer (2005) computer is an electronic machine that operates with remarkable speed and reliability. Although initially, many believe it was impossible that computer could be a scientific field of study, in the late fifties it gradually became accepted among the greater academic population. Computer science which is the science that deals with the theory and method of processing information in digits. Computer has become a rapidly growing discipline as the technological age advances. Computer science could also be understood as the blending of principles, theories and applications of technologies that underlies the access of information. The information that the computer scientist uncovers, processes, stores and communicates is often encoded in a computer memory.
From the above explanations, it could be deduced that computer science is wholly referring to the science of computing which is the use of computer to processe data or perform calculations. Computers have virtually touched nearly every aspect of human endeavor. Computer is an electronic device which accepts data as an input processes, it stores and gives out information as output. It is a machine which can hold vast quantities of information and accurately stores information for future use.
Kremer (2008) defined computer as electronic machine that operate with remarkable speed and reliability. A micro processor “brain” and electronic memory work together to enable the computer processes data. Why was the computer invented should be the next question that comes to mind? Computers were invented to solve many mathematical problems in the early stage. But today, computers have gone beyond that and there is hardly any area of life where computer cannot be applied. In a rapidly changing world, basic education is essential for an individual to be able to access and apply information. Such ability must include the adequate use of computer. The Economic Commission for Africa has indicated that the ability to use computer in accessing information is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for development. Unfortunately, many developing countries especially in Africa are still low in computer application and use (Aduwa, 2005).
