ICT APPLICATION AND USE IN BUSINESS EDUCATION COURSES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

1.1 Introduction

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) refers to a systematic process of gathering, processing, storing, sending and retrieving of information through the print, broadcast, computing and telecommunications media (Onwuagboke, 2009). Information and communication technology has the potential to accelerate, enrich and deepen skills; motivate and engage students in learning; it also help in relating school experiences to work practices, strengthen teaching and provides opportunities for connection between the school and the world (Kirschner and Woperies, 2003). Teaching and learning are inseparable concepts with learning playing more of judgmental role to teaching. It is believed that unless the child learns the teacher has not taught. Though teaching and learning are intimately linked processes and are interdependent as well as inter woven, teaching is a social phenomenon, while learning is a psychological phenomenon.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Teaching and learning are inseparable concepts with learning playing more of judgmental role to teaching. It is believed that “unless the child learns the teacher has not taught”. Though teaching and learning are intimately linked processes and are interdependent as well as inter woven, teaching is a social phenomenon, while learning is a psychological phenomenon. It is teaching which generally results into learning but there can be learning without teaching. The nub of teaching learning process lies in the moment by moment relationship between the willing leaner and the competent co-teacher. Rao (2008) quoted Burton (2001) who argues that teaching can be made effective by relating it to learning; teaching objectives can be identified in behavioural term and appropriate learning situations may be created to realize these objectives. The appropriate teaching condition or structures may be generated for effective learning; the effective teaching aids may be selected for creating strategies and tactics may be selected to achieve the optimal object of learning; the concept of relationship of teaching and learning will be an aid to understand the nature of teaching and thereby, teaching theories may be evolved. The knowledge of the relationship will equally be helpful for teaching to produce effective Business Education teachers.

ICT has been acknowledged globally as one of the greatest techniques infused into the teaching learning process. It is used in the context of this research work to imply a diverse set of electronic technologies, technological tools and resources used to communicate, disseminate, store and manage information in the course of teaching and learning. ICT include computers, the internet, broadcasting technologies and telephony (Adoni and Kpangbam, 2010; Chukwudi and Ejita, 2008). The impact of ICT on learning is the vision that it enables learning anywhere, any time and anyhow. ICTs are utlised during academic activities especially by lecturers and students (Usang, Azubuike and Umoren, 2007). Anissimov (2009); Bless and Truth (2009) and Bliss (2009) agrees with this view but further noted that there is variation in the level of usage of ICT in tertiary institutions among countries.

The emergence of information and communication technology (ICT) has totally revolutionalized the way we access, process, store, retrieve and disseminate within organization or across the globe according to Miller and Akume (2009).

Ogunsola (2005) sees ICT as an electronically based system of information transmission, reception, processing and retrieval which has drastically changed the way we think, the way we live and the environment in which we live. Information and communication technology offer several opportunities in education, they can be used as a means of preparing the current generation of students for future workplace, that is, providing tools for tomorrows practices.

As a practical course, it is intended to prepare student for the world of work; both as employees and as employers, oyebade (2008) and (chibuzor, 2012) and also stated that business education is an essential element of general education; this is because it is concerned with entrepreneurship development among the students. He further stated that, it is concerned with the act of imparting business orientation. Furthermore, Okoli (2010) noted that business education is an important part of the general education which emphasizes on the acquisition of skills and competencies for use in offices and business related occupation. Similarly, Nwazi (2010) describes business education as encompassing education for office occupation, business teaching, business administration and economic understanding. In all, Abdulkadir (2011) opines that one remarkable important characteristic of business education programme is that, its products can function independently as self-Employed and Employers of labour. To this end, the tenet of business education embraces basic education for teaching career, entrepreneurship, business understanding, office management and vocational practices.

Therefore, in Delta State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the ICT Application and use In Business Education Courses for Teaching and Learning in Tertiary institutions.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that over the years there has been a general poor performance in business education courses, this is not only applicable in secondary examinations were business education subjects are taught but also in university precisely under business education most students who enroll in business education department do not graduate successfully with their mate.

Unfortunately, in Delta State University in Department of Business Education, there are little or no ICT tools for teaching and learning in various classrooms. teaching and learning method in the class rooms in department of business education still adopt the old traditional method of teaching, where the teacher acts at repertoire of knowledge while student are busy coping what is said and expected to vomit them verbatim during examination. It is worrisome because this has led to massive failure in examinations as the students are rarely grounded in their learning but are mainly subjected to mere memorization of the topics taught.

The failure of educational system to provide adequate and appropriate teaching-learning aids in order to improve academic performance of students is of a great concern to government, educational institutions and other concern citizens. It is believed that if adequate instructional materials are made available to school and are used appropriately in teaching-learning process, a better performance could be achieved. Hence, the motivation of this study seeks to find out the ICT Application and use In Business Education Courses for Teaching and Learning in Delta State Tertiary Institutions.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The study was carried out to examine the ICT Application and use In Business Education Courses for Teaching and Learning in Delta State Tertiary Institutions. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To find out the ICT resources available for teaching Business Education Courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions;
2. To examine the level of utilization of these ICT resources in teaching Business Education Courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions;
3. To determine the benefit derived by using ICT resources in teaching Business Education Courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions; and
4. To investigate the problems facing the utilization of ICT resources in teaching Business Education Courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• What are the ICT resources available for teaching Business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions?
• What is the extent of utilization of each ICT resources for teaching Business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions?
• What are the benefits derived in using ICT resources in teaching of Business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions?
• What problems confront the use of ICT resources for teaching Business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant difference in the Mean ratings of male and female business education lecturers on the level of utilization of ICT resources in teaching business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions.
• H1: There is a significant difference in the Mean ratings of male and female business education lecturers on the level of utilization of ICT resources in teaching business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions.

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There is no significant difference in the Mean ratings of male and female business education lecturers on the contributions of ICT resources to the teaching business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions
• H1: There is a significant difference in the Mean ratings of male and female business education lecturers on the contributions of ICT resources to the teaching business education courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions

Hypothesis Three

• H0: There is no significant difference in the Mean ratings of male and female business education lecturers on the problem facings ICT resources in teaching business education in Delta State Tertiary Institutions
• H1: There is a significant difference in the Mean ratings of male and female business education lecturers on the problem facings ICT resources in teaching business education in Delta State Tertiary Institutions

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1.7 Significance of Study

This relevance of the study will help to:

1. Steer Government and Proprietors of schools to recognize the need to adequately equip their schools with current and appropriate instructional materials.
2. Prove the worth of ICT instructional materials in teaching learning processes.
3. Inculcate in teachers the habits of using instructional materials appropriately in teaching learning process to arouse interest and determination among students.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the study focuses on the Availability and Utilization of information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resources in Teaching of Business Education Courses in Delta State Tertiary Institutions.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends 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).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

ICT: Information and communication technology as the collection, storage, processing dissemination and use of information (Achuonye, 2002).