EXAMINATION OF THE APPLICATION OF COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION IN INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION IN KANO AND JIGAWA STATES, NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
The study assessed the implementation of computer science education in colleges of education in
Kano and Jigawa States, Nigeria. The research problem of this study was as a result of student’s poor performance in computer education. Four objectives were formulated which are: to examine the extent to which laboratory facilities and equipment are adequately provide for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) in College of Education in Kano and Jigawa States, determine the adequacy of the provision of manpower for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) in College of Education in Kano and Jigawa State, ascertain whether there are adequate funds to implement Computer Science Education (CSE) in Kano and Jigawa States and find out the methodological approaches adopted for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa States. Research questions and hypotheses were in line with these objectives. This study used descriptive survey design. The population for this study was one thousand five hundred and sixty-eight (1,568) and the sample of three hundred and six (306) was purposively selected. A self-developed questionnaire was designed based on four Point-Likert modified rating scale. The instrument was pilot tested and found reliable for the study with 0.799 reliability index. Frequency counts and chi-square statistical tools were used in analyzing the data. The first hypothesis was retained while the remaining three were rejected. The findings indicated that there was inadequate provision of facilities and equipment for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) in the study area, there was inadequate manpower and funds for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) as well as inappropriate use of teaching methodologies. Finally the research recommended the following among others; the stakeholders of education in collaboration with other agencies and non-governmental organization should come to the aid of computer education by procuring adequate facilities and equipment in these states (Kano & Jigawa). Kano and Jigawa States government should consider the possibilities of establishing the educational trust fund similar to that of TETFUND at States level to support computer education in their colleges of education. This will intensify the government effort towards the financing of tertiary education across the states.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to theStudy
Education is an instrument per excellence for effective national development. It therefore remained a social process in capacity building and maintenance of society. According to Ayo (2011) Education is the process through which individuals are made functional members of the society through transmission of knowledge, skills and attitude. Thus, education promotes better health increases skills and higher productivities, providing chances to live in dignity and make wise and rationale decision about one‟s life. In line with these views, the Federal Government of Nigeria in her National Policy on Education (NPE, 2004) adopted education as an instrument par excellent for affecting national development and steps that education will continue to be highly rated in national development plans.Education, therefore, makes a nation/country to spell out in clear and unequivocal terms the philosophy and objectives that underlie its investment for the development. In Nigeria, it is observed that science education emphasizes the teaching and learning of science process and principles. This leads to fundamental and applied research in the sciences at all levels of education.
Tertiary education is the type of education given after secondary education; also colleges of education are among the institutions that provide such kind of education. The courses offered in the colleges of education as tertiary education institutions include: sciences/technical education in which computer education is among them.
Computer education is of paramount importance to the nation development and it is on this premise that the federal government of Nigeria sought to introduce computer studies in the education system from primary to higher institutions. In line with this NPE (2004) has clearly explain that Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the role which computer literacy plays in achieving the national goals of technological development considering the fact that, educational system around the world face formidable challenges that taxing conventional strategies. Fresh approaches are needed to address persistent problems of the past and provide student with an education relevant to the needs of the modern information based global economy.
Therefore, from the foregoing, based on the importance of computer to teaching and learning, it is obvious that introducing the system can be said to be in the right direction. Fajola (2001) asserts that, the computer is diligent and consistent in its mode of operation to perform multifunctional roles in teaching and learning process at all levels of education. Computer is an electronic device which can hold vast quantities ofinformation and accurate store andinformation for use. It is capable of carrying and processing input calculation according to predetermined set of instructions. Computer is felt in establishment like banks, power holding company, independent national electoral commission, payroll processing, examination conduction, diagnosing sickness in hospital, engineering and management in general (Mbam, 2000).
Hence Nigeria has resolved to introduce computer education in primary and secondary schools, there is need to produce professional teachers in the discipline. Although, there has been provision for the training of computers scientist in the universities and polytechnics, but little attention was paid to the training of teachers in the computer education (NCCE, 2012).
However, it was stated clearly in the NCCE (2012) guidelines that, computer education curriculum are meant to achieve objectives as: To teach computer studies at primary and school levels; write computer programme and process data with maximum speed and accuracy, demonstrate reasonably high level of competence in the preparation for further studies in computer science education, motivate pupils interest in the study of computers by appropriate using ICT Teaching –learning strategies and apply the use of computer as an aid in daily life activities. All the aforementioned objectives cannot be attained without the provision ofeffective teacher education programme through the colleges of education. For this reason therefore, this study intend to investigate how computer education programme is implemented in colleges of education in Kano, andJigawa states respectively.
In the educational system, the computer is a powerful teaching tool and as a medium of instruction that has helped to improve students‟ performance in school subjects and has taken care of problem confronting teachers. It guides a student through a course of instruction and in such way to facilitate understanding of the subject matter. The application of computers in the teaching and learning is really topical; and thus, computer programme facilitates communication between students and teacher and beyond the classroom setting, like distanced
students‟instruction. It should be noted that computer cannot replace teacher, it is rather an extension of the teacher, blackboard and other teaching materials (Adamu, 2000). Afolabi (2001)explains that the National Policy on Education (NPE) indicated the government intention to improve the quality of education in Nigeria through the use of computers in our classroom. There is no doubt that computer education produces and promotes competency and efficiency in teaching/learning process. But the magnitudes at which the computer education facilitatesquality of teaching attract little concern from academics and policy makers in this part of the country. Thus, this study aimed at finding out the extent at which computer education curriculum is properly implemented in colleges of education in Kano and Jigawa States for the production of effective computer education teachers especially at the lower levels of our education (preprimary, primary and secondary levels).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Education is an all-round development that requires the need of so many resources for proper teaching and learning. Computer eitheras an instructional material or as a field that one intends to studies is highly needed in this present world of computerization of almost all aspect of life. Right from time immemorial computation and computerization has significant role in the education system.
Computer education is one of the recent educational programmes that attract policy makers in education, educators and educational institutions which are now in full capacity in all the educational institution and it is pursuit up to the highest level of education programme (Ph.D.). Provision of available and relevant materials to help in the implementation of any educational programme at any level of education is one of the major sources of problems to the implementation of any programme.
It should be clearly noticed that provision of available and recent computers is one of the basic requirements in the implementation of computer education programme in our educational institutions, apart from the employment of adequate and qualified personnel. Both teaching and non-teaching staff are equally important on the implementation of computer education programme.
Some researches shows that, one of themajor problemsin Nigeria‟s educational system is the fact that almost all the necessary materials needed for proper implementation of educational programme are not available leaving our teachers at all levels with explanation of an abstract material which ideally required to be provided for teachers to use and for learners to see use and make learning more concrete and meaningful.
In Nigeria‟s colleges of education, computer education programme is introduced and some computer labsand computer practical classes were provided with little or no other required facilities (computers, keyboards, mouse and electricity).Which computer education programme could not be done without them,all these coupled with overcrowded class size retards the implantation of the programme. Heavy literature on the implementation of computer education programme in Nigeria Primary and Secondary schools (public) level of education also stresses the inability for a school or college to adopt computer education as requisite course/subject for its curriculum resulting in producing unqualified teachers to teach computer education. Thus, will be resulted to poor performance on the part of students especially, on the use of modern facilities such as, electronic media based instruction in teaching and learning process. However, inability to implement computer education curriculum properly in the colleges of education can be resulted to poor utilization of modern facilities which can lead to produce unqualified computer education teachers in our primary and secondary schools all over the nation. This also leads to the poor improvement on ICT which is among the most recent trend in education.
This is the right time in which a study of this nature is highly needed. The fact is that in recent times, the world has witnessed a rapid increase in the technological innovations. The erathereforeushers in the advent of the electronic computer system among other modern technologies. In schools, computers are widely used; and the need for computer technology and literacy in the educational system has become more relevant. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the situation of computer Education in Nigeria especially the process of implementation in Colleges ofEducation.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This study is carried out to achieve the following objectives:
- Examine the extent to which laboratory facilities and equipment are adequately provided for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE)in Colleges of Education in KanoandJigawaStates.
- Determine the adequacy of the provision ofmanpowerfor the implementation of
Computer Science Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa State.
- Ascertain whether there are adequate funds to implement Computer Science Education
(CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa states.
- Find out the methodological approaches adopted for the implementation of Computer
Science Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano andJigawastates.
1.4 Research Questions
In line of the research objectives, the following research questions are addressed:
- To what extent are laboratory facilities and equipment adequately provided for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa States?
- What is the extentof the provision of adequate manpower for the implementation of
Computer Science Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and JigawaStates?
- To what degree are funds adequate for the implementation of Computer Science
Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa states?
- What are the methodological approaches adopted for the implementation of Computer
Science Education (CSE) in Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa states?
1.5 Hypotheses
The study tested the following null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha:
- There is no significant difference between teachers and students opinion on the adequacy of laboratory facilities and equipment for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) at Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa states;
- There is no significant difference between teachers and students opinion on the provision of adequate manpower for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) at Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa states;
- There is no significant difference between teachers and students opinion on the adequacy of funds for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) at Colleges of Education in Kano and Jigawa states;
- There is no significant difference between teachers and students opinionon the methods employed for the implementation of Computer Science Education (CSE) at Colleges of
Education in Kano and Jigawa states;
1.6 Basic Assumption of the Study
The basic assumptions of the study are as follows.
- The lecturer(s) and Students should appropriate used of the knowledge computer science such as computer assisted instructions (CAI) in their teaching and learning process for the purpose of enhancing students‟ academic performance in various course of study which are related to acquisition knowledge and skills in colleges of education in Kano and Jigawa state.
- Laboratory facilities should available in both Kano and Jigawa colleges of education for effective teaching and learning of computer science education this will provide well trained and qualified students teachers during their teaching practice exercise and improve the lower and upper basic level of education in Kano and Jigawa States.
- If the students are taught with adequate computer laboratory facilities students‟ academic performance will be very high especially in learning of computer science education and the society benefit more by the productivity of the students as works after graduating from state colleges of education in Kano and Jigawa States.
1.7 Significance of the Study
The beneficiaries of this study are: students, lecturers, curriculum planners, government institutions of learning, researchers in computer science education, national commission for colleges of education (NCCE), and society at large.
Students of colleges of education, especially those that are offer computer science education and other related subjects, should benefit by this study through consulting it in the course of writing their research when making reference in related to their studies whether published or unpublished research work.
Lecturers should use the findings of this as a guide to develop interest in computer utilization especially when conducting academic research as well as the encouraging of students to actually engage in the use of computers towards boosting academic excellences.
Curriculum planners also should benefit by the use of this study through implementing in the process and applying the strategies and techniques that are stated in solving immediate problems which are associated with teaching and learning process, in the process of developing computer education curriculum and related disciplines.
Government should benefit by the use of the findings of this study, in order to provide required facilities and equipment of computer education in schools which were stated in this study for the improvement of teaching and learning situations, this would no doubt the academic performance of students in computer science and education at large.
Institutions of learning like, colleges of education and universities may benefit by using this research work as written materials for future references.
Researchers in computer science education may benefit by this study while conducting a research on related topic to serve as reference.
National commission for colleges of education (NCCE) should benefit by this study through identifying the problems militating against the proper implementation of computer science education cited in the study for the purpose to enhance the quality of its minimum standardwhen the need arises.
1.8 Scope of the Study
This research concerned with the implementation of computer education curriculum in Nigerian higher institutions with specific reference to colleges of education. The study is limited to the assessment of the implementation of computer education programme in Kano andJigawa states colleges of education which comprises Sa‟adatu Rimi College of Education Kumbotso, Kano and College of Education GumelJigawa state. In this respect, the study assessed the degree to which Kano and Jigawa States colleges of education implements good computer education in most of their teaching and learning process. Therefore, the availability of manpower, computers, laboratories, projectors, ICT and other equipment necessary for effective computer education programme are observed.
EXAMINATION OF THE APPLICATION OF COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION IN INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION IN KANO AND JIGAWA STATES, NIGERIA