Level of Adequacy of Information and Communication Technology in Early Childhood Education Classrooms
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Level of Adequacy of Information and Communication Technology in Early Childhood Education Classrooms
Chapter one
Introduction
1.1 Background Of the study
Information and communication technology (ICT) has become an accepted part of everyone’s lives around the world, and it plays an important role in education. Similarly, the world today is experiencing technology breakthroughs in teaching and learning.
Because children live in a highly communicative environment, early childhood education does not fall behind. Information Communication Technology (ICT) is described as “anything that allows us to obtain information, communicate with one another
or have an impact on the environment using electronic or digital equipment” (Siraj-Blatchford & Siraj-Blatchford, 2003, p. 4). Some authors use the term “learning technologies,” while others simply refer to it as technology.
It can also be described as something that facilitates communication. It entails the use of electronic devices such as computers, phones, digital cameras, puppets, video discs, and electronic toys for communication.
Bolstard (2004) also argued that these technologies provide new chances to improve many elements of early childhood education. Siraj-Blatchford and Whitebread (2003) defined ICT as everything that allows an individual to exchange information, communicate with others, or have an impact on the environment using electronic equipment.
In early childhood education (ECE), the word ICT could include, but is not limited to, the following types of hardware and software gadgets:
(i) Computers (desktop, laptop, and handheld devices);
(ii) Digital cameras, digital video cameras;
(iii) Software for creativity and communication; the Internet;
(iv) Telephones, fax machines, cell phones, and tape recorders.
(v) Interactive tales, virtual settings, and computer games; programmable toys; and “control” technology.
(vi) Videoconferencing and closed-circuit television;
(vii) Data projectors, electronic whiteboards, and more.
All of these technologies, taken combined, play important roles in the education of young children in the twenty-first century. As a result, the researcher set out to assess its adequacy in early childhood education and nursery classrooms throughout Benin.
Meanwhile, early Childhood Education (ECE) refers to the type of education obtained by children aged 3 to 5 in a school setting. It is also known as nursery school or playgroup (Farrant, 1982).
The National Policy on Education (FRN, 2009) defines ECE as an educational institution for children before they enter primary school, in which children are left in the care of individuals or organisations.
It has recently been revealed that the use of ICT in early childhood education is extensively practised/advocated for. This is due to the numerous benefits that accrue from its incorporation into the teaching and learning process.
Benefits of integrating ICT into the teaching and learning process
The benefits of using ICT in early childhood education cannot be overstated. However, for the sake of this study, a number of these advantages have been stated as follows:
Speaking and Listening – In the classroom, ICT enables more prolonged kinds of communication, such as asking and answering questions. The use of webcams increases involvement and enables for immediate feedback and reflection on the processes involved in communication, both in groups and individually.
The interactive whiteboard (IWB) technology emphasises shared and public conversation, as well as student reactions. Details are difficult to retain in everyday conversation unless they are recorded in some way.
Sound recording has been around for a while, but portable sound recording devices (such as MP3 or MP4 formats) make it easier and promote listening.
Furthermore, digital cameras are likely to aid students’ abilities to evaluate and comment on their use of language, as gesture, posture, and facial expressions are all important components of speaking. In more formal settings, video presentations enable students to examine and review formal and informal presentations from their early years.
Early reading – With revived interest in phonics education, there is now a diverse selection of software available to promote early reading with synthetic phonics. The usage of ICT-based phonics books allows for explicit links between sounds and letters on a page.
Learning to read is a lengthy and arduous process, and many students struggle to concentrate when using books alone; enhancing concentration and attention time is a significant advantage of ICT.
Many students regard software differently from ICT, believing it is more fascinating. There are numerous audio-based reading methods available to schools today, many of which provide significant benefits over books.
For struggling readers, there are numerous software-based reading intervention programs available that can significantly enhance students’ achievement. Some include speech recognition software and integrated assessment for learning.
Vocabulary- Interactive dictionaries can be extremely useful in the classroom. The days of having to refer to a bulky tome in the corner of the classroom are over, and interactive materials make vocabulary learning easier.
Sentences – Information and communication technology facilitates word sequencing. There are numerous tools available to help students improve their sentence writing skills, such as Textease or Clicker, and many of them include speech features to help students verify their work.
Comprehension – The usage of ICT tools that incorporate aural and visual comprehension activities can significantly benefit a student’s growth. Pupils must learn to listen, which will be useful in all areas of the curriculum.
If kids simply hear the teacher’s voice, this can be challenging. Many products are available that combine paper-based comprehension activities with sound, animations, and video. These multimedia products provide students with a diverse range of experiences, allowing them to build key comprehension abilities without even realising it.
Presentational software and databases expand the possibilities for composition. Mixed-mode texts can be created on paper, but digital technology, with its ability to incorporate images and manipulate text, allows for a more varied presentation of writing, including design characteristics that paper-based writing does not.
Using word processors allows students to update material without having their changes shown on the page. They don’t have to worry about spelling or presentation and can instead focus on the substance. They can deliver information in a variety of ways and use spellcheck or thesaurus.
theatre – One advantage of adopting ICT-based theatre in literacy sessions is that it allows students to explore, reflect on their learning, and alter their ideas upon contemplation.
Digital cameras capable of capturing both moving and still images can substantially improve theatrical operations, notably dialogue development.
Capturing drama moments on camera utilising freeze-frame functions and showing the photographs on the IWB facilitates sharing, assessing, and expanding comprehension.
Roles and applications of ICT in early childhood education
The following are some of the identified roles and uses of ICT in early childhood education:
Children use ICT for play and learning (alone, with peers, or with adults). For example, children can use computers to play games, listen to stories, or draw images.
Children and practitioners use ICT to scaffold children’s learning.
Children’s enthusiasm in a specific topic or idea leads them to use the Internet to find information or resources.
Children and practitioners use ICT to document and reflect on children’s learning, as well as to share it with parents or other practitioners. For example, take digital images, films, or audio recordings of activities in an early childhood education environment and study them together or share them with parents.
Practitioners and children are using ICT to create portfolios of children’s work, which will be used to assess progress in their learning and development.
Practitioners who employ ICT for planning, administration, and information management.
Teachers use computer-based templates to design and document children’s learning, such as learning stories and TeWhāriki concepts.
Creating databases to record critical information about children and their families. etc
If utilised effectively and supported by a technician within the school, ICT can substantially boost accomplishment levels, spark innovative thinking, and encourage the development of skills that will be useful in the real world. We live in the age of computers, so the sooner students become acquainted with technology, the better.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Given the numerous benefits associated with the use of ICT in the education of young children, as well as the fact that the world is gradually becoming a global village with all economies becoming digitised, it is cause for serious concern that the educational sector in this part of the world appears to be making little effort to maximise the numerous opportunities presented by this illustrious and reputable sector.
There is little doubt that no nation can ever make reasonable progress outside of its education sector; therefore, it is of crucial importance to always seek to find ways to strengthen the education sector for the overall benefit of the nation.
In light of the above realities, the researcher, having noticed the multiple benefits that come with the adoption of ICT in the teaching and learning process in the early childhood education classrooms, undertook to assess the level of it’s (ITC) adequacy in ECE classrooms in Oredo local government Edo State
where this research centres on, in order to help in creating awareness/sensitization on the need for more attention to be given to this aspect of the children’s education.
1.4 Research questions.
What is the availability of ICT in Early Childhood Education and Nursery Classrooms?
What is the level of adequacy in ICT provision in early childhood education and nursery classrooms in Oredo LGA, Edo State?
Is there a difference in the adequacy of ICT in early childhood education and nursery classrooms between rural and urban schools?
Is there a difference in the level of adequacy of ICT in early childhood education and nursery classrooms depending on school ownership (private or public)?
1.5. Scope and limitations of the study
This study looked at the suitability of ICT in early childhood education classrooms in the Oredo local government region of Edo State. This study’s ICT of interest comprises laptop or notebook computers, the internet, computer games, programmable toys, recording devices, and television. The study is limited to public and private nursery classrooms in Oredo local government area, Edo State.
1.8 Significance of the Study
This study is extremely important, particularly for parents and teachers of preschool students, because the findings will help to sensitise them to the numerous benefits that come with the use of ICT in the education of their children/wards, allowing them to become more involved with its provision.
When this is done, it will benefit the teachers by facilitating their work, resulting in increased proficiency/productivity. The outcomes of this study are also predicted to be beneficial to:
The Ministry of Education may use the findings of the study to develop policies that will improve early childhood education in the classroom.
Furthermore, the study will be used by the Ministry of Education and other government policymaking bodies, particularly in the measures they take to address the identified barriers to ICT adoption in early childhood education.
The study’s findings will also indicate the best strategies or steps to be implemented to improve the quality of early childhood education in Edo state through the use of ICT, which promotes teacher productivity and an effective school system as a whole.
It will also serve as a resource base for other scholars and researchers interested in conducting additional research in this sector, and if used, will go so far as to provide fresh explanations for the topic.
1.9 The operational definition of concepts
The following terminology were employed throughout this study, so it is necessary to clarify them in the context in which they were used.
Information: Things that are or can be known about a specific issue; transferable knowledge of something.
Communication is the concept or state of transferring data or information between parties.
ICT: An acronym for Information and Communication Technology. In this study, they include;
* A laptop computer, sometimes known as a notebook computer, is a tiny, portable personal computer (PC) equipped with a screen and an alphanumeric keyboard.
* The Internet: A network of computers that are connected together.
*Computer games are computer-controlled games in which players interact with items presented on a screen for amusement purposes.
* Programmable toys: These include toys like “Bee-bots,” Roamers, Pixes, and Robots, and are appropriate for children aged three and up.
* Recording Devices: These are devices that can be used to record or transfer audio or video.
* Television: A device featuring a screen and speakers that displays images and sounds.
Technology: All of the various and usable technologies developed by a culture or people.
Academic Performance: Also known as academic achievement, this is the extent to which a student, instructor, or institution has met their short and long-term educational objectives.
Preschool: Education provided to children from birth until the age of approximately eight years.
A school is an institution that provides learning spaces and conditions for the instruction of students under the supervision of teachers.
Learning Outcomes: Significant and vital learning that students have completed and can consistently demonstrate at the end of a course or program.
Infant/Toddler Education: This is a subset of early childhood education that refers to the education of children from birth to age two.
A classroom is a room where a group of learners or students are taught.
Childhood is the age range from birth to adolescence.
Education is the process of aiding learning, including the development of knowledge, skills, values, culture, and habits.
Urban Schools: These are schools that are housed within the local government buildings.
Rural schools are those that are located outside of the local government’s headquarters.
Public schools are government-managed institutions.
Private schools are those that are run by private entities, such as organisations or individuals.
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