Effect Of Information Communication Technology On Early Childhood Education Delivery
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Effect Of Information Communication Technology On Early Childhood Education Delivery
ABSTRACT
The study sought to evaluate the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on children’s educational development in early childhood education at selected nursery schools in Lagos State’s Mainland Local Government Area. In this study, some relevant and related literatures were studied under different areas.
The descriptive research survey design was used to assess respondents’ attitudes using a questionnaire and sampling technique. This study included a total of 200 (two hundred) respondents.
This study generated and tested four null hypotheses, using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient for hypotheses one and two and the independent t-test for hypotheses three and four.
All hypotheses were evaluated at the 0.05 level of significance. At the end of the tests, the following results emerged: that there is a significant effect of the use of ICT on the learning of children at preschool, that there is a significant relationship between the use of ICT and teacher performance at preschool, that there is a significant relationship between the use of ICT and pupils’ learning outcomes at preschool, and that there is a significant gender difference in the use of ICT at the preschool level.
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The relevance of ICT in education is clear. Though chalkboards, textbooks, radio/television, and movies have all been utilised for instructional purposes over the years, none have had as much of an impact on the educational process as computers. While television and films only affect users’ audiovisual faculties, computers can activate their senses of sight, hearing, and touch.
ICT has the potential to provide more interactive opportunities for users to enhance their unique, intellectual, and creative abilities. The primary goal of ICT is to build human mental resources that enable people to successfully utilise current knowledge while also producing new knowledge (Shavinina, 2001).
The collective and inflexible structure of learning, as well as the passive nature of learning connected with the use of radio, television, and film, do not contribute to new changes in traditional educational techniques. Information and communication technology are used in the developed world for instructional purposes.
Today, computers fulfil a variety of tasks in teaching and learning, particularly as many countries incorporate computer literacy, reading, and writing literacy abilities that children will require to prosper in a technologically advanced environment (Thomas, 2005). At the educational level, students use computers to learn reading, math, social studies, art, music, simulation, and health practices.
Shavinina (2006) claimed that today’s learning contents are domain-specific items that dominate the global market. According to Shavinina (2006), domain-specific instructional multimedia focusses on the development of knowledge acquisition skills in language arts, history, physics, literature, biology, and other subjects.
There is little doubt that ICT gives effective teaching and learning opportunities to boost children’s creative and intellectual resources, particularly in today’s information age.
Through the simultaneous use of audio, text, multicolour images, graphics, and motion, ICT provides plentiful and extraordinary chances for students to develop capabilities for high-quality learning and boost their ability to innovate.
Nigeria cannot afford to fall behind in employing multimedia to develop the intellectual and creative resources of its inhabitants, particularly youngsters. This is especially crucial for children who will grow up in a cyber environment that is vastly different from what exists today (Shavinina, 2006).
Nigerian youngsters require a completely new educational curriculum and a diverse range of educational materials, with multimedia playing an important part (Ayo, 2000).
Technology has an important role in all facets of life now, and it will only grow in the future. The potential benefits of technology to young children’s learning and development are extensively acknowledged (Wright & Shade, 1994).
As technology becomes more user-friendly and early childhood software becomes more widely available, young children’s use of technology increases. As a result, early childhood educators must critically assess the impact of technology on children and be prepared to employ technology to help them.
Art, blocks, sand, water, books, experimentation with writing supplies, and theatrical play are examples of highly valued early childhood activities and resources that computers augment rather than replace.
According to research, computers can be used in developmentally appropriate ways that benefit children, but they can also be misused, just like any other instrument (Shade & Watson, 1990). Developmentally appropriate software facilitates collaborative play, learning, and invention.
Educators must exercise professional judgement in evaluating and utilising this learning tool responsibly, using the same criteria as they would for any other learning tool or experience.
To achieve an optimal balance in their classrooms, they must also consider the price of technology against the costs of other learning materials and programme resources.
Computers are intrinsically appealing to young children. The music and images attract children’s attention. Young children are increasingly interested in computers after observing parents and older children using them. Children become fascinated because they can utilise computers to do tasks.
Developmentally appropriate software encourages children to engage in creative play, mastery learning, problem solving, and communication. The youngsters determine the speed and action.
They can repeat a process or activity as many times as they like and try different variations. They work together to make decisions and share their discoveries and creations (Haugland and Shade, 1990).
The teacher’s role is crucial in ensuring that good judgements regarding which technology to employ are made, as well as in helping children in their use of technology to maximise potential benefits. Teachers must take the time to evaluate and select software based on developmental and learning concepts
as well as closely observe students using the program to detect possibilities and difficulties and make appropriate changes. Choosing acceptable software is analogous to selecting appropriate school texts; teachers must constantly make decisions about what is age appropriate, individually appropriate, and culturally appropriate.
Early life educators must make particular efforts to ensure that classroom software reflects and affirms children’s different cultures, languages, and ethnic backgrounds. Software, like all educational materials, should reflect the world in which children live:
it should be available in multiple languages, reflect gender equity, include people of colour and of various ages and abilities, and depict diverse families and experiences (Derman-Sparks & A.B.C. Task Force, 1989; Haugland & Shade, 1994).
As pre-school educators become more active participants in the technological world, they require extensive training and continuing assistance to be appropriately equipped to make technology decisions and support its effective usage in children’s learning environments.
Mayor (1997) argues for teachers to be fully educated to grasp and express to both children and adults the skills needed to construct a more sustainable living in a rapidly changing and globally interconnected environment.
The potential of technology is vast and ever-changing. The risk is that early childhood educators will get complacent, believing that their present knowledge or expertise is sufficient.
Technology is both a curriculum area and a learning tool, and teachers must demonstrate their own learning capacity (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The issue of a lack of use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning processes in early childhood education cannot be overstated. This is because a number of reasons impede the successful use of ICT to teach pre-school students.
The major impediments to the successful use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the preschool level include: the high cost of computers in developing countries; weak infrastructure, which has resulted in a lack of computer use; and a lack of skills and human knowledge to integrate ICT into preschool teaching and learning.
Not only that, but other issues associated with the underutilisation of ICT in nursery school education include a lack of appropriate software. For example, culturally appropriate software for the Nigerian education system is in low supply.
Furthermore, there is a significant gap between relevant software supply and demand in developing countries such as Nigeria. Another issue raised by this study is that many Nigerian instructors, particularly those who teach preschool students, have limited access to the internet.
This is because there are few internet providers who provide internet gateway services in Nigeria, and many of the foreign organisations that provide internet services in Nigeria deliver bad services to the Nigerian people, so teachers do not take advantage of them.
The difficulties identified above prompted an investigation of the impact of information and communication technology on early childhood education.
1.3 Goal of the Study
The study’s primary aims include:
1. Determine whether the usage of ICT will have a substantial effect on preschool learning.
2. Determine whether there will be a substantial association between the use of ICT and teachers’ performance at school.
3. Determine whether there will be a substantial association between the use of ICT and kids’ learning outcomes at the preschool.
4. Determine whether there will be a substantial gender disparity in the use of ICT at preschools.
1.4 Research Questions.
This study raised the following questions:
1. Will the usage of ICT have a substantial effect on preschool learning?
2. Will there be a strong link between the usage of ICT and teacher performance in schools?
3. Will there be a link between the usage of ICT and students’ learning results at preschool?
4. Will there be a substantial gender gap in the use of ICT at preschool?
1.5 Research Hypotheses.
The following research hypotheses were developed and tested in this study:
1. The usage of ICT will have no substantial effect on preschool learning.
2. There will be no substantial association between the use of ICT and teacher performance at school.
3. There will be no substantial association between the usage of ICT and students’ learning outcomes at preschool.
4. The use of ICT at the preschool will not differ significantly by gender.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The study’s findings will benefit the following:
(1) Teachers will benefit from this study because the findings and recommendations will help them understand the relevance of incorporating ICT into teaching and learning at the preschool level of the country’s educational system.
Teachers will also find this study to be eye-opening, as it will provide them with insight into the appropriate usage of ICT in the nursery school’s teaching and learning processes.
(2) Pupils will benefit from this study because the findings and recommendations will help them appreciate the value of using ICT and its role in their learning outcomes.
(3) Parents will benefit from this study because it will educate them on the importance of ICT use by their children’s teachers and its impact on their students’ learning results. Furthermore, with the proper use of ICT, parents will notice a change in their children’s performance during the early stages of their educational careers.
(4) The society would gain from the study’s findings because the recommendations will help adult members of the society comprehend the impact of ICT on teaching and learning at the preschool level in Nigeria’s educational system.
(5) Researchers, both old and new, including students, will use this study as a contact or reference resource for their future studies and academic work.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study examined the impact of ICT use on teaching and learning in early childhood education in the Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.8 Definition of Terms
This study’s operational definitions included the following terms:
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is the component culture that allows people to use their ability to benefit their environment in order to survive. It transformed the world into a global village.
Early Childhood Education: Education for children aged birth to eight.
Educational Technology: A systematic method to building, implementing, and evaluating instructional systems based on the fundamental principles of education.
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