THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON PUPILS COMMUNICATION SKILLS
ABSTRACT
The study looked at the impact of information and communication technology on students’ communication skills. A thorough review of the literature was conducted under relevant subheadings. Using a questionnaire and a sampling technique, the descriptive research design was used to assess the opinions of the respondents.
A total of 100 (One Hundred) respondents (50 males and 50 females) were chosen and used in this study as the study’s sample, representing the entire population of the study. Three research questions were posed in the study and analyzed along with the bio-data of the respondents
using simple percentage frequency counts, while three null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the 0.05 level of significance using both the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and the independent t-test statistical tools.
The following findings emerged from the data analyses: there is a significant relationship between ict tools available for teaching and learning and speaking skills in primary school, there is a significant difference between teacher and the use of ict tools in teaching and learning, there is a significant difference between implementation and challenges facing ict facilities in primary school,
and it is summarized that there is a positive relationship between informatics and speaking skills in primary school. Based on the findings of this study, the researcher recommended a number of measures to parents, the government, teachers, and society that will aid in the promotion of communication skills that will result in a healthy future leader of the nation.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Study Background
Teaching is rapidly becoming one of the most difficult professions in our society today, as knowledge expands at such a rapid pace that modern technologies necessitate the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) (Bakkabulindi, 2007).
ICT has quickly become one of the fundamental building blocks of modern society. Many countries now consider understanding ICT and mastering its fundamental concepts to be essential components of education (UNESCO, 2002).
To emphasize the importance of ICT in promoting economic growth and development, the Nigerian government established a full-fledged Ministry of Communication Technology and a National Information Technology Development Agency.
According to observers and proponents of ICT, our use of increasingly sophisticated and enabling technologies will continue, to the point where technological literacy will become a basic functional requirement for our work, social, and personal lives.
According to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in the United Kingdom (2004), as the rate of technological development continues to accelerate, children in our primary schools today will live in a world where ICT will be increasingly integrated into their daily lives.
Computers in education are not a new phenomenon. Its proponents claimed in the 1970s that it would transform and save education (Lockard & Abrams, 1994). In the late 1980s, there was a growing shift toward computer integration that focused on the curriculum rather than the tool.
Its supporters believed that students would learn new skills as they were required to make the computer work for them. The computer could now be regarded as a collaborator rather than a competitor, and it could be treated in a more natural manner (Lockard & Abrams, 1994).
The 1990s saw a greater emphasis on increasing the use of computer technology in the classroom, and this was not limited to evangelists. Growing interest and pressure to implement technology in education is coming from a variety of sources, including parents and the business sector,
rather than just education departments (Pelgrum, 2001). The Internet is one of the most significant features of the technological or digital era that is highly relevant to education. Hargittai (2009) defines the Internet as a worldwide network of computers and people interacting with one another.
Pupils’ playfulness can be stimulated by technology, which can immerse them in a variety of scenarios. Technology allows students to engage in self-directed actions, self-paced interactions, privacy, and a safe environment in which errors are corrected and specific feedback is provided (Pelgrum, 2001).
The ability of a machine to track mistakes and link students immediately to exercises that focus on specific errors adds value to feedback from a machine. Emerging research demonstrates the significance of qualitative feedback in software.
The use of headphones in the lab increases students’ interest in the subject and encourages them to repeat the process instead of becoming bored (Musisi, Nansozi, Muwanga, and Nakanyike, 2003) There are software programs available to help students improve their speaking skills. By incorporating appropriate software through computers, students will be able to play it again and again with their own interest, attempting to improve their speaking skills, which are critical in today’s modernized ICT world.
Speech recognition software can also help students improve their speaking skills by converting spoken words into machine-readable input. The device recognizes the accuracy of what was read and then provides positive reinforcement such as “You sound great!” or allows the user to try again, allowing the pupil to determine whether or not he is reading well.
As the user’s speaking ability improves, the technology reads less material, allowing the student to read more. This software also evaluates and provides scores for grammar, pronunciation, comprehension, and provided with the correct forms; for example,
if a student mispronounces a word, the learning tool can immediately spot it and assist in correcting it. This device can be very useful for distance learners because they do not have a teacher who corrects their speech, and it can help them improve their speaking skills.
The term “internet” is well-known and widely used by people all over the world. According to Amin (2005), students now use the Internet in the classroom to learn speaking skills, and online teaching inside the classroom appears to be interesting and encourages students to find appropriate materials for them, that is, students are instructed to do the grammar exercises that are available online.
We can collect data from various sources for any instruction to improve speaking skill with the use of software programs Skype, MSM Messenger, Google Talk (used to have online conferences) and other applications where students can connect with friends, other students, teachers, and even native speakers via the Internet.
These methods of learning have been shown to improve oral proficiency in students and compensate for the lack of native speakers in the areas where students live. Furthermore, online conferences improve intercultural awareness, motivation, and interaction.
According to Barbra (2004), students can find a variety of learning materials on the internet, such as audio, video, radio and TV shows, games, voice recordings, quizzes, podcasts, and so on. This exposes them to a large amount of target language and helps them develop their speaking skills.
According to Jung (2005), podcasts can be uploaded or downloaded from the internet, and this audio can help students familiarize with the target language, and teachers can use them as useful audio material that can be used in class for activities such as discussions.
Furthermore, on the web, there are even specific podcasts for English as Second Language (ESL) learners, and these can include pronunciation for specific needs of students. Podcasts undoubtedly assist students in improving their speaking abilities.
Pod casting is the incorporation of audio files into which we can feed our own materials and distribute them both inside and outside of the classroom. Students can listen to their favorite music files on their iPods. In the same way, they get their education through entertainment.
According to Sekaran (2003), podcasting allows students to use their technology-based entertainment systems for educational purposes. We can move away from traditional face-to-face training without losing the pupil-to-trainer relationship, which is essential in any learning process.
Podcasts make it possible for students and teachers to share information with anyone, at any time. An absent student can access the missed lectures by downloading the podcast of the recorded lesson. They could also attend expert lectures that would otherwise be unavailable due to geographical distance or other factors.
In this study, information and communication technology (ICT) is defined as a set of tools that can be used to process, provide, and access information and communication services or products. Hardware and software, such as the Internet, telephones/mobile phones, telefax, typewriters, calculators, radios, televisions, and hydraulic machines used in industry, are examples of services and products.
According to Bakkabulindi (2002), there are two types of ICTs: ICTs for converting or processing data into information, such as adding machines, calculators, typewriters, and computers, and ICTs for communicating data and or information from one location to another, such as telegraph, telephone, telefax, and computer networks.
These gadgets allow for a more interactive approach. The relationship between the user and these gadgets is referred to as interaction. ICT also refers to the gadgets’ availability, accessibility, and usability.
Availability denotes the presence of these ICT resources, whereas accessibility denotes the extent to which these ICT resources are easily accessible to as many people as possible. The ability of students and teachers to use these resources to achieve specific goals is referred to as user-ability.
According to Ajayi (2008), the effective use of ICT in teaching and learning is dependent on the availability of these facilities and the teachers’ ability to use them. According to observations, most public primary schools in Lagos state have few
functional ICT facilities, which limits teachers’ ability to use them for teaching and learning. Another set of obstacles preventing effective use of ICT facilities in teaching and learning communication skills in Yobe state is a lack of adequate computer-literate teachers, irregular power supply, and insufficient funding.
As a result, there is a need to address such issues by providing adequate ICT facilities and training for teachers to effectively use it in the teaching and learning process.
Teachers and students must be able to demonstrate high cognitive flexibility in order to use and develop ICT materials that facilitate the teaching and learning of communication skills (Spiro, Feltovich, Jacobson, & Coulson, 2005). This emphasizes the importance of learning transfer.
The extent to which performance in one situation, such as a multimedia lesson, is reflected in another situation, such as working on the job or in a subsequent lesson, is referred to as transfer of learning (Allessi & Trollip, 2006). As a result, for students in classrooms, teaching is frequently a precursor to applying or using that knowledge in the real world.
1.2 Problem Statement
The learning of students remains central to any discussion of academic achievement. ICTs open the door for educational institutions and other organizations to harness and use technology to supplement and support the teaching and learning processes.
Despite widespread support for ICT as a tool for teaching and learning, investment and donation of ICT equipment to primary schools still faces the challenge of transforming students’ learning processes in order to provide students with the skills needed to function effectively in this dynamic, information-rich, and constantly changing environment.
The cause for concern is that unless this issue is addressed, investment in the development of ICT in primary schools will be wasted, and progress in improving the quality of teaching and learning will be slow. This may result in the primary school failing to
achieve its mission and producing school leavers who are prepared for a world of work that is increasingly reliant on ICT-aided knowledge generation and dissemination. Given this disparity, it is necessary to investigate the specific effects of availability, accessibility, and usability of ICT resources on students’ speaking skills.
1.3 The Study’s Objectives
The primary goal of this research is to look into the impact of information and communication technology on students’ communication skills in Badagry Local Government.
The study’s specific goals were as follows:
1. To investigate the availability of ICT tools in primary schools for teaching and learning of speaking skills.
2. To investigate the extent to which ICT tools are used in the teaching and learning of speaking skills.
3. To investigate the obstacles to the implementation of ICT facilities in primary schools in the Badagry Local Government Area.
1.4 Research Issues
The following research questions were sought answers to.
1. To what extent are ICT tools available in primary schools for teaching and learning speaking skills?
2. To what extent do primary school teachers and students use ICT tools to teach and learn speaking skills?
3. What are the obstacles to implementing ICT facilities in primary schools in the Badagry Local Government Area?
1.4 Hypotheses for Research
The following hypotheses were put to the test:
Ho 1. There is no statistically significant difference between the ICT tools available for teaching and learning and the speaking skills in primary schools.
Ho 2. There is no significant relationship between primary school teachers and students and the use of ICT tools in teaching and learning.
Ho 3. Is there a significant difference in the implementation and challenges of ICT facilities in primary schools in the Badagry Local Government Area?
1.5 Importance of Research
The way we use ICT in light of the research findings will be critical to providing our students with high-quality communication skills. To cultivate critical thinking and metacognition, the Internet can be used to create learning environments in which students are allowed to explain and defend their thoughts, opinions, and decisions.
This study is extremely beneficial because it will aid in examining the nature of students’ performance in communication skill classrooms. The study will investigate the relationship between an English teacher’s appropriate use of ICT tools and the performance of his or her students.
Without equivocation, the research will also highlight tried-and-true measures for improved performance. Without a doubt, the findings of this study will be extremely beneficial to education policymakers and the government. The findings will allow the government to increase funding for school facilities, particularly ICT equipment, so that teachers have adequate ICT resources for teaching and learning.
1.6 Restrictions
The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of information and communication technology on students’ communication skills in Badagry Local Government in Lagos State. The study, which can cover 5 primary schools in Education, uses both primary and secondary data sources. As a result, generalization of the findings may be impossible.
1.7 Term Definitions
Communication ability: the ability to convey information to another person in an effective and efficient manner.
Speaking ability: the ability to convey information to another person in an effective and efficient manner.
Tools are materials that are used in the teaching and learning processes.
Integration is the act of combining two variables.
ICT knowledge is the ability to apply knowledge in the field of information and communication technology.
Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer system.
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