The Study Examined The Influence Of Ict On Students Attitude To Religious Studies In Secondary Schools

THE STUDY EXAMINED THE INFLUENCE OF ICT ON STUDENTS ATTITUDE TO RELIGIOUS STUDIES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The use of ICTs in Nigeria and African countries generally is increasing and dramatically growing.

The role of ICTs play in the educational as learning environment cannot be over emphasized. The use of ICTs in modern learning environment ranges from slice use of computers in practical aspects to an online learning experience which enhances and improves student’s intellectual and leaning behavior (Smith 2003

Education is a very socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been associated with strong teachers having high degree  of personal contact with learners. The use of ICT in education lends itself to more students-oriented learning settings, But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the influence of ICT on both education and students learning behavior is becoming more and more important and this importance will continue to grow in the 21^st century.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are electronic technology used for information storage and retrieval. Development is partly determined by the ability to establish a synoptic interaction between technological innovations as human values. The rapid rate of which ICT evolve since the mid-20^th Century with it convergence as pervasiveness give it strong role in development and globalization.

The field of education has been influenced by ICTs, which have undoubtedly affect teaching and research, ICts have the potential to accelerate, enrich and depend skills, to motivate and engage students, to help relate school experience to work, practice and create economic teaching and helping school experience charge in a rapidly changing world, basic education is essential for an individual to be able to access and apply information. Such ability must include ICT in the global village. The use of ICT by the student in Secondary school in Nigeria is just beginning to gain popularity and research in the area have just started emerging. Emphatically, the use of ICT has a positive influence on both students achievement, motivation and learning process. Although classrooms are considered a face-to-face learning environment. Yet the installation of ICT equipment such as web-based tools and other technologies positively influence student’s blended learning situation. Classrooms with ICT learning equipment  whether completely online or blended on average produce stronger learning outcomes and motivation than learning face-to-face alone.

In the light of these therefore, the research seeks to establish the influence of ICT on students attitudes to religious studies in Ikono Local Government Area.

 

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The researcher has identifies that the principal reason in that lace of ICT facilities such as internet, computer and computer and social media capable of motivating students attitudes to religious studies. This the effective use of ICT may be more than simply transferring of academic information. It extends to the skill and ability of students in operating the facilities appropriately.

Other reasons students are not encouraged to study religion in Secondary School and even in other institutions are lack of parental support peer group and the fear of career aspirations. This has gone deep into students in secondary schools and has resulted in failure in studying religion and even including religion in their WASCE (SSCE) because they think that religion is not useful in life

Another problem is lack of patience and on the part of the students to learn an  understand the facilities in ICT. In appropriate computer, and even the location affect the attitude of students and their            performance. This resulted in a question as to how could ICT  influence student’s attitude to religious studies in Ikono L.G.A Are of Akwa Ibom State.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to examine the influenced of ICT on student’s attitudes to religious studies.

1. To determine the influence of social media on student’s attitude to religious studies.
2. To determine the influence of Google search on students attitude to religious studies.
3. To determine the influence of ICT on student’s attitude based on location.
4. To determine the influence of ICT on student’s attitude based on gender.

Research Questions

The following research questions were raised on the study.

1. Does the influence of ICT on students attitude has effect based on location.
2. Does gender, help to influence ICT on student attitudes?
3. Does a social media influence the student attitude in the study of religious.
4. Does students’ use search engines such as Google for solving information problems.

Research Hypothesis

1. There is no significant influence between location and the influence of ICT on student.
2. There is no significant effect of the use of social media on students achievement in Religious Studies based on gender.
3. There is no significant effect o the use of Google search based on academic ability.

Significant of the Study

This study is very significant because the data generated would guide teachers and students of Religious Studies to effectively select and efficiently utilize ICT instructional media in the teaching and learning of Religious Studies. It would give the government Education Planners, Curriculum Designers’, teachers and students the insight into the effective of ICT utilization in contribution to the improvement of students learning gain in Religious Studies and religious studies teacher bases of their decision making while planning to select and use media for religious study instruction in school. It will aid the school managers (principals, teachers, an media holding to integrate such media holding into the learning needs of the school users. The school authorities an stakeholders in Education will through the report of this study see the need to make ICT instructional devices available in school to facilitate its utilization in teaching in order to improve students achievement in school subjects.

Limitation of the Study

The study was carried out in Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and only Public Secondary School during 2015/2016 academic year were considered. The study examined the influence of ICT on students attitude to Religious Studies in Secondary Schools as well as to determine the influence of social media on student’s academic achievement based on gender and location. The study was Limited to Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Definition of Terms

ICT: As used in this study refers to information and Communication Technology which is described here as the process of applying the theory and practice of using computer to store, analyze, information and convey information from one person to another for the purpose of exchanging messages to aid interaction among people.

The term ICT might still be strange to some, confusing to many and also misunderstood by great number of people. However ICT is taken to be the highest breakthrough in educational technology since the invention of the blackboard. It is an acronym for Information Communication Technology. “ICT” is no different theory with IT. Both can be used interchangeably. Before giving a working definition let first of all look at some component words in ICT. According to Prof. G. B. Harrison (2000) technology is the process of using scientific materials and human resources in order to meet human need or purpose. Information on its own side is that which can be communicated and understood.

Computer: As used in this study is a fast electronic machine or device that can store data and do things with it according to already stored set of instruction, programs to produce information. The computer could be said to be the master in the world of ICT. This is because all the ICTs have something to do with the computer (Alade, 2006). Most of the ICTs, if not all of them, go through the computer to be made. The students and teachers alike in the religious education use computers to solve assignments and crack strong questions. Computers can be used to store or keep facts and records in the religious education. Teachers specifically use the computer to store the students’ marks in order to monitor the students’ performances. Also in the religious education, computer can be used to detect impersonators (Dimson, 2007).

School Location: Categorization of Secondary School in the Local Government. These within the headquarters are called Urban school, while those outside the headquarters are referred to as Assurance School.

What is Religious Education?

Religious education is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviours and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based,

and cross-cultural perspectives. Religious education originated in the nineteenth century, when scholarly and historical analysis of the Bible had flourished, and Hindu and Buddhist texts were first being translated into European languages. Early influential scholars included Friedrich Max Müller, in England, and Cornelius P. Tiele, in the Netherlands. Today religious education is practiced by scholars worldwide. In its early years, it was known as Comparative Religion or the Science of Religion and, in the USA, there are those who today also know the field as the History of Religion (associated with methodological traditions traced to the University of Chicago from the late 1950s through to the late 1980s). The field is known as Religionswissenschaftin German and Science de la religion in the French speaking world (Wikipedia).

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