CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Education is the aggregate of all the process by means of which people develop skills, attitude and all forms of behaviours which are of positive value to themselves and the society in which they belong (Good, 1973). Education takes place in a formal agency called school. There are a number of non-formal agencies of education. Information and communication Technology (ICT) is one of such agencies which has an effect on learning in secondary schools in the Buea municipality.

1.1 Background of the Study

Education for new emerging societies requires ICTs to facilitate large scale learning needs. Information and scientific knowledge are not simply means of improving learning but main products of the economy. ICTs and information society are concerned with the creation, acquisition, sharing dissemination, delivery, support and recognition of knowledge. ICTs are the means for providing access to and engaging in the continuous learning that becomes necessary for successful participation in the society. Vladimir, et.al, (2004, p5).

According to Vladimir, et.al. (2004), information and communication Technology has become a critical tool for learning and professional training. The sooner learners know how to use ICTs, the easier they can find their ways to engage on the newest methods of data acquisition and transformation to knowledge. The level of technology has developed nowadays not basically because of the economic power and living standard of a particular country but also because of it technical progress.

At the same time the level of development and utilization of modern technologies in different countries is determined not only by their material resources, but to a large extent by the degree of society’s ability to produce, absorb and apply new knowledge. These achievements in turn are tightly linked with the level of education. These processes are largely by information and communication technologies. Vladimir, et.al. (2004)

The leaders to respond to the challenges of the 21st century have professed the desire to transform their countries in to learning societies in as much as information and communication technology needs competent knowledgeable citizens. The era of new ICTs does not eliminate the most difficult problems that the world of education faces now and that have to be solved irrespective whether the new technologies are accepted or rejected. The main features in the educational system of information society are production of knowledge, geographical temporal independence on acquisition of knowledge, structural and pedagogic innovation in teaching-learning process.

ICTs are a vital component in upgrading the quality of Education through changes in curricula, mastering of new training skills and wider scope of knowledge. According to Arena (2000), instructional Technologies incorporate the tools and provide support to reinforce teaching and learning in schools. Technology in this respect involves a broad based including its methods, management and its applications that supports the creation, storage, manipulation and communication of information.

Sansawal (2000) defines information Technology as the use of hardware and software for the efficient management of information. It deals with the storage, retrieval, processing, communicating and sharing of information for social, economic and cultural upliftment. ICTs provide a variety in the presentation of content which helps learners in concentrating better understanding and long retention of information which may not be possible otherwise.

A good way to think about ICT is to consider all the uses of digital technology that already exist to help individual businesses and organization use information. ICTs have dramatically changed the teaching-learning process. This has opened up new learning opportunities and has provided access to Educational resources.

Human first effort at communication grew from the local ICT tools such as Xylophones, gongs drums that were and are still used in most contemporary societies especially during cultural events. Those local communication technologies are provided with the bases for cooperation among humans.

Today, ICTs are used in learning and delivering messages. ICTs provide sources of different information. The digital technology has broken boundaries between counties. Human beings do not feel any type of restriction in communicating with people all over the world. New technology is beginning to have an impact on what happens in the classroom and this impact has grown especially in the 21st century.

Information and communication technology tools used in the teaching and learning process are computers televisions, radios and tape recorders. All these ICTs play a vital role on learning.

1.2 Operational Definition of Terms

Information: Information is data that has been processed and categorized into useful and meaningful form. Information can be collected, analyzed, manipulated, retrieved, transmitted and relieved.

Communication: Communication is the process of transferring information from one point to another or from one person to another.

Technology: Technology refers to the equipment, methods and activities that are used for solving human problems.

Learning: Learning is the relatively permanent change in an individual’s behaviour as a result of experience or practice.

Secondary Schools: Sally (2003) defines secondary school as a school for young people between the ages 11 and 16 or 18. Hormy (1974) says it is a formal institution where teaching and learning takes place under the supervision of a facilitator or teachers.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The issues of teaching and learning are of central importance to the evolving information society. ICTs are creating an environment of rapid changes, which requires a new approach in education. A student demands new skills and understanding and must develop the facility to enhance these skills and understanding on an on-going bases.

If the teacher is using broadcasts directly or life from a television station, it can be said that he or she is using the direct approach of teaching (Tambo, 2012) in this case, the teacher can select those programmes that relates to the content of which he is teaching since he does not have a full control over the contents of programme broadcast by a TV station. In this case, the teacher needs only a TV receiver often called a monitor.

According to Mbangwana (2006) Cameroon secondary schools do not have a well-developed curriculum which takes care of the practice and use of ICTs. He said that most teachers are computer illiterate and cannot venture in such curriculum. This study sets to find out how information communication technology can affect the teaching and learning process and how it can be used appropriately.

1.4 Objective of the Study

1.4.1 General Objective

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of ICTs on learning in secondary schools in the Buea municipality.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives for the study include:

1. To investigate if ICTs are actually used in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.
2. To determine the extent to which ICTs are used in the education process in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.
3. To determine the impact of using ICTs in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.
4. To gather ways to improve the use of ICTs in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

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