CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

The world has witnessed in the past, two major socio-economic Revolutions; the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution. Presently, there is another socio-economic shift, which is the arrival of computer is being witnessed. This stage of revolution in the society emphasized the production, storage and distribution of information in various forms.

     According to Alo (2006); computer is an electronic devices or machine that is capable of accepting inputs or data through input devices, processes the inputs and generates appropriate results which are displayed through the output devices.

    Computer is an electronic machine used to record, store process and recall data or information (Ezeliora, 2000). According to Mbam (2000); computer is a fast and accurate electronic machine, which is capable of accepting data as input, processes data and produces outputs under the influence of a stored program or instruction.

     Computer Education can be seen as learning experiences with computer for the aim of achieving the set objectives of computer education (Nwaibe, 2010). consequently, computer education is aimed at making the learner computer literate.

      Mbam (2000) defined computer as a machine which processes intelligent results.

He stresses that computer is a machine capable of accepting data according to a predefine instruction and produce report as results.

     Umeh (2004) defined computer as a kind of electronic machine that enables man to solve diverse kind of problems.

He further emphasis that computer is a device capable of accepting data, processing data and displaying the results in mans understandable format.

Ezeliora (2005), defined computer as “an electro-mechanical device used to aid calculations with little mental and manual effort. He explained that computer is an electronic device or machine that is capable of performing calculations and other kind of data manipulation.

   Computer can further be defined as an electronic machine that is capable of carrying out services of arithmetic and logical operations with a well structured instruction. It is a machine capable of presenting information (lesson) to its users when programmed for this purpose. The importance of web and distant learning speaks for the many instructional provision that can be acquired with the use of computer in improving instructions.

    In Ebonyi state, computer education is a welcomed development whereby the teaching of computer is being administered to all students regardless of the class they belong to in secondary schools but the problems faced here is that, they do not have all the necessary requirements needed for effective and successful teaching and learning of computer. This requirements include; computer Laboratories and Libraries; enough computer systems, Electricity supply and instructional materials for computer education.

To this end according to Oduma (2004) are ways (strategies) for improving computer instruction thus:

-     Conducting teacher in service training in different aspects of technology and its application to different concepts on computer instruction

-     Ensuring the accessibility and appropriate software to the students and teachers.

-     Citing the schools computer laboratory to a more accessible area.

-     Review and re-write middle school technology curriculum.

-     Establish cooperative and peer tutoring groups, workshops and seminars for both the students and teachers.

Hence, improving computer instructional strategies, topics in the school syllabus should be encoded in the computer programme in a self-instructional mode, which should be easy for students to use with minimal assistance.

Statement of the Problem

During my research work in Ezza Boys High school, Onueke in Ebonyi state, the researcher observed that their classrooms for the junior secondary classes are highly populated. The researcher taught the J.S.S.11A class that was populated with eighty-five students. More so, one (1) computer system was provided by the school to undergo the teaching and learning process of computer. Consequently, student’s performance in their previous years exams was very poor. This is in line with Igbe (2008) when he said that computer Education cannot be effectively taught and learnt without the use of relevant instructional materials. The teaching task the researcher experienced there was a tedious and enormous one because the researcher made sure that each of the student experienced the computer in order for the specific objectives to be achieved which made me to use more than the required time to teach the students.

Thus; it is in the realization of these problems above that prompt me to emerge with this research to present strategies of improving computer instruction in Ezza South Local Government Area Secondary Schools.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to present the strategies of improving computer instructions in Ezza South Local Government Area Secondary Schools.

Specifically, the research is designed to;

i.    Determine the strategies for improving computer instruction in secondary schools in Ezza south Local Government Area.

ii.   Determine the most suitable strategies for improving computer instruction in secondary schools.

iii. Determine whether there are differences in the opinions of teachers and principals on the strategies for in improving computer instructions in Ezza South Local Government Area secondary schools.

Significance of the Study

It is hoped that the findings of this research will be beneficial to the Ebonyi state government, the teachers, the curriculum planners, the students and the parent.

  The findings of this research will be useful to the teachers by making the teachers to know the strategies to use in administering their class for effective and successful computer Education.

       The findings of this research will expose the most important strategies to the curriculum planners in the area of evaluation technique.

The findings of this research will be useful to the Ebonyi state Government by way of getting result from their investment in Education.

More so, the parents will benefit because their wards when they are effectively taught with improved method of teaching, this new system of teaching computer studies will make their wards prosper and succeed in their computer study. Thereby reducing financial wastage on their parent.

In addition, the findings of this research will make the government of Ebonyi state to organize seminars, workshops, conferences on the improved method of teaching computer instruction to make the teachers resourceful and more embraced with the current development in the field of computer science.

Scope of the Study

The research focuses on the strategies of improving computer instruction in Ezza South Local Government Area secondary schools.

Research Questions.

The following research questions are constructed to guide the study;

1.   What are the strategies for improving computer instruction in secondary schools in Ezza south Local Government Area?

2.   Which of the strategies for improving computer instruction in secondary schools in Ezza Local Government Area are most suitable? 

3.   To what extent are there difference in the opinions of teachers and principals on the strategies for improving computer instruction in Ezza South Local Government Area secondary school?

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