IMPACT OF USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

IMPACT OF USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

According to the definition of economies, it is the study of how best to use a society’s finite resources. While fulfilling as many of these desires as possible may be considered the overall goal of economic policy, fulfilling as many of these desires as possible may be considered the purpose of economic activity, which is to produce goods and services to satisfy human desires. When economics was added to the Nigerian curriculum in 1967, only 10 students signed up to take the subject in the Senior Secondary School final exam. Due to the importance of economics to all fields of study, Nigeria now has a high percentage of applicants who register and sit for exams on an annual basis for both the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examination Council (NECO).

(2002) Odunsanya and Malik.

The following is mentioned in the secondary level economics curriculum offered by the West African Examination Council:

i. Knowledge of the structure and function of economic institutions, such as financial, commercial, and industrial ones.

ii. A practical understanding of basic economic theories, concepts, and analytical methods.

iii. To get students ready for higher-level economics instruction.

iv. How to manage the available resources

v. The ability to keep track of how West African countries are doing as their economies develop.

It is necessary to use information and communication technology (ICT) as a teaching tool for economics instruction and learning in senior secondary schools in order to achieve these goals and objectives. The term “information” covers a wide range of things, including spoken and written words, numbers, claims, files,

and documents to acoustic, electromagnetic, and wave components. Whatever form information takes, its fundamental purpose is to convey a message (UNESCO 1979).

While information technology is the capture, processing, storage, and transmission of voice, computerized, textual, and numerical data through a micro base combination of computers and telecommunications, technology is the application of scientific knowledge. Data is sent over long distances in telecommunications, a branch of communication.

Information and communication technology (COMPUTER) can mean many different things to different people. Some people use the term “information and communication technology” (COMPUTER) to describe the methods needed to process information, including the use of electronic computers and computer software to create, store, protect, process, transport, pick, tweak, receive, and display different kinds of information. To

Information and communication technology (COMPUTER) is the term used to describe the activities involved in creating, acquiring, putting to use, and maintaining electrified systems.

Computers are essentially divided into three categories: • Data processors. • Information transmitters, such as computers • Information display devices, such as multimedia.

Everyone’s personal and professional lives are impacted by computers and information technology (ICT). Information technology is advantageous in every profession, but particularly in teaching. The advent of computers appears to have created a new body of knowledge that has affected the entire human race. As a result of the issues and worries brought on by the expansion of information in response to professional obsolescence in almost every sphere of human endeavor, Akinseinde and Akinsete (1990) emphasize the need for professional development for instructors.

As a

The main duties of a teacher are to improve teaching methods and communicate clearly. The easier and less time-consuming a teacher’s role is, the better at managing their work life and material they are. Ilyas Mohammed (1986) provided an overview of the benefits of information technology to economics, stating that it is a vital aid in learning and teaching a wide range of economic topics, such as statistics, measures of tendency, and national income.

The use of a computer allows the instructor to quickly maintain and manage necessary records, keep track of students, compute exam results, and prepare lecture notes. Essentially, the creative and dynamic nature of education is enhanced by the use of computers as a teaching tool, and learning is also made more concrete, real, and immediate. ,

also perceptive. It improves teaching and learning simultaneously while maintaining their efficacy and effectiveness as a result.

Statement of the issues
There are new and contemporary ways to do things as the world changes. The use of innovative and technologically driven methods that the computer provides must take the place of the chalk and talk method if the educational policy’s goal is to produce a workforce capable of coping with the constantly changing modern world and participating in the global village (Chinyere and Chris 2004).

The abnormal and ongoing erosion of educational quality at all levels is one of the most prominent and obvious features of the current educational system and institutions; over time, the WAEC and NECO results have consistently shown this trend.

this stark reality, which demands urgent adjustment. Therefore, the goal of this study is to ascertain how using information technology in secondary school economics teaching and learning has an impact.

1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVE
Examining how information technology is used in secondary school economics instruction and learning is the study’s main goal. The following principles will specifically guide the study:

i. To investigate how the teaching of economics in secondary schools is impacted by the use of IT in the classroom.

ii. To assess the effectiveness of computer-based instruction in secondary schools for teaching economics.

iii. To look into the connection between computer use and economics education in secondary schools.

iv.

to make suggestions on how to use IT more effectively for teaching and learning.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
For the study, the following inquiries have been prepared:

Is the teaching of economics in secondary schools affected by the use of IT in the classroom?

ii. Can secondary school students learn economics effectively using computers as a teaching tool?

iii. Is there a connection between computer use and secondary school economics instruction?

iv. What are the suggested methods to enhance IT use for more effective teaching and learning?

1.5 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
This research study is important because it first develops an interactive medium that will improve the culture of self-learning and encourage students to

Because activities in the classroom will require both psychomotor and auditory skills, teach and promote student participation.

The study will be important because it will inform teachers and students about the importance of computer literacy for personal and professional competence in this era of globalization. It will also provide information on how computers are influencing the way that economics is taught and learned, among other subjects.

The academic community will benefit from this study because it will add to the body of knowledge.

Scope and limitations 1.6
This study will look at how economics education in secondary schools is impacted by the use of IT in the classroom. Additionally, the study aims to determine how well computers can be used to teach economics.

in secondary education. The study will look more closely at the connection between computer use and secondary school economics instruction. Finally, the study will offer suggestions on how to improve IT usage for more efficient teaching and learning. The study will therefore be restricted to Benue State.

Limitations of the study: 1.7

While conducting the study, the researchers ran into some minor obstacles, just like in every human endeavor. Due to the tendency of inadequate funding to hinder the researcher’s efficiency in locating pertinent materials, literature, or information as well as in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, and interview), the researcher opted for a moderately sized sample size. In addition, the researcher will conduct this study and other

academic pursuits The time needed for research will be cut down as a result.

1.8 TERMINAL DEFINITIONS

Information technology is the study or application of systems for storing, retrieving, and sending information, particularly computers and telecommunications.

Teaching is a teacher’s job, profession, or line of work.

Learning is the process of gaining information or skills through study, practice, or instruction.