THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION VISUALIZATION ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BASIC TECHNOLOGY

THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION VISUALIZATION ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN BASIC TECHNOLOGY

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the research

On computers, textual information is most frequently encoded and decoded using the numerical method known as information. It is a response to a question of some kind from which additional knowledge and understanding may be gleaned (Ware, 2022). Information is spread through the substance of communications as well as through the direct or indirect observation of specific phenomena. The data is received in its raw form as unprocessed information, and it is then transformed into a form that can be deciphered and given meaning. According to Barnes (2022), information is supposedly obtained and assessed in order to offer information that is suitable for decision-making. Spence (2021) is of the opinion that there is a gateway into the mind that allows people to see and register what they have seen in their brains since the eye is the primary sense that is utilized. This is because the eye is the principal sense that is used. Since the eye is such a vital organ, people cannot function well without them. SanJos (2019) got to the conclusion that effective communication requires the use of imagery, which is essential to reflection on what the mind conceptualizes in humans.

When we talk about visualization, we mean the process of taking raw data and putting it into a format that humans can understand. Jinsheng (2022) claims that the term “visualization” can either refer to “what visualization” (the thing, thing, or visual image) or “how visualization” (the method, activity, or ability of visualizing). Visual representations and interaction approaches make use of the human eyes, which provide a wide bandwidth channel into the mind. Merriam-Webster (2010) defines visualization as the “creation of mental pictures” or “the act or process of interpreting in visual terms or of putting into visible form.” Visualization may also be thought of as “putting into visible form.” Users may view, analyze, and interpret enormous volumes of information at once thanks to this.

Information visualization, according to Salaberry (2022), is the visual and interactive presentation and organizing of complicated data in a way that is engaging and convincing. The design of techniques for intuitively expressing abstract information is the main goal of information visualization. Information visualization may therefore be considered as an essential element of our daily life, especially for those who work in data-driven professions like online educators (teachers, students, and stakeholders), according to Rober (2021), who also agreed with this viewpoint. In order for information consumers to understand the messages of the communication that is taking place via the use of information visualization technologies, Pylyshyn (2021) asserts that consumers of information must have presentation skills in teaching and learning processes. The amount of information the human brain must process can often become overwhelming.

A basic technology teacher must be prepared and have knowledge of how to use information visualization tools appropriately in order to properly teach the subject matter at the elementary school level. This could entail going over the lessons that will be taught, making notes on them, checking that all the “Ts” and “Is” are crossed, and, most importantly, having a clear understanding of the effective and expert use of information visualization components and other teaching and learning materials in the classroom in order to effectively deliver the lesson and for the students to maximize the goals of what has been taught and learned. A effective teacher preparation in fundamental technology, according to Arinze (2022), is dependent upon the instructor having previously taken part in professional development. The teacher’s hard education, which equipped him with the knowledge necessary to appreciate the subtleties of the teaching, learning, and classroom management arts, has culminated in this. According to Greenfield (2022), a teacher’s training and professional growth offer them the motivation and academic authority to effectively teach in the classroom, which indirectly affects the students’ ability to learn effectively. This is so that a teacher can gain knowledge of the fundamental technologies thanks to both of these parts of their professional development. Regardless of the school level the students are enrolled in (primary, secondary, or tertiary institutions), Greenfield holds the opinion that good teaching in basic technology results in effective students’ academic accomplishment in subject-matter as a result of effective preparation and professional development.

The role of the teacher is one that is of the utmost importance within any given educational system. The role of teachers is crucial, according to Akande (2022), since without them there would be no president, governors, or senators, and illiteracy would have swept the globe. Thanks to instructors, civilisation, wisdom, and enlightenment can all be found in the world. No nation’s professors will ever know more than that nation. As a result, the teaching profession is important because it produces people who are educated and competent in order to aid in the development of society (Wuji, 2022).

Before training others in fundamental technologies, one must first pass through the period of serious study. For instance, according to Uzor (2022), a teacher of basic technology must first earn a degree from either a teacher-training institution or a university in order to become a certified and experienced educator. To equip oneself with the necessary skills, capacities, and information that are inherent in the teaching and learning processes related with the subject-matter, according to Uzor, is the main goal of completing extensive education or training to become a basic technology teacher. According to Onyeji (2019), the purpose of the basic technology training that teachers receive is to aid in the development of the skills they need for teaching, including knowing what to teach (a mastery of the content) and knowing how to teach (a mastery of methodology). Basic technology instructors are qualified to manage the classroom and meet the objectives of the instruction they offer because they have the knowledge and experience needed to do so. Any stage or school level basic technology instructor must obtain the essential expertise and training in order to impart the lesson to their students effectively. According to Abagunde (2022), the effectiveness of teaching and the usage of instructional resources like information visualization aids in the classroom have a significant impact on students’ performance in basic technology at the junior secondary school level. This is the proper thing to say.

According to Adeleke (2022), a teacher’s proficiency in the use of a variety of information visualization aids, including but not limited to maps, projectors, slides, computers, calculators, and other similar tools, is required in order to assess a teacher’s effectiveness in the field of basic technology education. The main goal of a basic technology instructor is for the students to show a high level of academic performance and to flourish in their academic career at the completion of any exam(s) or test(s) provided in the class. Nigeria’s junior secondary education system places a strong emphasis on developing students who are successful not just in their academic endeavors but also in their personal and social development. The experience and training of teachers in fundamental technologies helps them accomplish this.

A student is said to have performed successfully if they complete an academic year or session with a grade of 60 percent or higher on all of the exams and tests that were given by the institution. The idea that children should be given challenging learning tasks, especially those with a middle level of difficulty, has long been held in the educational community. The data has refuted this theory. According to studies, children need and benefit from extraordinarily high success rates, which can only be attained through activities that are taught in a way that is simple to understand by the learner and are of an acceptable level of difficulty. For instance, Good and Good (2020) and Everton (2022) found that elementary school students from high socioeconomic status learned best when the teachers’ questions elicited about 70% correct responses, whereas students from low socioeconomic status learned best when they gave about 80% correct answers. They arrived to the conclusion that learning advances most efficiently when the subject matter, like information visualization, is a little unique or challenging but yet easy enough for kids to understand and simple enough to connect with their past knowledge and talents. Another study by Filby(2022) found that when taught by a skilled scientific teacher who utilized the right teaching and learning aids, younger pupils and students with lesser levels of ability performed almost flawlessly. Both the teacher and the pupils had better and higher levels of satisfaction as a result.

Olabisi (2021) claims that many teachers of basic technology have no idea what they should be teaching their students or how to explain the course’s main objectives to them. Some other folks have no idea what they’re doing when it comes to how specialized information visualization tools can be applied in educational contexts. It’s likely that these unexpected deficiencies on the part of these teachers are the result of a lack of information about how to instruct in the classroom or a lack of mastery of the subject matter. To put it another way, effective teachers of fundamental technology use their knowledge and the resources at their disposal, including information visualization and other necessary materials, to convey the subject matter to their pupils in the classroom. At all levels of the educational system, successful basic technology teachers, for instance, keep track of their students’ progress. Effective basic technology teachers closely monitor their students’ comprehending, drawing, reading, and writing skills on a minute-by-minute basis, as well as their general success rates, levels of engagement, and longer-term accomplishment records in the subject.

We have chosen to include the study of fundamental technical concepts as one of the topic areas that will be available to pupils in junior secondary school because we think that theory and practice should be intimately linked. Basic technology is the application of scientific knowledge in pertinent and practical methods to solve human problems. Junior secondary education refers to the education that a child receives right after finishing primary school. When teaching practical subjects like fundamental technology with visual aids, students are motivated by the challenge of solving real-world challenges. The majority of teachers concur that practice-based learning is the best method for students to learn (Authentic learning for 21st century, education-use learning initiative). This leads pupils to express a preference for doing things rather than listening to one person lecture. China is where the saying “What I hear I forget, but what I see I remember” first appeared. This supports the wisdom of that saying. The use of information visualization in the junior secondary school classroom gives students the motivation they need to perform better academically (Uzomah, 2022).

1.2 Description of the Issue

The difficulties brought on by an erroneous use of information visualization cannot be emphasized enough. This is because teaching essential technology at the junior secondary school level employs a strategy that is both theoretical and abstract, does not take into consideration the levels or ages of the students, and does so using a theoretical and abstract approach. As a result, the students could struggle to comprehend how the information is being conveyed to them (Uzomah, 2022). Students frequently struggle to connect what they have learned in class because of a subpar way of delivering lessons. This is because the teacher neglected to employ several essential tools that help students visualize what they have learned in class. As a result, they are unable to apply what they have learned. Because their lecturers don’t use practical work to educate them, the majority of pupils in basic technology don’t understand the course’s main goal. This is a result of basic technology instructors failing to incorporate hands-on learning into their lessons. In a related development, the following are some of the factors that contribute to poor performance in basic technology: a lack of visual aids, a lack of power supply by the school, the lack of facilities or equipment, poor content and methodology mastery by the teachers, poor learner motivation, a lack of interest by the student, the use of conventional, antiquated teaching methods, teachers’ illiteracy in using computers, and a lack of resources.

1.3 The Study’s Objectives

The study’s overarching goal is to determine how information visualization affects students’ academic performance in fundamental technology. The following are the study’s particular goals:

i. to look into how information visualization technologies affect students’ academic achievement.

ii. to evaluate the effectiveness of using visualization tools during learning compared to not using them.

iii. to look into secondary schools’ availability of information visualization tools.

iv. to determine how well-informed secondary school instructors are about using information visualization techniques.

1.4 Questions for Research

The following research inquiries were looked for solutions to.

i. What impact can information visualization tools have on students’ academic performance?

ii. Exists a distinction between using visualization tools when studying and not using them?

iii. Are information visualization technologies available in secondary schools?

iv. How well-informed are secondary school instructors on using information visualization tools?

1.5 Importance of the Research

The way people use information visualization technologies, as influenced by the research findings, will be crucial to secondary school teachers and students receiving a high-quality education. In order to foster critical thinking and metacognition, information visualization technologies can be utilized to design learning environments where students are free to defend their ideas, beliefs, and choices.

The research will be helpful to the academic community because it will add to the body of knowledge.

1.6 The Study’s Purpose

This study will look into how information visualization tools affect students’ academic achievement. The difference between learning with visualization tools and not using them will also be determined by the study. The availability of information visualization technologies in secondary schools will be further investigated by the study. Finally, the study will evaluate how knowledgeable secondary school teachers are about using information visualization techniques. As a result, Rivers State will be the focus of this study.

1.7 The study’s limitations

While conducting the study, the researchers ran into some minor obstacles, just as 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. Furthermore, the researcher will conduct this study along with other academic projects at the same time. The time needed for study will be cut down as a result.

1.8 Definition of Key Phrases

Information visualization is a teaching and learning technique that improves the efficiency of the educational processes in Lagos State’s basic technology institutions.

Academic performance is the evaluation of a student’s performance in a range of academic courses.