COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ORIENTED TEACHING AWARENESS, DISPOSITION AND COMPETENCE BETWEEN MIDDLE AND UPPER BASIC SCIENCE TEACHERS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to various fields of human endeavour has assumed a new dimension in this 21^st century. Teaching as a profession is not left out. The ICT awareness, disposition and the competence of teachers, who are transforming agents in schools play important roles in ICT-oriented teaching and learning. There might be differences in these identified factors among teachers at various educational levels which can be investigated. This study therefore compared the ICT oriented teaching awareness, disposition and competence of middle and upper basic science teachers. Two group randomized subjects non-experimental design was adopted using causal comparative approach in this study. Multi-stage and stratified sampling techniques were employed to select participating Science teachers from middle and upper basic schools in Ogun state, Nigeria. Information and Communication Technology Status Scale comprises ICT Awareness (r=0.65), ICT Disposition (r=0.81) and ICT Competence (r=0.93) sub-scales was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and independent t test were used for data analysis. It was found that higher percentages were recorded for upper basic science teachers in ICT oriented teaching awareness, disposition and competence than their counterparts in middle basic schools. It was in ICT awareness only that significant difference of means (upper basic =5.66) and middle basic = 4.66) was observed t₍₄₅₇₎ = -3.55, p <.05. Significant difference of means was not recorded on either disposition or competence. Based on the findings of this study, it is therefore recommended that teachers should be trained and retrained on ICT oriented teaching to block the existing gaps among them. Provision of ICT oriented teaching and learning facilities by the school owners into the classrooms is equally recommended.