WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
RELEVANCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL THREE (JSS III) STUDENTS IN GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL MBAR

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) refers to the electronic and communication devices associated with human interactive materials that enables users to employ them for a whole range of teaching and learning. ICT embraces all technologies for manipulating communication or information and also encompasses any medium used to record information such as: radio, television, etc., and technology for communication through voice and sound or images: microphone, camera, loudspeaker, telephone/mobile phones (Osu, Udosen, and Akpan, 2020). Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are indispensable and have been accepted as part of the contemporary world especially in the industrialized societies to the extent of giving a new phase to the education system in terms of pedagogical approach. According to Uzoigwe (2015), ICT involves all technologies employed in order to facilitate the collection, storage, retrieval and communication of information by the fastest means. They are generally related to those technologies that are used for accessing, gathering, manipulating, and presenting or communicating information. The technologies could include hardware (e.g computers and other devices); software applications; and connectivity (e.g access to the internet, local networking infrastructure, videoconferencing) (Anderson and Glen, 2013).

In the last decades, there has been an increasing call for the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching and learning. According to Wenglinsky (2016), ICT empowers education as it is seen as media that offer learners a wide range of information, which the teacher may not have control over. In other words, the learner does not necessarily need to be in the classroom as learning can occur anywhere with the use of these technologies. These technologies also offer the learner the opportunity to control their learning process. ICT is a valuable tool to enhance teaching and learning. For teachers, ICT is a professional resource, a mode of classroom delivery, and a source of valid and valuable text types. For students, ICT provides opportunities to communicate more effectively and to develop literacy skills including skills in critical literacy. It is a valuable tool for researching, composition and despondence (Yusuf, 2013). ICT also plays an important role in helping learners find reading materials from original sources. In finding articles from international journals, students can get it just by sitting in front of computers connected to the internet network. ICT facilitates teaching and learning process by providing access to wider sources of information and varieties of articles. With ICT in education, learner centered-approach is encouraged as the students can access and learn from these technologies at their pace, thereby developing learner’s autonomy (Maduabuchi, 2017).

Reading is the basis for learning different subjects. Whatever aspect of life one is considering, one discovers that the ability to read efficiently enhances individual’s ability to function in an effective manner. It is one of the skills in English Language. Maduabuchi (2017) postulates that reading is an interaction between the reader and the text which results in comprehension. Reading is a receptive language process. In reading, there is an interaction between language and thought as the writer encodes thought as language and the reader decodes language as thought. In view of this, Olaofe (2013) opined that reading is a form of communication in which the decoder (reader) endeavors to interpret the mind of the encoder (writer). Through reading, the reader sees, hears, and converses with the writer who may or may not be familiar to him/her. Reading is a multifaceted process that develops only with practice. There are certain aspects of reading, such as fluency and word recognition, which can be learned with time. These basics must be mastered but at the same time reading comprehension should be emphasized in the process. Reading plays a major role in making one a functional individual in the society. Some benefits of reading include: mental stimulation, stress reduction, knowledge increase, vocabulary expansion, entertainment, and improvement in one’s analytical thinking skills among others. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is fundamental to life in our modern technological society. To equip students to be literate lifelong learners and global citizens of the 21st century, there may be need to successfully integrate ICT into reading Comprehension of the English language.

Reading comprehension is a purposeful process, in which the reader has an active role and employs cognitive skills that must be developed through strategies that are teachable and can be enhanced through practice over time. This suggests that developing reading, comprehension and discursive production skills in people is necessary both for creating meaning and communicative purposes. The integration of ICT into a real-life language context is more vital today than ever before since its rising usage as the medium of communication global wide. There are studies that have been conducted to scrutinize the pros and benefits of integrating ICT into language teaching. Thus, the integration of ICT instruments such as laptops, LCD projectors, smart whiteboards, internet services and applications in education that act as a strong support will aid learners to use English in a fun and stress-free language learning environment.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The modern world has developed new ways of making everyone’s lives easier and more convenient. Over the past twenty years, computer technology has rapidly changed the way that knowledge is spread from person to person. Cellular phones have made handwritten letters a thing of the past. The internet has allowed for information to be accessed within seconds, forcing libraries to evolve with the changes in technologies. The internet has changed the ways in which information is accessed and has become more and more integrated in the classroom. With technologies on the rise, it is important to know how the integration of mobile technologies and internet access has impacted the reading and writing abilities of students. It is based on this that the study seeks to examine the Relevance of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in teaching Reading Comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) Students in Government Secondary School Mbar.

• Purpose of the Study

The Purpose of this Study is to examine the Relevance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching Reading Comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar. The study is guided by the following specific objectives:

1. To determine the benefits of using ICT in teaching of Reading Comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar.
2. To identify the problems of using ICT in teaching of reading comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar.
3. To proffer strategies for improving the use of ICT in teaching of reading comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar.

• Research Question

1. What are the benefits of using ICT in teaching of Reading Comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar?
2. What are the problems of using ICT in teaching of reading comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar?
3. What are the strategies for improving the use of ICT in teaching of reading comprehension in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar.

1.5       Research Hypothesis

This postulated hypothesis will guide the study:

Ha: There is a significant relationship between the use of ICT and the reading performance of students.

1.6       Scope of the Study

The study will be focused on the Relevance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching Reading Comprehension among students. The study will be confined to Junior Secondary School Three (JSS III) students in Government Secondary School Mbar.

1.7       Significance of the Study

The result of this research work would be extremely useful and also form a medium to be reckoned in the education of students.

The outcome of this study will enlighten and encourage students in various ways through which ICT would assist in their Reading skills and language development generally.

The result of this work would determine and ameliorate some of the problems being faced by students in the use of ICT for their day-to-day learning.

It would also help students in choosing ICT as a course of study for self-sustenance and self-reliance in the nearest future.

It would provide the necessary information to educational stakeholders and government on the need to provide adequate funding for the establishment of ICT in schools for students learning.

The findings of this study will give researchers the leverage to carryout further research on the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on the learning of students.

1.8       Operational Definition of Terms

Information: It is facts of details about something or somebody.

Communication:Is the process through which information of ideas,facts knowledge or message are transmitted from one sources to another.

Technology: This refers to the application of scientific knowledge, tools, techniques, and skills to solve practical problems and accomplish specific tasks in various fields of human activity. It encompasses a wide range of innovations and advancements that have been developed and refined over time to simplify, improve, and optimize various aspects of life.

Information and Communication Technology: It refers to the electronic and communication devices associated with human interactive materials that helps in students language development and learning.

Reading: Reading is a form of communication in which the decoder (reader) endeavors to interpret the mind of the encoder (writer).

Reading Comprehension: Comprehension refers to the ability to understand written words.