ABSTRACT

This study examined “The Influence of ICT Tools in the Teaching and Learning of English Language in Some Secondary Schools in the Buea Municipality”. Three research objectives and questions were used to guide the study. The study adopted the survey research design. The population of the study consisted of students, drawn at Random from three sample schools. The size consisted of 120 students. A closed ended questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential methods. The findings revealed that internet, computers and projectors have a strong positive effect on students‟ academic achievement. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made; there is need for the secondary schools to invest more in computers and related technology as means of not only solving accessibility problem but improving on the presence of the facilities especially computers in the classroom and computer lab. More infrastructures: printers, computers, projectors should be put in place for more practice and utilization. There is a need to maintain internet connection in the University and connect more computers to the internet. The schools should then liberalize accessibility of internet and e-mail in the institution in form of establishment of ICT resource centers where all software can be accessed, students‟ packages and all versions of technology. All in all, the secondary schools shall take time and even not get there to afford a 1:1 ratio of Student – ICT access to facilities thus students should also endeavor to acquire themselves what can be afforded or visit commercial ICT providers like internet café to access ICT facilities.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction 

Society changed when it entered the 21st century when the increasing amount of gadgets like the personal computer, Projectors, smartphone and tablet made our society much more technologically dependent. These devices are everywhere and they all have their benefits, making it possible for people to write, watch media or read the news whenever they need to. Each device is connected to the Internet, enabling people to access news and work on the go. As our society adapted to this new technology, workplaces and education institutions started integrating technology with their daily work.

This Chapter articulates the background of the study in to four perspectives, namely: the historical, conceptual, theoretical and contextual perspectives. It goes on to give the problem statement, purpose, objectives, research hypothesis, significance and the scope of the study.

Background of Study 

Historically, teaching is becoming one of the most challenging professions in our society today where knowledge is expanding so rapidly that modern technologies demand the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). ICT has become within a short time one of the basic building blocks of a modern society. Many countries now regard understanding ICT and mastering its basic concepts as part of the core of education (UNESCO, 2002b). In Cameroon, Government has established a fully-fledged ICT Ministry since 2011 to stress the importance of ICT in promoting economic growth and development.

Observers and proponents of ICT suggest that our use of increasingly sophisticated and enabling technologies will continue, to the extent that technological literacy will become a basic functional requirement for our work, social and personal lives. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, UK (2004), notes that as the pace of technological development continues to grow, children in our schools today will live in a world where ICT will be increasingly embedded in their daily lives.

The use of computers in education is not a new phenomenon. In the 1970‟s, its promoters claimed that it would transform and save education (Lockard & Abrams, 1994). The late 1980‟s saw a growing shift towards computer integration which emphasized the curriculum and not the tool. Its proponents felt that students would learn new skills as they needed them in order to make the computer work for them. The computer could now be viewed more as a partner as opposed to a competitor and could be treated in a more natural manner (Lockard & Abrams, 1994). The 1990‟s saw a heightened focus on increasing the use of computer technology in the classroom, and not just by the evangelists. Growing attention and pressure to implement technology in education is coming from many directions, including parents and the business sector, not just departments of education. One of the most significant features of the technological or digital era of much relevance to education is the Internet. Hargittai (1999) defines the Internet technically and functionally as a worldwide network of computers and people interacting together.

Regardless of the fact that Cameroon and other African countries are in the early periods of introducing ICT into schools, there are recognized experiences on the continent on which we may draw our attention as we move forward. Miller (1997) for example developed the Evolutionary Model for understanding the integration of computers into education. The model includes five phases: 1/ introduction, 2/ entry, 3/ intermediate, 4/ penultimate, 5/ creation. She found that a South African high school selected for indepth study was at the entry phase in 1996.

In 1995, the Web enabled the development of the first learning management systems (LMSs), such as WebCT (which later became Blackboard). LMSs provide an online teaching environment, where content can be loaded and organized, as well as providing „spaces‟ for learning objectives, student activities, assignment questions, and discussion forums. The first fully online courses (for credit) started to appear in 1995, some using LMSs, others just loading text as PDFs or slides. The materials were mainly text and graphics. LMSs became the main means by which online learning was offered until lecture capture systems arrived around 2008 (Halverson, 2009).

By 2008, George Siemens, Stephen Downes and Dave Cormier in Canada were using web technology to create the first  ‘connectivist’ Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), a community of practice that linked webinar presentations and/or blog posts by experts to participants‟ blogs and tweets, with just over 2,000 enrollments. The courses were open to anyone and had no formal assessment. In 2012, two Stanford University professors launched a lecture-capture based MOOC on artificial intelligence, attracting more than 100,000 students, and since then MOOCs have expanded rapidly around the world (Whitby, 2013).

Modern video projectors could not have existed before the introduction of computers. However, several devices were invented before computers by ingenious minds of their times. These devices laid the foundation for the development of the modern projectors. 

The years from the 1970s to 1990s witnessed the introduction of some of the earlier digital formats. Hardware and software innovations gained momentum and there were some groundbreaking discoveries. Modern projectors still utilize refined versions of the technologies discovered in this era (Khan, 2012).

The introduction of the LCD technology enabled the creation of the LCD projectors. While liquid crystals were discovered several decades ago, displays made from them became available commercially only in the 1960s and 1970s. An early prototype of an LCD projector was presented at the SID Conference in 1972. It was a modified slide projector with a matrix-addressed LCD and was created by Peter J. Wild. However, early models of LCD projectors had low resolution and their LCDs were prone to damages from the heat produced by the light source.

One of the earliest devices that resembled a projector was the magic lantern. It was created in 1659 by Christian Huygens, a Dutch scientist who used a concave mirror to direct light from a lamp onto a glass slide that had the image. The light passed through the glass slide and projected the image on a screen using focusing lenses. Magic lanterns were one of the first image projecting devices to gain popularity in the education and entertainment domains (Oblinger, 2012).

It is interesting to note that while the integration of ICT in education in Africa has led to changes in pedagogical and assessment approaches in formal education in several different countries (Cossa & Cronjé, 2004; INEADE, 2007; ROCARE, 2006), there are few examples of curriculum change (Cossa & Cronjé, 2004), which could make ICT integration more meaningful in some cases. One teacher in Uganda, when asked why the computer lab was empty during the day but packed after classes, explained that “there is little fit between the use of computers and the national curriculum and examination system” in the country (Kozma, McGhee, Quellmalz & Zalles, 2004). 

In 1995 when educational experts met in Yaoundé to discuss how the educational system could be improved upon, nothing was mentioned about the use of ICT in the classroom. The Cameroon education law 9/004 of 14 April 1998 does not make mention of ICT in the school system. Teacher training colleges are only now making provision for teaching ICT and its use for pedagogical purposes. This implies that the teaching core is to a great extent computer illiterate.

In his February 2001 message to the youth, the President of Cameroon called for embracing the knowledge economy (République du Cameroun, 2007c). In preparation, he promised the introduction of computing in schools and the endowment of computer rooms to schools. The impact of this Presidential speech accelerated in 2002, with the introduction of ICT in secondary general and technical schools. Numerous schools have benefited from presidential “gifts” of multimedia centres connected to internet. Official programs of ICT were designed for secondary schools in 2003. (ERNWACA-Cameroon, 2005)

Cameroon has multiple international affiliations in terms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. In  strengthening  technological  ties,  ICT  has  a  vital  place  in  Central  African  (CEMAC)  sub  regional ambitions  in  higher  education.  Cameroon  is  signatory  to  the  2005  “Libreville  Declaration”  which  aimed  at  constructing  a  space  for  higher  education,  research  and  professional training.  It was followed by a conference of ministers of higher education to work on strategies of implementing reforms and new technologies in university systems. There is no  doubt that  Cameroon has  distinguished  itself  in  attempting to  materialize the  use of  ICT in  its  higher education sector.

Cameroon has multiple international affiliations in terms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. In  strengthening  technological  ties,  ICT  has  a  vital  place  in  Central  African  (CEMAC)  sub  regional  ambitions  in  higher  education.  Cameroon  is  signatory  to  the  2005  “Libreville  Declaration”  which  aimed  at  constructing  a  space  for  higher  education,  research  and  professional training.  It was followed by a conference of ministers of higher education to work on strategies of implementing reforms and new technologies in university systems. There is no  doubt that  Cameroon has  distinguished  itself  in  attempting to  materialize the  use of  ICT in  its higher education sector.

Article 4 of the 2010 e-Communications law states that every citizen “has the right to benefit from electronic communications services”. The same law establishes a Universal Service Access Fund, aimed at ensuring equal, quality and affordable access to services (Articles 27-29). Whereas internet and mobile telephony have registered growth, access and affordability remain a challenge, especially among rural and poor communities. Currently, the average cost of 1GB of data is 5,00 CFA per month, and with the proposed levy of 100 CFAs on software and application downloads, costs are expected to further increase. With an estimated per capita income of USD 1,500 in 2018, the prevailing rates are over and above the Alliance for Affordable Internet‟s recommendation of 1GB of data costing 2% or less of average monthly income.  

More and more studies now support the claim that technology has great potential to provide new kinds of instructional opportunities and to enhance the knowledge and learning experiences of both the teachers and students (O‟Connor & Polin, cited in Fleming-McCormick, et al., 1995). However, the effect of ICT in teaching and learning is not yet fully established. Yet the need to prepare students for the information age is a recurring educational theme worldwide since today‟s students are to spend their career life in a very dynamic technological environment (Mbwesa, 2003).

Contextually, in Cameroon, at the national level, teachers lack skills on teaching with ICTs. The lack of training on the following Information and communication Technologies includes the use of computers, internet, and projectors, among others may have affected the teaching and learning of English Language in one way or the other. In fact, very few teachers are trained; meanwhile the use of ICTs in the teaching exercises goes increasing. In this line, all the schools may need to be equipped with teaching tools (computers, projectors, interactive white boards among others). At the level of the schools in Buea, all the teaching rooms have limited electricity which can allow teachers use ICT tools every time and everywhere they are. Furthermore, the numbers of students in classrooms are overcrowded which affect the effects use of ICT tools in the classroom. 

However, the English Language students in the Buea Municipality faced many challenges in regards to the teaching and learning processes with the help of ICT tools. Classical instructional methods have been and continue to be used in the teaching and learning process with their limitations in different circumstances varying depending on student and instructor needs. Little emphasis is being put on the embracement of educational technology, yet if properly used, ICT may provide an array of powerful tools that may help in transforming the present isolated teacher- centered and text bound classroom into rich, students focused interactive knowledge environment. If not well addressed, investment in development of ICT in the Buea Municipality will be wasteful and the teaching and learning process shall continue to be very slow limiting the secondary schools within the Buea Municipality from achieving the development it is hoped to bring in the teaching and learning of English Language.

Statement of the Problem

Proper teaching and learning remains central in any academic achievement debate. ICTs provide a window of opportunity for educational institutions and other organizations to harness and use technology to complement and support the teaching and learning process. However, despite the enormous advocacy of ICT aided teaching and learning in English language, donation of ICT equipment to secondary schools, teachers still face the challenge of how to transform students learning process to provide students with the skills to effectively change the teaching and learning situation. The causes of such problems remain uncertain. One wonders whether it emanates from the way the system was introduced; user’s attitudes; lack of equipment; inadequate skills of users; complexity of the system; to mention. In view of this discrepancy, there is need to examine the influence of ICT tools on the teaching and learning of English language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality with particular attention to computers, internet and projectors.

Objectives of the Study 

General Research Objective 

The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of ICT Tools such as printer, laptops, computers, tablets and projectors in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality. 

Specific Research Objectives 

The specific objectives are:

1. To assess the effect of internet in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.
2. To examine the effect of computers in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.
3. To investigate the effect of the projector in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Research Questions 

General Research Questions

Based on the stated research problem, above, the study sets out to find answers to the following research questions:

To what extent does ICT Tools influence the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality? 

Specific Research questions 

The specific objectives are:

1. What are the effects of internet in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality?
2. How do computers affect the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality?
3. How do projectors affect the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality?

Research Hypotheses

General Research Hypothesis

Ho: ICT Tools has no effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Ha: ICT Tools has effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Specific Research Hypotheses

The study was guided by the following hypothesis:

Ho₁: Internet has no effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Ha₁: Internet has effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Ho₂: Computers has no effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Ha₂: Computers has effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

Ho₃: Projectors has no effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.

 Ha₃: Projectors has effect in the teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools in the Buea Municipality.