Parental Variables and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary Schools Students in Secondary Schools
Abstract
The study investigates parental variables and the acquisition of computer education by secondary school students in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Two research questions were stated to guide the study. Survey research design was employed in the study. The population for this study comprised 280 senior secondary two (SS 2) students in all the 10 secondary schools in the Area. A sample size of one hundred senior secondary two (SS 2) students were selected through simple random sampling technique for the study. Parental Variables and Computer Skills Acquisition Questionnaire (PVCSAQ) was the instrument for data collection.
Simple percentage statistical method was adopted to analyze the data collected. Findings showed that parental educational attainment and parent income level influence students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools. Based on findings, it is recommended that adequate computer system should be provided in the school libraries by the government to enable students imbibe computer literacy skills which will enable them function effectively in the use of computer system and its services.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Computer is an electronic device which accepts data, process and stored data when it is needed. It is a machine which accept, process, stored and retrieve information when need arises. Computer education combines to give information to technology by which the use of information becomes far more efficient. According to Bushati, Barolli, Dibbra and Haveri (2010) information communication technology (ICT) is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications.
It is the area of managing technology and pane wide variety of area that includes but is not limited to things such as processes, computer soft-ware, information systems computer hard-ware, programming languages, data constructs. In short, anything that renders data, information or perceived knowledge in any visual format whatever, via any multimedia distribution mechanism, is considered part of the domain space known as Information Technology (IT).
According to Aina, (2015) an efficient use of information can affect society and education and that computer has made direct impact on education in the form of system that are actually involved with the teaching process. The Aina also pointed out some of the system to include computer assisted instruction; computer assisted learning, computer training and computer management instruction. However, educators across Nigeria recognized that students must have good computer background that enables them to participate successfully in contributing positively to the realizing of national objectives which are to provide:
- Students at the junior Secondary schools level a sound basic for continuing science education either in single science subject or further computer science course.
- It enhances the scientific literacy of the citizenry.
- It allows students to have general view of the world of science.
- It allows students to understand their environment in its totality rather than in fragments.
- Serves as unifying factors for the various science subjects (Lazarus, 2018).
The use of computer in teaching and learning is becoming wider in scope today to our schools nationwide. Computer education is not only restricted to its usage as instructional materials inform of teaching aid but it has become a tool to reshape knowledge delivery and hence both teachers and students activities in the classroom.
However, studies have shown that majority of students in secondary schools lack basic computer skills. This is as a result of non-availability of these resources in the immediate environment of the students or inability of the parents to use these Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities at home. In addition, attempts have been made to establish relationship between parents’ knowledge of Information Communication and Technology and children acquisition of computer education (Bassey, 2014).
Parental Variables and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary Schools Students in Secondary Schools
Similarly, the Information and Communication Technology facilities include radio, television, computer and internet facilities, computer game console, DVD Player and recorded digital camera and scanner which should be available at every home for easy access to information by parents and children. However, the parent is the child’s first teacher and they are the people that provide informal education to the child while at home.
The child as a result acquires initial education and socialization from present and other significant persons in the family also. The destiny of mankind depends on the child and the welfare of the child is closely linked to the parents in terms of the innate tendencies drawn from the genetic transcription and the nurture style from the home environment. Therefore, a family with computer facilities can easily teach the children on how to utilize these facilities and thereby enhancing children acquisition of computer education at home which they can apply in the school during the teaching/learning process.
Moreover, parental variables in this context encompass parent’s educational attainment, socio-economic status of parents, and level of social class placement are those variables that vary from one parent to another. Others include occupation of parents and home type such as broken home, single parenting, amongst others. The environment in which the child finds his or herself can either make the child generation after generation geniuses die without being noticed as a result of their circumstances of birth. Parents are probably the actions with the dearest unidimensional interest in a high level of their children’s acquisition of computer education.
To some extent, there is simple evidence to show that mental instability which is one of the effects of parental variables brings about stress, tension, lack of motivation and frustration among children of secondary schools age. Obviously, these manifestation acts in negatively on a child’s acquisition of computer education in school. Children of unmarried parents, separated families, poor socio-economic status, low educational attainment amongst others, often fail and are at risk emotionally and academically.
However, this may not be completely applicable in all instances of poor parental background or structure as children from this background may work hard through the influence of the school environment and become successful academically. This therefore, motivated the researcher to investigate into parental variables as they influence students’ acquisition of computer education which is measured through the acquisition of computer education of students in computer science in secondary schools.
Parental Variables and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary Schools Students in Secondary Schools
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In this era of scientific and technological development, the standards of acquisition of computer education in schools have been a matter of great concern to stakeholders. This is so because a lot of criticisms have been put forward on the performance of students in our public examinations in Nigeria. This has led to a general slogan associated with the educational system is a fallen standard of education.
Observation have shown that most parents in Nigeria do not have ICT support in their home and majority rarely apply ICT facilities in their daily activities while few others do have these facilities and also apply them in their daily activities. This is not too comfortable because skills demand profile globally has shown that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and internet network skills top the list of highly sought after skills followed by programming skill (Marilla, 2014).
The fact that the future of our educational development depends on modern technology cannot be overemphasized. This technology stems from the availability and accessibility of ICT resources at home and parental knowledge on computer usage. This triggered the researcher to asked could the parental education, socio-economic background influence the students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area? Finding answer to this question necessitated this present study.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study was to examine parental variables and the acquisition of computer education by secondary school students in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Specifically, the study sought to:
- Examine parental educational attainment and students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
- Investigate the influence of parent income level on students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study;
- To what extent does parental educational attainment influence students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools?
- To what extent does the influence of parent income level influence students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools?
Parental Variables and the Acquisition of Computer Education by Secondary Schools Students in Secondary Schools
1.5 Significance of the study
The finding of this study may be significant in the following ways:
- It will be significant benefits to secondary school teachers in a sense that they will modify their teaching strategies to suit all categories of students irrespective of their parental background.
- The finding of the study will help parent in understanding their background as it affect their students’ acquisition of computer education in school.
- It will also help educational planners and curriculum planners to design a curriculum that will make learning of computer science and other school subject interesting to students irrespective of their parental background.
- The study will provide useful information for guidance counselors for effective counseling of both parents and students as it highlight the effect of home variables on students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary schools.
- The finding of this study will also provide bases for further studies on parental variables and acquisition of computer education by students in secondary schools.
1.7 Delimitation of the study
This study was delimited to parental variables such as parents’ educational attainment and parent’s income and students’ acquisition of computer education in secondary school in Oruk Anam Local Government Area. Also, only junior secondary two (JS2) students were involved in the study.
1.8 Limitation of the study
The following limitations were inherent in the study, difficulty in convincing secondary school teachers, students and some principals, to see the need for the study so as to allow the research to take part of their time, and lack of enough money and time to go round all public secondary schools in Oruk Anam Local Government Area more than those used in the study.
1.9 Definition of Terms
The following terms were defined as used in the study:
Parental Variables: These are that difference that is common between parents such as parental educational attainment and parents’ income level as used in this study.
Parental Educational Attainment: This is the level of education of father and mother.
Parental Income Level: This is the level of income of the parents which makes them to be placed in a social class in the society.
Acquisition of computer education: This is the grade or scores of students in an examination or test in computer science.
Computer Education: This is the grade or scores of students in an examination or test in computer science.
ICT: This is the grade or scores of students in an examination or test in computer science.