Investigation into the attitudes exhibited by SHS two students towards ICT integration at Salaga Senior High School

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of SHS two chemistry students of Salaga Senior High School towards ICT integration in their teaching and learning. The study attempted to establish the ICT infrastructure available in schools to enable them integrate ICT in teaching and learning and the perceptions of school managers in integrating ICT in teaching and learning in the school. For this study, an exploratory approach, using descriptive survey design was used. The study was carried out in East Gonja Municipal of the Northern Region. The study targeted a population of two hundred students in Salaga Senior High School. The researcher used purposive sampling to select subjects for the survey. As such, only chemistry students in the second year were considered in the school. The instruments used in the survey were questionnaires for subject teachers, Assistant Headmasters, and students. An interview schedule for ICT coordinators was also used. Collected data was then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, where frequencies, percentages, means and average means were the main techniques. Major findings were that majority of the chemistry students in Salaga Senior High School possessed generally high attitudinal acceptability level towards ICT integration in their learning and a very few of the students displaying indifference towards ICT use. Infrastructure remains a major hurdle to effective ICT integration in teaching and learning as the school lacks essential infrastructure to support ICT integration. Finally, school managers are positive about the impact of ICT in the teaching and learning of chemistry in spite of the numerous infrastructural challenges. Based on the findings, the researcher proposed that the infrastructural inadequacies should be addressed by the school in collaboration with the Municipal Education Directorate and the Municipal Assembly and also attend to the training needs of teachers in ICT integration.