Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception of Social Studies tutors in
the public Colleges of Education in Ghana towards the integration of ICT in teaching
and learning Social Studies. A descriptive survey design was used to conduct the
study. Stratified sampling technique was used to select 130 Social Studies tutors from
public Colleges of Education in Ghana for the study. However, a response rate of 92%
was achieved in this study because out of a total of one hundred and thirty (130)
questionnaires distributed, one hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were
retrieved and used for the analyses. The questionnaire was used to collect data for the
study which were analyzed using both descriptive statistics like mean, frequency, and
standard deviation as well as inferential statistics such as t-test and ANOVA with the
aid of SPSS version 20. The study found that Social Studies tutors had access to their
personal computers most (M=3.67, SD=0.67), followed by desktop computers of the
colleges (M=3.25, SD=0.52), laptop computers of the colleges (M=2.10, SD=1.17),
availability of projectors (M=1.67, SD=0.95), accessibility to internet (M=1.35,
SD=0.88) availability of IPAD (M=1.21, SD=0.74), and availability of Palmtop
computers (M=1.01, SD=1.06). The findings indicated that respondents perceived that
ICT helps to draw weaker students‟ attention to class (Mean =4.03, Std. Dev. =0.74),
generates genuine interest in students (Mean = 4.45, Std. Dev.=5.24), makes it easier
to prepare course materials (Mean =4.06, Std. Dev.=0.89), enhances teaching and
learning without face-face interactions (Mean =3.95, Std. Dev.=0.92), and the
relationship between theory and practice is strengthened (Mean =4.03, Std. Dev.
=0.87). Additionally, the study revealed that challenges confronting the integration of
ICT tools in the teaching and learning of Social Studies included insufficient ICT
tools (mean =3.908, Std. Dev.=0.879), lack of pedagogical models on how to use ICT
for teaching learning (Mean=3.767, Std. Dev.=0.914), and insufficient ICT during
pre-service training (Mean =3.40, Std. Dev.=1.088). It was further revealed in the
study that sex [t (118) = 31.04, p<0.05] and teaching experience [F (4, 115) =2.85,
p<0.05] significantly influenced the Social Studies tutors‟ integration of ICT into the
teaching and learning of Social Studies in the public Colleges of Education in Ghana.
Therefore, it was recommended that the management of the public Colleges of
Education in Ghana should liaise with the Ministry of Education, the National
Council for Tertiary Education, parents, religious bodies, old students, and
philanthropists to provide adequate ICT facilities like computers and projectors to
ensure access to ICT tools by the Social Studies tutors in the public Colleges of
Education in Ghana. It was also recommended that the management of the public
Colleges of Education in Ghana should provide sufficient in-service training on ICT
use in teaching and learning Social Studies so as to equip the tutors to effectively
integrate ICT into the teaching and learning of the subject.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION, FACULTY OF
EDUCATIONAL STUDIES, SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF
GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN
PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY (BASIC EDUCATION) DEGREE
DECEMBER, 2018