E-LEARNING FACILITIES AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ECONOMICS

E-LEARNING FACILITIES AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ECONOMICS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine e-learning facilities and academic performance of Economics students in secondary schools in Essien Udim L.G.A. of Akwa Ibom State. Three research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey design was adopted for this study. The population for this study were all 1,729 SS1 – SS3 Economics students in the study area.

A sample size of 200 students were selected from four schools using simple random sampling technique. The instruments for data collection for this study were Questionnaire and Economics Achievement Test, while the data collected were analysed using independent t-test.

The result revealed that e-learning facilities such as computer system, phone and laptop significant affect the academic performance of Economics students in secondary schools. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that State government should provide e-learning facilities in public secondary schools for students to make use of them in order to expose the students to a wide range of obtaining information.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

E-learning is the act of taking a course online using a modem, wireless or cable connection to access academic course materials from a computer, phone or other electronic devices. Bermejo (2015) defined e-learning as an education that uses computerized communication system as an environment for communication, exchange of information and interaction between students and instructors.

According to Okoro (2015), e-learning centers on the intersection of education, teaching and learning with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is clearly preceded by two other disciplines which are “distance education and educational technology”. These two disciplines have uniquely contributed to the intensive use of ICT for educational purposes. E-learning is also a natural evolution of distance learning which has taken advantage of the latest tools to emerge in the context of technologies for structuring education.

The past few decades have witnessed lots of developments globally in computer applications that have contributed largely in transforming ways information is currently gathered, stored, organized, accessed, retrieved and utilized. This has ushered in several products and services in communication especially in classroom interactions.

The internet and web are constantly influencing developments in new modes of learning and classroom instructions. Consequently, it becomes imperatives for Nigerian secondary schools to introduced e-learning service delivery since it is found to be good in many ramifications, provided that students and teachers have adequate access to the facilities. Anyira (2011) remarked that e-learning should be carried out in the institution of higher learning since most of the secondary schools do not have access to e-learning facilities.

E-learning, often referred to as a web-based or online learning is currently a fast growing educational paradigm in Nigeria. It involves all teaching and assessment approaches that uses technology such as Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts and learning management systems such as computers, internet and web connectivity to enhance learning experience and research work (Mahahusudhan, 2008).

This new teaching and learning approach offers potential values to traditional teaching and learning approach due to its flexibility and accessibility of information to a great number of students at a time. E-learning also provides easy access to any type of information required for academic purpose through the use of internet facilities such as World Wide Web (www) based technology and other software’s. Nkanga (2007) indicated that e-learning is a computer supported collaborative learning process that deploys the technology of computer as its main platform for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and enables both students and teachers to generate, advance and share knowledge in a more common form.

According to Naqvi (2007) access to e-learning facilities motivates students to search for information for research purposes and for effective learning. To enhance access to e-learning facilities, the computer system should be well organize in every educational level across the state (Kaur, 2006). This means that for students to get access to e-learning, the school needs to be well equipped with the e-learning facilities which promote its utilization.

A diverse range of technological tools that can be used by capable teachers to enhance learning and teaching situations are internet, Youtube, Skype, Twitter, Smart-boards, Blogs, Smart-phone, Podcasting, facebook and Whatsapp. These tools are powerful as they are capable of bringing a change and reform traditional forms of learning.

Academic performance of students is measured by final grade earned in the course or subject by a student’s after being tested through examination/test as a result of being exposed to series of teaching. The performance of students are sometimes depends on the method adopted by a teacher. The purpose of this research study is to examine how e-learning facilities affect the Economics in Secondary Schools.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The relevance of e-learning in facilitating the ever growing need for proper knowledge acquisition and quality assurance in educational system has been a topical issue among educationists, policy makers, administrators into the educational system has made the acquisition of knowledge easy and interesting.

But in the secondary schools system, the facilities to enhance effective use secondary schools students and most of the teachers are not exposed to the use of these facilities. It therefore becomes necessary to examine how e-learning facilities influence the academic performance of students in secondary schools. This is what motivated the researcher to carry out this study.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to examine e-learning facilities and academic performance of Economics students in secondary schools in Essien Udim L.G.A.

Specifically, the study aimed at:

1. Examining how e-learning facilities influence academic performance of students in Economics in secondary schools.
2. Examining how e-learning facilities influence the academic performance of males and females Economics students in secondary schools.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

1. How does e-learning facilities influence academic performance of students in Economics in Secondary Schools?
2. How does e-learning facilities influence the academic performance of males and females Economics students in secondary schools?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study:

1. There is no significant influence of e-learning facilities on the academic performance of students in Economics.
2. There is no significant influence of e-learning facilities on the academic performance of male and female Economics students.

1.6 Significance of the Study

It is hopeful that the findings of this study will be importance to the students, teachers, and educational stake holders in the following ways:

The educational stake holders will see the need of making e-learning facilities available for use to the teachers and students in secondary schools. The teachers will see the need of engaging in in-service training in order to update their knowledge on how to use e-learning facilities. The students will be exposed to the use of internet. It will also help the students to be familiar with e-learning facilities. This research work will also served as a reference materials to anyone who will like to conduct a research on the same or similar topic.

1.7 Delimitation of the Study

This study is delimited to e-learning facilities and academic performance of Economics students in secondary schools in Essien Udim L.G.A. The population is all the Economics students in the study area. The e-learning facility used was phone and Laptop through Gmail.

1.8 Limitation of the Study

The following challenges were confronted by the researcher in the course of carrying out this study.

1. Financial Constraint: High cost of transportation to visit the selected schools for this study was a big problem to the researcher.
2. Time Constraint: Due to the fact that as at the time of this study the researcher had other school activities to carry out, therefore time was another problem to the researcher.
3. School Location: Some of the schools visited by the researcher were located in the Rural areas, so bad road network was a great challenge. Moreover, The schools were widely spread from each other.

1.9 Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined as they are utilized in this study for easy understanding of the work.

1. E-learning: This is an online learning through the use of internet.
2. Facilities: These are tools that make an online learning possible for both students and teachers.
3. Academic Performance: This is the outcome that indicate the extent to which a student has accomplished a specific task.
4. Economics: This is a social sciences subject which descript and analyze the process of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.