SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF COMPUTER STUDIES IN NNEWI EDUCATION ZONE OF ANAMBRA STATE NIGERIA
Educational organizations are increasingly adopting new technologies to enhance educational outcomes, with interactive whiteboards (IWBs) being one of the prominent technologies embraced by schools. An IWB can function as a standalone touchscreen computer or as a touchpad connected to a computer and projector, replacing traditional blackboards or whiteboards. Despite the Nigerian government’s commitment to integrating IWBs in classrooms, several challenges hinder the actualization of this policy, including inadequate infrastructure, electricity, internet connectivity, skilled manpower, and funding.
In most Nigerian schools, IWBs are not commonly utilized despite their potential to improve students’ academic achievements. There is also a lack of awareness and utilization of IWBs among secondary school teachers, particularly in the Nnewi Education Zone of Anambra State. To address this gap, a study was conducted focusing on the awareness and use of IWBs among secondary school computer studies teachers in this region.
The study aimed to achieve three objectives, formulated three research questions, and tested one hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance. A descriptive survey design was employed, involving 20 computer studies teachers from private and public secondary schools in the Nnewi Education Zone. Data were collected using a close-ended questionnaire designed by the researcher, and the reliability of the instrument was confirmed using Cronbach’s Alpha. Four research assistants assisted in administering the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, including weighted response average, mean, and standard deviation, were used to analyze the data and answer the research questions. An independent sample t-test was conducted to test the hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance.
The findings revealed that while teachers are aware of the potential use of IWBs in teaching and learning computer studies, they do not actually use them. There was no significant difference in the awareness and use of IWBs between teachers in public and private secondary schools. The study concluded that while awareness of IWBs is present, actual usage is lacking. It recommended organizing seminars and workshops for secondary school computer studies teachers to plan and deliver lessons using IWBs effectively.
