ICT UTILIZATION PATTERNS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OSHIMILI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated ICT utilization patterns in public and private secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. Adopting a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 200 teachers and 200 senior secondary students selected from 20 schools through proportionate stratified random sampling. Two researcher-designed instruments, the ICT Facilities Utilization Questionnaire for Teachers (IFUQT) and the ICT Utilization Questionnaire for Students (IUQS), were validated by experts in Curriculum and Instruction. Test-retest reliability yielded coefficients of 0.76 and 0.74 respectively. Data were analyzed using mean, percentages, and independent samples t-test at 0.05 level of significance with Cohen’s d for effect size. Findings revealed that ICT facilities were used to a high extent for administrative purposes such as examination typesetting, email communication, research, result computation, and online upload. However, usage for instructional purposes including lesson preparation, teaching aids, record keeping, and library services was low. A significant difference existed between public and private school teachers in ICT use, t(198) = 3.02, p =.003, d = 0.43, while no significant difference existed between public and private school students. The study concludes that ICT use in Oshimili South is skewed toward administrative efficiency rather than pedagogical transformation. It is recommended that there should be compulsory practical ICT courses for teachers and students, improved infrastructure, and continuous professional development to enhance ICT integration. And that policy should shift from hardware provision to TPACK-based teacher training, stable infrastructure, and mandatory ICT integration monitoring.