Extent of ICT Facilities Utilization and Proficiency in the Colleges of Education in Ghana

Abstract

This study was conducted with the Descriptive Survey design, to critically examine the extent of ICT facilities utilization and proficiency in the Colleges of Education in Ghana. The target population comprised of students (all departments) and staff (tutors and administrators) of the Colleges of Education selected through Purposive sampling. Total number of students and staff from the four Colleges of Education was 7626 and 246 respectively. The Taro Yamane formula was used to calculate the sample size of the study which gave 153 staff and 380 students. Simple random sampling technique was used to select respondents. The fundamental instruments for information collection for the study was questionnaires, observational guide and interview guide. The information gathered were analysed utilizing the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, Tables, Percentages, Frequencies, means, Standard Deviations, and t-values were depended on to do the analysis. This study established that ICT proficiency among students and staff in Colleges of Education in Ghana is skewed; while proficiency in word processing and email use is high, proficiencies in the use of other ICT tools such as SPSS, Desktop Publishing, PowerPoint usage and search engines are low. This has been attributed to curriculum design and teaching methodology. The study also predicts that dissertations from these students may be poor due to the skewed proficiency in ICT. Without an effective policy intervention aimed at rectifying this skewedness Students and staff in Colleges of Education may not have adequate functional skills to work in the increasing sophisticated and ICT dominated environment. Based on our findings in this study, we may also postulate that a curriculum designed to develop enough ICT skills in staff and students while encouraging ICT use, together with changes in teaching methodology may help stem this skewedness.