The Use of E-Learning Technologies as a Predictor of Students Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor Lga, Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined the use of e-learning technologies as predictors of students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State. The study was guided by three objectives, three research questions and hypotheses. The population of the study comprised of 14,769 academic staff and SS2 stydents of all the 37 public senior secondary schools in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State. The sample size for this study was 1477 respondents, representing 10% of the entire population. The sampling technique was a proportionate stratified random sampling. The instruments were questionnaire and teacher made test, used for the study to generate date. The instruments were validated and it reliability were tested using Kuder Richardson method, which yielded coefficients of 0.84 and 0.82 for The Use of E-learning Technologies Scale (TUETS) and Teacher Made Test Scale (TMTS) respectively. The research questions were answered with the use of simple regression, while the hypotheses were tested with t-test associated with simple regression at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the use of laptop and tablet computers predicts students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Rivers State to a low extent, while smartphone as e-learning technologies predicts students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Rivers State to a high extent. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the government who are the owners of public secondary schools should ensure that all schools have functional laptop computer laboratories, accessible to both teachers and students with trained personnel to help them acquire relevant ICT skills that will aid teaching and learning process for improved academic performance of students. Also, parents should explore all positive means to provide smartphones, constant strong Wi-Fi connection, browsing data, constant power supply for students with strict monitoring by the school PTA to guide, orientate and control students on how they can use the smartphones available to them to their own advantage, as all of these will enhance effective academic learning activities with minimal distraction.