Appraisal Of Pre-Service Teachers’ ICT-Pedagogy Readiness For The 21st Century Basic Education In Nigeria:- Maryann C.E. Udo

ABSTRACT

The studywas intendedto appraise the state ofICT-pedagogy readiness ofpre-service teachers using the southeastgeopoliticalzone asstudy area. The rationaleforthe study was that throughpolicyframework much emphasis has beenplacedon ICT-pedagogy basedteacher education curriculum andprogrammes recommendedby the two national commissions that oversee teacher education inNigeria., namelyNUC andNCCE. Three hundredpre-service teachers (300) andfifty (50) newly employed Basic Education teachers were selectedfrom targetpopidation of1070finalyear B.Ed. andNCE student-teachers and 215 newly employed UBEteachers across the three states. Five research questions were answeredby the study and data was collected using a researcher-made structured questionnaire. Two sets of questionnaires (one major and one mini) were usedfor data generation. While thepre-service teachers responded to the major instrument titled “Pre-service Teachers ICT-pedagogy Readiness Appraisal Questionnaire (PTICTRAQ)", the newly employed Basic education teachers responded to the mini instrument titled Challenges Problems and Constraints Assessment Questionnaire (CPCAQ)”. Data were analyzed using mean andstandarddeviation anddecisions were based on mean rating of2.50 on a 4-point scale. In making decision about mean rating, real limits ofnumbers were employed. Findings indicated among others that some ICTfacilities are available but inadequate for effective teacher education. On the averagepre-service teachers maintained that they are not adequately exposedto ICTpedagogical training and orientation due to some challenges that included dearth of qualified ICT resources, incompetence and low motivation oflecturers as well as credit overload. Newly employed BasicEducation teachers also indicatedserious challenges and constraints to the effective use ofICTin the conduct oftheir teaching and routine tasks. It was therefore recommended that the government should come out withpolicyframework that wouldenhance ICTcapacity building ofteacher educators and student teachers, adequatefunding ofteacher education programmes, incentivization ofteachers' ICT-taskorientation ofteachers, among others.