Adoption of ICT and its Comparative Impact on Private and Public High Schools in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

A report on the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Lagos public and private secondary schools is presented. The comparative study investigated the level of availability of ICT facilities in schools, the capacity for using ICT facilities for teaching and learning, the perceived benefits and the problems associated with their adoption. Descriptive survey design was utilized and the sample consisted of 1013 students, 225 teachers and 88 management staff randomly selected from 55 schools in Lagos state. Data collected from the researcher-designed questionnaire were analyzed using percentages. The study revealed that ICT facilities are relatively lacking in public schools. It also reveals the perceived benefits of using ICT in schools to include making teaching-learning interesting, enhancing the speed and quality of work by the management, the teachers and the students. However, the core challenges facing ICT integration in secondary schools are: paucity of funds for purchase and maintenance of equipment, inadequate manpower skills and irregular power supply. It is therefore recommended that proprietors especially government, should increase their funding level and enforce extant policies on the education sector. There should also be periodic retraining of teachers on ICT skills acquisition.