ICT Facilitates the Teaching Process

Predominantly, the teachers’ apparently admitted that their use of ICT had an impact in their subject area. All the teachers make use of the tools in doing

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research and improving their knowledge in their subject area. Teachers discussed that using the internet to find materials in their subject domain has exposed them to a wide variety of materials online that have increased their scope of understanding in their various subject areas, thus improving their content knowledge. Also, teachers’ agreed that the use of ICT to prepare their lessons had facilitated the teaching job as they no longer have to carry heavy textbooks and papers to the classrooms.

One of the teachers highlighted that the internet has helped him both in getting diverse materials in his subject area and reduce the cost of buying textbooks:

“When I am browsing the web, I find much more information that is not available in textbooks because the truth is textbooks are limited when it comes to finance.

Through the internet, I can get a diverse source of information without spending much”. (T14)

Other teachers unanimously agreed that their use of ICT tools in preparing their lessons and further research in their subject areas had enabled them to become more confident when teaching as they are now exposed diverse form of

information:

“Using the internet, I found a whole bulk of information concerning my subjects and in several ways which make it easier for me to understand. Also, I have become more confident in class than before because of the distinct kind of information I got through the internet. Now I prepare my lesson using my personal computer which for me has help in organising my teaching.”(T4)

Another teacher said:

“If the computer was not there, I don't know I would have found it tough to pass information to the students. Because when I am preparing my lesson I make sure I visit as many scientific websites as possible to get diverse information about my topic. I don't just focus on textbooks because knowledge there is limited. So ICT makes a difference”.

(T6)

One of the mathematics teachers who had just started using ICT in his classroom explains that:

“I have found out that mathematics is well taught with the use of ICT tools because mathematics is most challenging subject to most African children, by making it

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visual, helps them to understand faster and it also makes the teaching process easier”.

(T18)

The few teachers who were using tools in the teaching and learning process made mention of the fact that their use of ICT has enabled them to cover their lessons faster than before, some of them explained:

“Take for example I have a printer at home which has helped me so much in my profession. With the limited ICT tools available in school, I have derived a method where I now type my lecture notes, print them and photocopy many copies to share with my students. Now much of my lesson time is allocated to discussions instead of the past years where I had to copy the notes in the chalkboard for the students to copy in their books which usually makes my teaching challenging and time-consuming.”(T11) Another teacher said;

“Using ICT tools facilitates my lessons, for example, a lesson that I used to teach for one hour, now is possible for me to use just 30 minutes. Usually, practical

mathematics lesson which involves plotting a graph or drawing tables, a teacher have to come to the classroom and use so much time in drawing and plotting the various points using a chalkboard. What I do in such cases now is that I usually prepare that kind of lessons well ahead of time using Microsoft Excel which is easier, practical and time-saving”. (T13)

A contrary view was given by one of teacher who had incorporating ICT but still faces difficulties as a result of insufficient knowledge of the use of the tool in the teaching and learning process as he explains:

“There was a time I try to use my laptop in the class, but I discovered that it was not easy because finally, I could not even finish the work I programmed for that day. I was not familiar with the tools because I have never received any formal training in teaching my subject using these ICT tools”. (T6)

Furthermore, some teachers highlighted ICT does not only help him to transmit knowledge to students or to get diverse information in his subject areas but also use ICT actively as a learning tool to develop themselves:

“Through my quest for professional development with the help of ICT, I had the possibility to take free online courses through MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses)

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in my subject domain. I usually log in and watch free video lectures on some important topics in geology”. (T9)

Responses from the teachers clearly demonstrate that ICT was helpful in one way or another in their teaching profession. While some of the teachers were using the ICT to prepare their lessons, others admitted that ICT had changed their method of lesson delivery.