INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) ON THE EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ADULT LEARNERS IN BENIN METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the influence of information communication technology (ICT) on the effective teaching and learning of adult learners in Benin Metropolis. The study aims to identify the various ICT tools deployed for the teaching and learning of adults in literacy centres in Benin Metropolis, identify the benefits of ICT to adult learners in Benin Metropolis, determine how adult learners perceive the use of ICT in their learning and learning process in Benin Metropolis, evaluate the relationship between ICT and socioeconomic empowerment of adult learners in Benin Metropolis, and identify the barriers to the effective use of ICT in the teaching and learning of adult learners in literacy centres in Benin Metropolis. A total sample of 92 respondents drawn through a simple random sampling technique was used for the study. The descriptive survey design method was adopted for the study. The data was collected using a questionnaire. After experts’ validation of the instrument, it was pilot-tested for reliability. The instrument’s reliability was determined using the internal consistency reliability whereby the instrument was administered to 20 participants who were not part of the final study. The data collected from them was analysed using the Cronbach's alpha method to determine the reliability coefficient of the instrument and after computation, the correlation coefficient of the instrument was found to be 0.7.1. This revealed that the instrument used was 15 very stable. The data collected was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found in the study that there is significant relationship between ICT and socioeconomic empowerment of adult learners in Benin Metropolis also that adult education programmes are faced with challenges which hinders the successful implementation of ICT tools in the teaching and learning of adult learners. The study concluded that ICT is a critical tool to deploy in the teaching and learning process of adult learners and that the government should ensure that these ICT tools are made available in adult literacy centres to enhance teaching and Learning and also provide training for adult facilitators who will be handling these ICT tools, in order for them to be grounded with the use. The study proffered a number of recommendations which includes that government train facilitators on how to use ICT tools in the teaching and learning of adult learners in Benin Metropolis, provide adequate ICT facilities and Internet service for easy access to ICT facilities and Internet to adult learners and facilitators, government should also ensure that the cost of ICT tools are subsidised to make them affordable by adult learners and facilitators, ensure that there is adequate supply of electricity to power the ICT tools to ensure effective teaching and learning process