ABSTRACT
The study examined the utilization of information communication and technology tools among agriculture lecturers in Universities in Edo State, Nigeria. The study was carried out in Edo State Universities. A multi stage sampling was adopted selecting 92 respondents and a structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, and correlation analysis were used for analysis of the hypotheses of the study.
Findings revealed that there are more male (75%) than female (25%) agriculture lecturers and majority (78.3 %) were Ph.D. with a mean age of 47 years. A majority (90.2%) were full time staffs with a majority (42.4%) having 11-15 years working experience, 90.2% of the respondents were married.
All respondents are aware of the existence and use of internet and social media in teaching and learning, a majority (26) specialized in agricultural economics and extension services. The respondents were competent in the use of ICT tools except in the use of Multi-media projector (M = 1.29), E-learning platforms (M = 1.52), Computer assisted instruction (CAI) applications (M = 1.44) and Web publishing with assistance (M = 1.91). The respondents also had a positive perception to the importance of ICTs tools in teaching and learning with majority (M = 2.77) having more access to the internet. The major perceived constraints against the use of ICTs tools were inadequate funding (M = 4.12), lack of government support (M =3.38), cost of acquisition (M = 3.51), and poor working condition (M = 3.44).
It was revealed that age (r = 0.59; p< 0.05) and working experience (r = 0.27; p<0.05) were the significant correlates of the use of ICT tools by the respondents in the study area needs at 0.05 level of significance, while the working experience (r = 0.37; p<0.05) was the significant correlate of the accessibility of respondents to the ICT tools in the study area 0.05 level of significance, and there was no significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics of agriculture lecturers and their perceived importance to ICT tools use at both 0.01 and 0.05 level of significance.
The study concluded that the use of ICTs tools by Agriculture Lecturers in teaching and learning process is still low as the results show that the activities ICTs are used for by agriculture lecturers were basically for non-teaching purpose. The study recommended that educational institutions should be adequately equipped with ICT tools, and that management staffs are hired to organize ICT resource centres where lecturers can quickly access relevant information. Lecturers should make regular use of ICT resources for classroom teaching and learning as this will simplify instruction and promote the free flow of information that improves learning. The use of ICTs by lecturers be encouraged in universities, the government, university administration, and donors should all contribute to create a suitable working environment for academics.
