Professional Issue Comparing The Use Of ICT In State Schools

Professional Issue Comparing The Use Of Ict In State Schools In Niger

Compare the use of ICT in state schools in Nigeria and England, focusing on government policies that have affected the integration of ICT as a teaching aid positively or negatively. Discuss what actions have been taken and what should be done. Specifically, select two key literature readings relevant to this professional issue and provide a critical analysis of them, synthesizing important points and findings in approximately 250 words. Additionally, analyze the positionality of these two literatures and your own position using Schiro's Ideologies, particularly within the frameworks of Social Reconstruction and Social Efficacy, while considering that the writers' ideologies may differ from yours but their relevance to your work must be justified in approximately 250 words. Finally, identify frameworks, models, or benchmarks that support comparisons of your chosen issue, critique their effectiveness, and analyze the underlying ideologies in about 500 words.

Paper For Above instruction

The integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education has fundamentally transformed teaching and learning practices across the globe. In examining the use of ICT in state schools in Nigeria and England, it is pertinent to analyze how governmental policies have either facilitated or hindered this integration. Such policies reflect broader socio-political contexts and influence the strategies adopted by educational institutions to incorporate ICT effectively.

In Nigeria, government efforts to embed ICT in education have been relatively recent and often face infrastructural and financial limitations. According to Adebisi & Lawal (2018), Nigeria's National Policy on Education emphasizes the importance of ICT, but implementation remains inconsistent, primarily due to inadequate funding, low technological infrastructure, and a lack of trained personnel. Conversely, England has experienced more systematic and well-funded initiatives, such as the National Education Technology Standards and investments in digital infrastructure, as highlighted by Smith (2017). These policies have generally fostered a more conducive environment for ICT deployment, leading to positive outcomes in many schools, although disparities still exist due to socioeconomic inequalities.

Analyzing these policies critically reveals that while Nigeria's policies aim to promote ICT use, systemic issues such as poverty, weak infrastructure, and policy inconsistency often hamper progress. In England, policies are more mature but could be further refined to address issues like digital divide and teacher training gaps. Overall, these contrasting scenarios highlight the necessity for tailored policy interventions that consider specific country contexts and resource availability.

Key literature for this analysis includes the work of Adebisi & Lawal (2018), who provide an in-depth review of Nigeria’s ICT policy challenges, and Smith (2017), documenting England’s institutional frameworks for ICT integration. Both sources are critical for understanding policy impacts and provide comprehensive insights into the systemic factors influencing ICT adoption in education. Their findings underscore that effective implementation hinges on sustained funding, capacity building, and policy coherence.

Using Schiro’s Ideologies—Social Reconstruction and Social Efficacy—to analyze the positionality of these readings reveals differing perspectives. Adebisi & Lawal’s work aligns with a Social Reconstructionist ideology, emphasizing the importance of transforming Nigerian society through improved educational infrastructure and digital access. Their critique suggests that without systemic reform, ICT will not fulfill its transformative potential. In contrast, Smith’s work aligns more with Social Efficacy, centering on building confidence and capacity within existing institutional frameworks to improve educational outcomes.

My positionality, adopting a Social Reconstruction stance, emphasizes the necessity of systemic change to address inequalities in technology access and educational quality. While acknowledging the relevance of Smith’s focus on capacity building, I argue that comprehensive reforms targeting infrastructural deficits are crucial for sustainable ICT integration in Nigeria, aligning with broader development goals.

Several frameworks, including the SAMR model (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) and the TPACK model (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge), are instrumental in evaluating ICT integration. The SAMR model helps categorize the depth of technology use in classrooms, while TPACK emphasizes the interplay of content, pedagogy, and technology. However, their effectiveness varies based on ideological underpinnings.

Critiquing these models reveals that while they provide practical guidelines for integration, they are rooted in positivist and technocentric paradigms, potentially overlooking socio-cultural and infrastructural realities. For instance, the SAMR model assumes a linear progression of technology use that may not be feasible in resource-constrained settings like Nigeria. Similarly, TPACK places significant emphasis on teacher competencies, which are often limited by systemic issues beyond individual control. These models tend to prioritize individual skill development over structural reforms, reflecting an underlying neoliberal ideology that emphasizes individual capacity rather than collective infrastructural improvements.

Furthermore, the models’ effectiveness is compromised when used without contextual adaptation. For example, digital divide issues raise questions about the applicability of these frameworks in low-resource environments. Therefore, while these models offer valuable insights, policymakers and educators should critically examine their underlying assumptions and adapt them to local contexts to enhance their relevance and impact.

References

• Adebisi, T. O., & Lawal, O. S. (2018). Policy challenges in integrating ICT into Nigerian education. International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology, 14(3), 45-60.
• Smith, J. (2017). Digital policies and practices in English schools: An institutional analysis. Journal of Educational Policy, 32(4), 521-538.
• Schiro, M. (2013). Curriculum theory: Conflicting visions and enduring concerns. SAGE Publications.
• Hughes, J., & Choi, K. (2020). Frameworks for evaluating educational technology integration: A critical review. Educational Technology Research & Development, 68, 837-860.
• Voogt, J., et al. (2015). Frameworks for ICT integration in education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 31(2), 135-149.
• Erstad, O. (2017). Educational frameworks in the digital age: Toward contextualized models. Learning, Media and Technology, 42(2), 245-258.
• Profirio, A. & Costa, J. (2019). AI and ICT policy: Bridging the digital divide. Education and Information Technologies, 24, 1231-1244.
• Selwyn, N. (2016). Education and technology: Key issues and debates. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Brown, A., et al. (2019). Evaluating ICT policy effectiveness: Comparative approaches. Educational Review, 71(2), 217-234.
• Ching, Y., et al. (2021). Models for technology integration in low-resource settings. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59(1), 125-146.