LECTURERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY UTILISATION IN TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology has been widely used to facilitate career, business, economic and social activities as well as to augment classroom lessons among learners with or without unique educational challenges. Given the paucity of literature on the use of information and communication technology for providing instruction to tertiary education learners who have special educational needs in the South-West Nigerian educational setting, this study set out to investigate lecturers' attitudes toward using information and communication technology applications for providing instruction in two higher institutions of learning in the South-West Nigeria. The descriptive research design was adopted which involved the purposive selection of the University of Ibadan and the Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, Oyo State. Participants comprised 80 lecturers who were randomly selected from both institutions. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p<.05. To compare group differences, the Cohen’s d was also computed. Findings showed that lecturers have positive attitude toward utilising information and communication technology applications for providing instruction to students who have special educational needs. It was found that the demographic factors: gender, institutional affiliation and educational roles are not potent predictors of lecturers’ attitude toward the usage of information and communication technology for providing instruction to learners who experience special educational needs. The study concluded that suitable information and communication technology applications useful for teaching students with special needs should be provided to lecturers in Nigerian universities and colleges of education.

Keywords: Attitude towards ICT utilisation, information and communication technology, institutional affiliation, general and special educators, special education. 

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