PERFORMANCE TASK – RESEARCH REPORT

(60 POINTS)

Title: Effect of Students’ Competence in Using ICT Tools on the Implementation of the O’ Level ICT
Curriculum in Government Secondary Schools in Mbale District, Uganda

Authors:

Wamimbi Mbanazo Fred

Matovu Musa
Bisaso Ssali Muhammadi

Date of Publication: September, 2024

Abstract:

The study established the relationship between students’ competence in using ICT tools and
implementation of the O’ Level ICT curriculum in government-aided secondary schools in Mable
District. The study used a survey study design whereby 192 students were interviewed. Data analysis
was done descriptively using SPSS Version 22.0 and findings indicate a significant positive
correlation between students’ competence in the use of ICT tools and implementation of the ICT
curriculum (r-727, N=192, p=0.000

Keywords: ICT tools, Student Competence, O’ Level ICT Curriculum.

Problem

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are essential in education, allowing students to
access, edit, and share information quickly. This efficiency relies on students' familiarity with ICT
skills. However, many developing countries, including Uganda, face challenges in integrating ICT into
schools due to a lack of adequate resources. In Mbale district, for instance, numerous government-
aided secondary schools suffer from shortages of personnel and ICT equipment. Many lack
functioning computer labs, and those that exist are often poorly equipped. This resource gap has led
to learning difficulties, as seen in O’ Level students who struggle with basic ICT concepts and skills.
Although the Ugandan government has raised salaries for science teachers, including those teaching
ICT, there has been little improvement in how the O’ Level ICT curriculum is implemented.
Additionally, research has shown that not much attention has been paid to other factors that might
influence the ICT curriculum. This study aims to explore whether students’ proficiency with ICT tools
affects the implementation of the O’ Level ICT curriculum in government-supported secondary
schools.

Research Objectives

The study was guided by three objectives:

To establish the level of competence in using ICT tools among ‘O’ Level students in government
aided secondary schools in Mable District.
To explore the challenges faced in enhancing students’ competence in the use of ICT tools
among ‘O’ Level students in government aided secondary schools in Mable District.

T i th l ti hi b t t d t ’ t i i ICT t l d
 To examine the relationship between students’ competence in using ICT tools and
implementation of the ‘O’ Level ICT curriculum in government-aided secondary schools in Mbale
District

Significance of the Study

This study is significant as it addresses the pressing need for technological advancement in Iraq's
education sector, particularly the integration of AI tools. The findings will benefit various stakeholders:
Students: The primary beneficiaries are the students in government-aided secondary schools,
who will gain improved access to ICT tools and enhanced learning opportunities through better
curriculum implementation.
Teachers: will benefit from insights into effective teaching practices and the importance of
developing their own ICT skills, enabling them to support students more effectively.
School Administrators: School leaders will gain valuable information to advocate for increased
resources and support for ICT initiatives, helping to create a better learning environment.
Policymakers: Educational authorities and policymakers will benefit from the study's findings,
which can inform decision-making regarding resource allocation, curriculum development, and
teacher training programs.
Future Researchers: The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on ICT in
education, providing a foundation for further research on the subject and related topics.

Research Design

The study uses a quantitative research design, which focuses on analyzing, gathering and organizing
numerical data from surveys or tests to study a variable. The study aims to examine and investigate
the relationship between students' competence in using ICT tools and the implementation of the O’
Level ICT curriculum in government-aided secondary schools in Mable District.

Research Locale

The research locale for this study are government-aided secondary schools in Mbale District,
Uganda. It consists of four government-aided secondary schools in Mbale District. Data is collected
from ‘O’ Level students who are currently studying in one of the four government-aided secondary
schools.

Population and Sample

The study population comprised of ‘O’ Level students and the target population of the study was 210
students. The sample was determined by simple random sampling per school using Krejcie and
Morgan (1970) table for determining a sample size for a given population. Consequently, the
researcher sampled 136 students for the study.

Research Instrument

The instrument used for data collection was a five-point likert scale structured questionnaire. The
instrument has two sections:
Section 1: Covered the demographic information of the respondents.
Section 2: Students’ Competence in using ICT Tools
Section 3: Challenges Faced in Enhancing Students’ Competence in using ICT Tools
Section 4: Relationship between students’ competence in using ICT tools and implementation of
O’ Level ICT Curriculum

Statistical Tools
The data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS, for the descriptive analysis,
the researchers used calculated means and percentages to summarize the data. To explore the
relationship between students' skills in using ICT tools and how well the ‘O’ Level ICT curriculum is
implemented in government-aided secondary schools, the study used a Pearson Product Moment
correlation analysis.

Research Findings
1. Students’ Competence in using ICT Tools.

The research study found that most students have basic ICT skills, but significant gaps in advanced
tasks could hinder effective curriculum implementation in secondary schools. This highlights a need
to investigate the reasons behind their limited ICT proficiency.

1. Challenges Faced in Enhancing Students’ Competence in using ICT Tools.

The study result of the study shows that students' ICT competence is limited by insufficient support,
outdated tools, limited access, poor maintenance, and lack of practice time, along with challenges in
internet connectivity and low ICT skills and motivation among both students and teachers. These
issues collectively hinder effective curriculum implementation.

1. Relationship between students’ competence in using ICT tools and implementation of O’

Level ICT Curriculum.

The result presents that most students agreed that ICT skills made learning easier, allowed them to
catch up if they missed lessons, and helped with syllabus completion, highlighting ICT competence
as beneficial for curriculum implementation. However, some factors still limited full syllabus coverage.

Conclusion

The findings conclude that majority of the students did not have adequate ICT knowledge and skills
due to; lack of technical support, limited access to ICT tools, poor ICT tool maintenance, lack of
enough time to practice ICT skills, lack of administrative support, poor internet connectivity
inadequate ICT soft wares, outdated ICT tools, teachers lacking enough ICT skills, negative students’
attitude towards learning ICT, teachers’ lack enough ICT skills and teachers having a negative attitude
towards teaching ICT. The results however, indicate a strong positive relationship between students’
competence in using ICT tools and implementation of the O’ Level ICT curriculum in government-
aided secondary schools in Mable District relationship.

Recommendations

The findings pointed to the fact that a significant number of students were not having adequate
knowledge and skills for effectively using ICT tools and this was mainly due to limited resources
needed for effective learning of such skills. Relatedly it is recommended that education stakeholders
identify more sources of funding like, involving parents in contributing to the acquisition of the
required resources. The education stakeholders need to be sensitized to appreciate the need for
facilitating ICT competencies among the students for effective curriculum implementation.

Reference

Fred, W., Musa, D., & Bisaso, S. (2024). Effect of students’ competence in using ICT tools on the
implementation of the O’ Level ICT curriculum in government secondary schools in Mbale District,
Uganda. *International Journal of Social Science and Human Research, 7*(9).
https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v7-i09-19