FACTORS AFFECTING INTERNET SERVICE INTEGRATION TO THE

CLASSROOM LEARNING EXPERIENCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
Education is any endeavor or experience that has a developing effect on the mind, character and
the physical abilities of an individual. In other words, Education is the process by which a
society intentionally transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation
to another. Education is not identical to learning, as pointed by Biesta (2011), but rather it’s a set
of methods to make learning more efficient, faster and more focused than it would have occurred
naturally. Essentially, education is important because it passes down knowledge accumulated
over time to the younger generations, in other for them to become better human beings, improve
their way of living as well as social and economic status throughout their lives. Proper education
is necessary for every one and it is a birth right that should not be infringed on, because
infringing on a person’s right to education could lead to illiteracy and poverty and these can
cause crimes and social vices. Statistically, countries with a high literacy rate are usually the
happiest, richest and most peaceful, while countries with lower literacy rate are less peaceful and
poorer.
According to the NPE (2013) Education is an Instrument for national development and social
change, it is vital for the promotion of a progressive Nigeria. Education is needed by the
individual because it provides stability in life and it’s something that no one can ever take away.
By being well-educated, an individual increases his chances for better career opportunities,
financial security, allows for self-discipline and confidence. In today’s world people are striving
for equity and social justice, and education is the key to achieving it. Society at large becomes
more peaceful and prosperous when the people are educated. Education gives us knowledge of
the world around us, it develops in us a perspective of looking at life. It is the most important
element in the evolution of a nation. Without education, an individual will not explore new ideas
and this means that an individual will not be able to contribute to the development of the world
since he will lack creativity.
Over time, the method of teaching has evolved. The standard method of teaching involved
recitation i.e. Students were expected to sit in silence and take turns to recite the lesson. The
teacher listens to each student’s recitation, and they were expected to study and memorize the
assignments and then a written test or oral exam is administered. This way, the students are
rewarded for their efforts, class periods were used efficiently and the student’s behavior was
managed using clear rules. Whereas the modern way of teaching is more activity based, using
questioning, explaining, demonstration and collaboration techniques.
At the middle of the 20th century, the Computer Age began and it was characterized by a rapid
shift from the traditional industry established by the Industrial Revolution to an economy
primarily based upon information technology. The arrival of the Computer Age can be associated
with the development of transistor technology. In an increasingly technological world, computer
literacy is vital in order not to be left behind. Information can now be easily accessed at the touch
of a button. The internet plays a big role in making it possible to share information in this
information age and without it, the world will not be a true global village as it is today.
Computers have supplied infinite resources for learning and made education more flexible and
easy to access. Students can now gain knowledge and information not only from classroom
assignments and libraries but also from available online resources. Video tutorials, free or paid e-
books and several forums also contribute in the resources that are needed by the students.
Without the Computer, students would have to rely on books given in the classroom or libraries.
Computers have a huge and organized storage, so Teachers and Students can download and store
large amounts of lecture notes, presentation and other educational materials.
Computers and the Internet have introduced dramatic changes to work processes and to the
organization of Co-operate structures over the past decade (cf. Lindbeck and Snower, 2000).
Today, the internet influences many aspects of our life. In banking and finance for example,
Internet banking allows bank customers to perform routine bank transactions at anytime from
anywhere without being physically present at the bank. In clinical settings, the internet enables
care providers to gain rapid access to information that can aid in the diagnosis of health
conditions or the development of suitable treatment plans. It can make patient records, test
results, and practice guidelines accessible from the examination room. In commerce, the Internet
has made it possible for people to buy and sell goods and services without being in physical
contact with each other. This is beneficial because a prospective buyer can get information about
a product of interest and examine it virtually before making a purchase all from the comfort of
his home. In communication, the internet has made it possible for people to stay in touch with
friends or family living far away and it has even made it possible to make new friends without
having to meet them in person.
In education, the internet has allowed for greater accessibility in the sense that in the past,
teachers and students have to be physically present in the same location for teaching and learning
to take place, but due to the long distance communication capabilities of the internet, a student
can get a degree online without ever being physically present in a classroom. Also students don’t
have to be in their classroom at a specific time since course materials are available online, and
students have the freedom to study and complete classwork whenever their schedule permits;
therefore allowing flexibility. The internet has also been used for online testing. This is
beneficial because when tests are done online and a computer automatically grades and corrects
wrong answers, it is impossible for there to be bias since the test is not being graded by a human.
According to Dryli & Kinnaman (1996), the Internet enables students to find information as well
as allowing them to think critically and creatively, to be collaborative and cooperative workers
and to solve problems.
In Nigeria, the traditional method of Teaching and Learning is still widely used i.e. the teachers
come to the classroom and expects the students to be physically present to receive lectures, and
when they give the students classwork and assignments they are expected to get answers from
the textbook. The internet can be used to make the teaching and learning processes easier. E-
learning for example can be used to eliminate the need for being physically present in the class-
room to receive lectures, students won’t have to submit their assignments in-person anymore
since they can submit it online and tardiness will be discouraged because the teacher can fix a
deadline and the students will not be able to submit after the deadline. The internet can also be a
valuable source of information to the students, as there is a variety of educational websites that
offers knowledge in every field of human endeavor.
Statement of Problem
The vast majority of Secondary Schools in Benin City do not have internet access in their
premises, not to talk about internet access in their classrooms. The purpose of this research is to
uncover the factors that are affecting the integration of internet access in the classroom of
secondary school students. This Problem is worth researching because technological
advancements such as the internet is not equally available to every student, and students without
internet access will miss out on a huge educational opportunity. Having internet access allows
students to keep up with information that might not be found in textbooks; therefore, in order for
the students not to be left with outdated knowledge, it is important that internet access is
integrated into their classroom learning experience.
Research questions
1. What are the factors that are hindering the integration of internet service to the
classroom of Secondary Schools in Benin City?
2. What impact will the internet service integration have on the learning outcomes or
academic performance of the students?
3. Will it make the teaching and learning process easier or more complicated?
4. How well can the teachers and students use the Internet?
5. What percentage of the teachers and students own a computer or a smart device?
6. What percentage of teachers and students own a computer or smart device with
internet access.
Purpose of study
The purpose of the study is to find out the factors affecting the integration of internet access
to the classroom learning experience of secondary school students. Other goals of the study
includes:
1. Identifying the economic feasibility of internet service integration in the classroom
of junior secondary school students.
2. Determining how much training the teachers and students will need to use the
service.
3. Identifying the impact it will have on the student’s academic performance.
 4. Determining whether the teaching and learning process will be made easier.
Significance of the study
The findings of this research will be beneficial to: Educational planners, The Government,
Teachers, Students, Future researchers, The Society at large.
Educational planners: the findings of this research will be beneficial to educational planners
in the sense that it will help them to identify, design and implement strategies to effectively
and efficiently integrate internet access in secondary school classrooms.
The Government: the findings of this research will help the government design and
implement policies that will favour the integration of internet access in the classrooms of
secondary schools as well as help them allocate financial resources for the effective
implementation.
Teachers: the findings of this research will be useful to the teachers because it will help
determine the factors to consider when planning to integrate internet service in their daily
lesson delivery.
Students: the findings of this research will be useful to the students in the sense that it will
make them familiar with the factors that affect their usage of the internet in the classroom,
and what measures they can take in order to manage the situation.
Future researchers: the findings of this research will be useful to future researchers
researching in the same or a similar field in the sense that it will serve as a reference
material.
The society at large: the findings of this research will be beneficial to the society in the
sense that it will create awareness about the factors that may allow or prevent the
integration of internet access in the classroom of junior secondary school students and how
those factors can be managed.
Scope and Delimitation of the study
This study is intended to determine the factors that affects the integration of internet access
in secondary school classrooms and is delimited to the Benin City Metropolis. The opinions
on the factors will be gotten from the secondary school principals, the teachers and students.
 References
Biesta, G. J.J. (2011). Philosophy of education for the public good: Five challenges and an
agenda. Educational Philosophy and Theory.
National Policy on Education (NPE), Federal Ministry of Education Nigeria (FME) sixth
edition (2013).
Lindbeck, Assar, Dennis Snower (2000). Multitask Learning and the Reorganization of the
work: from Tayloristic to Holistic Org anization. Journal of Labour Economics.
Dryli, O. E., & Kinnaman, D.E. (1996). Part 2: Energizing the classroom curriculum
through telecommunications. Technology and Learning.