Implications of Students’ Access to Computer and Academic Performance in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Tarauni and Kano Municipal Local Government Areas, Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Relevance of computer based education cannot be overemphasized in the 21^st century. The use of computers in education impacts academic performance of students. In Nigeria, the use of computers especially in secondary schools is on the rise. A focus on North-western Nigeria, a region considered as educationally disadvantaged compared to other regions of the country, is vital to the nation. Although there is an affirmative national policy on the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the secondary school curriculum, implementation of the policy at the level of school management is called to question. This research investigated the implications of student’s access to computer and academic performance in some selected public secondary schools in Kano State, Northwest Nigeria. The research adopted a survey design that used randomly selected but purposive sample of students from four schools in Kano metropolis with a view to investigating the level of availability of computers and the impact of the outcome on students’ performance. Results showed that some schools suffer non-existence of computers, most schools exhibit low level of computer availability but with students who indicate the capacity of to use computers. Results also indicated that students still suffer restricted access to computer at school, with the students having more access mostly from homes and cyber cafes. This has serious implications as most of the students fear that they cannot handle a computer based test (CBT). Provision of more computers by the school and a non-restricting computer access to students should be promoted.