TEACHING OF ICT AS A CORE SUBJECT IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN GHANA

TEACHING OF ICT AS A CORE SUBJECT IN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN GHANA

Background to the study

Over the last two decades, there has been substantial progress in the global integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into secondary school level education. People have long attempted to use technology to satisfy their requirements (Ministry of Education, 2015), and new technologies emerge on a nearly daily basis. Educators, community leaders, government officials, and local governments all place a high value on incorporating ICT breakthroughs into education (Harrison, 2005, sited by Jeffery 2016). Much of the debate has centered on improving resources rather than effectively integrating ICT in secondary school classes. Many current kinds of information and communication technology, when used carefully and meaningfully, can become useful teaching resources. They will squander a lot of money if they are not used properly. As a result, educators must grasp how to best employ ICT in teaching and learning. If we do not understand how to use ICT effectively in the classroom, spending on computers, software, whiteboards, and the like will be futile in terms of teaching and learning. While technology may affect a teacher's function (for example, by assisting pupils in using an individual computerized learning software), it will not transform pedagogy (George, 2017).

To accomplish this, instructors must believe in ICT as a valuable educational tool, commit to increasing their ICT skills, and incorporate ICT into their daily teaching practice. New technologies cannot be ignored in the classroom nowadays. Further investigation by the researcher revealed that ICT integration in the classroom can influence learning and teaching. Most students' life revolve around modern communication technology. Educational material and methods may become more relevant to students' actual vocations and interests if educators embrace ICT. Students loved using ICT to help them take greater responsibility for their learning, according to Cox and Abbott (2018).

Their dedication to the learning task and enthusiasm in the subject grew. They gained independence by utilizing ICT. It might be argued that schools should provide young people who have not had access to ICT devices (such as personal computers) with the opportunity to utilize and learn about them. Much economic and professional development is dependent on being able to use ICT confidently. The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School Education is now working to improve ICT integration in our secondary schools. The Ministry of Education (MOE, 2015) has determined that all secondary schools in Ghana must incorporate ICT into their learning and training processes. All school principals have been thoroughly informed of the integration and the requirement that ICT be taught as a core topic in all schools.

Curriculum and syllabi have been developed, and all necessary approvals have been obtained. Secondary schools must not be an exception to the use of ICT as a driving tool for any career development. We must allow our pupils to chose their future careers in secondary school. The use of ICT at this level will assist students in carrying out their intentions for whatever they wish to be. ICT use in Ghanaian schools has not been properly implemented to actualize and realize the benefits of ICT integration in practically every aspect of their educational processes. According to Pachler (2016), students should be properly prepared to use the Internet. They must be clear about the intended learning outcomes and work on assignments that are clearly differentiated. As a result, children can be developed as highly motivated and successful learners if schools do not superficially integrate ICT into existing classroom curriculum and pedagogies, relying on it to make their schools appear modern without assuring the efficacy of its use. ICT has improved the quality of education, and many educators see students changing as a result of their use of ICT technologies (Finger et al., 2017). In Ghana, a survey of most students' and teachers' computer abilities and knowledge revealed that ICT was not completely adopted and integrated into their learning and training procedures.

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