ADAPTATION OF ICTS AS PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS FOR EARLY YEARS' IGBO LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION: A STUDY OF SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The importance of integrating ICTs in education for 21 century teaching and learning is over 
emphasized. Integration of ICTs in the language instructional classroom especially among the early 
childhood learners also remains very imperative. This is because the ICTs have great impact on 
nearly every aspect of the early years' lives. This ranges from acquiring and developing appropriate 
language that improves their working and socialization; and also their learning to play. The study 
examined the integration of ICTs in the Igbo language development and classroom instruction of 
early childhood learners in some selected primary schools in Idemili South of Anambra State, 
Nigeria. Descriptive survey was used in carrying out the study. Questionnaire and Checklist were 
the instruments used in data collection. Study population comprised all private and government - 
owned primary schools in Idemili South Education District in Anambra State, Nigeria. Simple 
random sampling technique was used to select ten private as well as ten government-owned 
primary schools. One hundred primary school teachers constituted the participants for the study 
and five teachers were selected from each school using stratified random sampling technique. 
Descriptive statistical tool was also used in analyzing the data obtained. Findings revealed the 
availability and integration of ICT tools to enhance the Igbo language development and academic 
achievement of early childhood learners; and that some teachers reported poor ICT skills 
competence. Recommendations were made from the study findings: that the Nigerian government 
and private school owners should fully equip primary schools with necessary ICT tools so that no 
child should be left behind in this digital and technology driven era.  Again, the teachers should 
improve on their ICT skills competence to enable them make use of ICTs during classroom teaching 
and learning especially for the Igbo language development and classroom instruction of their 
learners in the early years.