DIGITAL DIVIDE AND ITS IMPACT ON EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The digital divide, characterized by disparities in access to digital technologies and the internet, has become a significant barrier to effective educational planning and administration in developing regions, including Rivers State, Nigeria. This empirical study investigates the extent to which the digital divide influences educational planning and secondary school in Rivers State, guided by two objectives, research questions and hypotheses. This study was anchored on the Technological Determinism Theory, which postulates that technological changes fundamentally shape societal structures and human behaviors, thereby framing the analysis of how technological inequalities impact educational outcomes.Employing a descriptive survey research design, the study sampled 297 principals and educational plannersfrom the Ministry of Educationusing census sampling technique. Data were gathered using two validated structured questionnaires Digital Divide Impact Questionnaire (DDIQ) and Educational Planning Questionnaire (EPQ), with reliability coefficients of DDIQ = 0.88, and EPQ = 0.84. A total of 286 valid responses were retrieved and used for the analysis of the study, using mean score and standard deviation to answer the research questions and Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed among others that significant disparities in digital access adversely affect administrative and planning purposes, educational planning activities, data management, staff scheduling and resource allocation, and use of digital presentations or tools, among others. The study also revealed that there is no significant relationship between access to digital tools and educational planning in secondary schools in Rivers State. The study recommended among others thatthe Rivers State Ministry of Education should prioritize the provision of internet-enabled devices and broadband access in secondary schools