RE-ENGINEERING BRIDGING DIGITAL GAPS IN EDUCATION FOR SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION: A SYNERGY FOR SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Abstract

This study focused on bridging digital gaps in education as a synergy for sustainable technological innovations in teaching and learning in secondary schools in Cross River State. The specific objectives of the study was to ascertain:(1.) the availability of digital tools used in teaching and learning, (2.) technological competences of teachers. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 31,151 teachers in all the 309 secondary schools in Cross River State. The stratified random sampling technique was used to select 300 teachers from the three (3) Education Zones in Cross River State including both urban and rural schools. The questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data. The 4-point likert type scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) was used for data collection. The data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis. The findings of the study revealed that there were inadequate technological tools in most schools in the study area. Also majority of the teachers were technologically incompetent thus use of technological tools was rare. In conclusion, it was observed that teaching and learning occurred with less impact of technological activities in the classrooms and laboratories.  It was recommended among others that both government and school heads should ensure provision of digital facilities and the training of teachers for the enhancement of digital competencies in teaching and learning.