GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

                                                                                                        ABSTRACT

The study examined the roles of ICT in curriculum development and utilization: investigating its guiding principles for teaching and learning in secondary schools. The research was carried out in Imo State. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The targeted population for the study comprised all Principals, Vice Principals and ICT teachers in secondary schools in Imo State. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 45 Principal, 45 Vice Principal administrations, 45 Vice Principal Academic, 45 ICT teachers from secondary schools in Imo State, this gave a total of 180 respondents used for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “ICT Roles and Curriculum Development Utilization Questionnaire (ICTRCDQ)”. Face and content validation of the instrument was carried out by an expert in test, measurement, and evaluation in order to ensure that the instrument has the validity and accuracy for the study under consideration. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.91, and this was substantially high enough to justify the use of the instrument. The researcher subjected the data generated for this study to appropriate statistical technique such as percentage analysis to answer research questions. The findings of the study revealed that ‘Teacher Professional Development’ was the highest role of ICT in curriculum development and utilization. Also, “Guiding Teaching Practices” was the highest features that make curriculum a guiding principle for teaching and learning in secondary schools. The study concluded that by embracing the potential of ICT and adhering to guiding principles rooted in pedagogical excellence, equity, and continuous improvement, secondary schools can harness the full power of technology to enhance teaching and learning outcomes in the 21st century. One of the recommendations was that there should be continuous professional development programmes to empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and pedagogical strategies necessary for leveraging ICT effectively in teaching and learning.

KEYWORDS: Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Curriculum Development, Teaching and Learning, utilization and Guiding Principles