CHANGING EDUCATIONAL POLICIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR ICT INTEGRATION IN SCIENCE INSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN GHANAIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS

Abstract

Every country’s educational policy directs the implementation and success or otherwise of education outcomes. This study analysed some educational policies of the Ministry of Education of Ghana to determine the current state of use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in science instruction in senior high schools and its implications for students’ learning outcomes. Most of the policies aimed at promoting functional learning through use of ICTs. However, the various senior high school science syllabuses are not explicit on the use of ICTs such as computer, mobile technologies, print, audio-visual, radio and TV broadcasts as some of the means of integrating ICTs in teaching and learning. It was found that local stakeholders’ engagement in developing the various curricula is minimal as policy documents were developed by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with occasional involvement of few personnel from the Ministry. Despite the many policy directions and training workshops given to teachers, use of ICTs in instruction has remained at the policy stages with little or no ICTs integration into school science teaching. Also ICTs integration in science teaching at the senior high school levels has been constrained by uncoordinated and a flurry of policy implementation procedures and directions given by donor agents. Students’ performance in science examinations has not yielded the expected learning outcomes. It is recommended that education should be democratised to engage local practitioners of education rather than the many donor agencies seeking to correct the shortcomings of science teaching and learning.