Effectiveness of ICT-enabled Instructions on Problem Solving Ability of Secondary Students

Education is essential for social, economical and political upliftment of the nation. ICT is being used to address various issues including education. Education drives the economic and social development in any country. Rapid emergence of new technologies necessitates that education system must keep pace with advancements in knowledge and skill. The integration of ICT in higher education is "inevitable". Although the use of ICT is not a guarantee against all the problems of education, it does enhance the teaching learning activities and has the potential to positively impact on learning. ICT can be used for providing affordable, accessible and quality education to the masses. Emergence of technology has necessitated adopting innovative methods of teaching. The fmdings of the study reveal that ICT enabled instructions enhance the problem solving ability of the total sample, boys, girls, rural and urban students. This result has been supported by many studies. Bhattacharya and Sharma (2007) found that ICT help in developing higher order skills and collaborative skills. Oliver (2002) concluded that ICT enhances flexibility ofprograms. Cross & Adams (2007) indicated that ICT creates competition among institutions leading to improved quality and Kozma et. al, (2005) showed that ICT encourages life long learning and meets the need of employers. This may be due to the fact that ICT based instructions provides variety in the classroom situation, gives an opportunity for drill and practice, creates interest in the students and motivates them to learn and solve the problems.