Effects of Information and Communication Technology Integration on Teaching in Secondary Schools in Edo State

This study examines the effects of information and communication technology integration on teaching effectiveness in secondary schools in Edo State, South South Nigeria. The Nigerian government's digital education initiatives have prompted gradual introduction of ICT tools into secondary school classrooms, yet implementation quality and teacher competency levels vary considerably across schools and subjects. Edo State, with a relatively active state education digitisation programme, provides a suitable context for evaluating early integration outcomes. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with data from 250 teachers across 20 secondary schools in Benin City, Auchi, and Ekpoma. ICT integration was assessed using a self-report instrument measuring frequency of ICT use in lesson preparation and delivery, tool variety, and student ICT interaction. Teaching effectiveness was evaluated through supervisor observation ratings and student learning engagement scores. Regression and Pearson correlation analyses were applied. Results indicate that ICT integration is significantly and positively associated with teaching effectiveness, particularly in terms of lesson variety, student engagement, and concept illustration quality. However, only 42 percent of sampled teachers used ICT tools more than once per week, citing unreliable electricity and insufficient training as primary barriers. The study concludes that ICT integration improves teaching effectiveness when reliably implemented, but infrastructure and capacity gaps limit its current impact in Edo State secondary schools. It recommends that the state government invest in solar-powered ICT laboratories and mandatory digital pedagogy certification for all serving secondary school teachers.

Keywords: ICT integration, teaching effectiveness, secondary school, Edo State, digital education.