Impediments in Utilizing Information and Communication Technology in Teaching Mechanical Crafts Practice in Government Technical Colleges in Rivers State

This study examined the impediments in utilizing information and Communication and Technology for teaching mechanical craft practice in technical colleges in Rivers State. Specifically, this study investigated the government and material related impediments in utilizing information and Communication Technology for teaching mechanical craft practice in technical colleges in Rivers State. Two research questions and hypotheses were tested at 05 level of significance. A descriptive survey design guided the study. The population of the study comprised 19 and 174 mechanical craft practice teachers and National Technical Certificate III students in the four technical colleges in Rivers State. The population was manageable, therefore, the entire population was used for the study, hence no sampling technique was used for the study. Self-made survey questionnaire served as the instrument that was to elicit information from the respondents. The instrument was face validated by two experts in the Department of Vocational and Technology Education in Rivers State University. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient which yielded a coefficient of 74. Mean and Standard Deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses. The study found among others that diversion of funds meant for technical colleges, abandonment of technical colleges, inability of government to allocated enough fund for technical colleges, non-provision of ICT facilities, inability of government to train technical teachers, irregular supervision of technical colleges, erratic power supply, cost of purchasing ICT facilities, cost of maintaining ICT facilities, lack of adequate ICT tools, lack of conducive classroom, poor internet among others are the impediments in utilizing information and communication and technology for teaching mechanical craft practice in technical colleges in Rivers State. It was recommended among others that Government should regularly conduct training for technical college teachers to help them enhance their competence skills in utilizing ICT facilities for teaching mechanical craft practice.