Assessment of the Facilitating conditions and self- efficacy of teachers on assistive technology tools in special education Primary Schools in North- Central Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the facilitating condition and self-efficacy of teachers on assistive technology tools in special education primary schools in North Central, Nigeria. The research design for the study was survey type. The population of this study was 156 (101 male and 55 female) teachers teaching in all the seven special primary schools in North Central, Nigeria while the sample for the study was 136(69 male and 47 female) teachers. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to select each special government primary school in each state the North Central, Nigeria. Four research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The research instrument for the study was questionnaire. The researcher adapted questionnaire on the facilitating condition and self-efficacy of assistive technological tools (QFCSEATT). The research instrument was validated by two lecturers from Federal University of Technology Department of Educational Technology Minna, one lecturer from Federal Capital Territory College of Education, Department of Educational Technology, Abuja, and one administrator from the Federal Capital Territory School for the Blind. Abuja. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was applied in testing the reliability level of the instrument which yielded reliability coefficient of 0.91 and 0.95 respectively. The data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for research questions while t-test was employed to test hypotheses. Finding revealed that there are facilitating conditions for assistive technological tools usage in special education primary schools in North-Central, Nigeria. Finding showed that there was no significant difference in the perception of male and female teachers on facilitating conditions influencing the use of assistive technological tools in special education primary schools in North-Central, Nigeria. Finding also revealed that there was no significant difference between male and female teachers' self-efficacy level in the use of assistive technological tools in special education primary schools North Central Nigeria. It was therefore recommended that government should create a conducive and facilitating environment for learning which will serve as motivation for the students. Teachers should be trained and re-trained on the use of assistive technology to increase their self-efficacy level in handling assistive technological tools and others.