IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v9y2022i1d10.1057_s41599-022-01215-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Influence of students’ career interests on perceived difficult concept in computer studies in Ghanaian and Nigerian secondary schools

Author

Listed:
  • Olasunkanmi A. Gbeleyi

    (Lagos State University)

  • Fred Awaah

    (University of Professional Studies)

  • Peter A. Okebukola

    (Lagos State University)

  • Juma Shabani

    (University of Burundi)

  • Onoriode Collins Potokri

    (University of Johannesburg)

Abstract

There have been few studies on students’ difficulty in the computer studies curriculum of African senior secondary schools. This study attempts to fill this gap by investigating the concepts students find difficult in the Ghanaian and Nigerian computer science curriculum and the influence of students’ career interests on these perceived difficult concepts. The study is important to the extent that our understanding of “where the shirt tights” regarding topics difficulty will guide teachers, students, secondary schools’ managers, and governments in applying applicable remediating measures. The study sought to establish (a) the concepts that students perceive to be difficult in the computer studies curriculum in Ghanaian and Nigerian schools and (b) if there is a statistically significant relationship between students’ career interests and perceived concept difficulty in computer studies. Anchored on cognitive constructivism theory of Piaget, a quantitative method was employed with the sample (N = 1776). The study reports computer basics and evolution, programme development cycle, managing computer files, Developing problem-solving skills, computer ethics and human concerns, Networking, Logic circuits, Machine language, flowcharting, Algorithm and arithmetic logic unit as perceived difficult concepts. The study also found a negative statistically significant relationship between students’ career interests and perceived concept difficulty in the Ghanaian and Nigerian computer studies curriculum. Various remediating measures have been preferred.

Suggested Citation

  • Olasunkanmi A. Gbeleyi & Fred Awaah & Peter A. Okebukola & Juma Shabani & Onoriode Collins Potokri, 2022. "Influence of students’ career interests on perceived difficult concept in computer studies in Ghanaian and Nigerian secondary schools," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:9:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-022-01215-3
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-022-01215-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-022-01215-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-022-01215-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sonia Livingstone, 2012. "Critical reflections on the benefits of ICT in education," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 42947, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ndoya, Hermann & Okere, Donald & Belomo, Marie laure & Atangana, Melissa, 2023. "Does ICTs decrease the spread of informal economy in Africa?," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).
    2. Cahyono, Edi Dwi, 2023. "Instagram adoption for local food transactions: A research framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    3. Tii N. Nchofoung & Simplice A. Asongu & Vanessa S. Tchamyou, 2022. "Tourism, ICT and inclusive development: global evidence," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 22/037, African Governance and Development Institute..
    4. Charles S. Saba & Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas Ngepah & Yolande E. Ngoungou, 2023. "Governance in the exploration of global and regional determinants of ICT development," Working Papers 23/040, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    5. Henri Njangang & Yann Nounamo, 2020. "Is information and communication technology a driver of industrialization process in African countries?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 40(4), pages 2654-2662.
    6. Honoré Tekam Oumbé & Ronald Djeunankan & Alain Mekia Ndzana, 2023. "Does information and communication technologies affect economic complexity?," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(4), pages 1-25, April.
    7. María Napal & Ana María Mendióroz-Lacambra & Alicia Peñalva, 2020. "Sustainability Teaching Tools in the Digital Age," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-14, April.
    8. Claire Dorris & Karen Winter & Liam O'Hare & Edda Tandi Lwoga, 2021. "PROTOCOL: A systematic review of mobile device use in the primary school classroom and its impact on pupil literacy and numeracy attainment," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(2), June.
    9. Pera Bożena & Hajdukiewicz Agnieszka & Hodak Danijela Ferjanić, 2022. "Digital Competencies among Higher Education Professors and High-School Teachers: Does Teaching Experience matter?," Business Systems Research, Sciendo, vol. 13(2), pages 72-95, December.
    10. Nkoumou Ngoa, Gaston Brice & Song, Jacques Simon, 2021. "Female participation in African labor markets: The role of information and communication technologies," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(9).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:9:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-022-01215-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.