Digital Technologies Integration in STEM Teaching Practices in Tertiary Institutions in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Education in the 21st century should be addressed based on availability, accessibility, competency, and usability of digital technologies. Globalization and developments in ICTs, have institutionalized the application of digital technologies in education. This has created a shift in teaching and learning, making the classroom more engaging, compelling, and interesting; giving the teacher new roles, methods, and engagements in and out of the classroom. This study on digital technologies integration in STEM teaching practices in tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom State, was done using descriptive survey research design. Three research questions and a hypothesis guided the study. The population of the study comprised 1854 STEM lecturers, 270 lecturers were accidentally sampled for the study. A 30-item questionnaire was developed with a reliability coefficient of 0.79 for data collection. Hard and electronic copies of the questionnaire were distributed to respondents. Mean, standard deviation, and independent t-tests were used to analyze the data obtained. Results showed a high level of teachers' competence in integrating digital technologies into STEM teaching practices. Utilization of digital technologies was moderate and male teachers used digital technologies more than the females in STEM teaching practices. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that tertiary education and teachers' education curricula be restructured to focus on digital abilities, as well as global relevance and exposure. Also, pedagogical practices should be made to embrace the use of digital technologies, so that teachers have adequate knowledge and competencies to meet with increasing needs of society.