LEVEL OF PLANNING TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF TECHNOLOGY-BASED EDUCATION FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN UPPER BASIC PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The paper found out the level of forethought towards implementation of technology-based education for learners with special needs in upper basic public schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used in the study. Four research questions were posed for the study while 5,290 upper basic public-school teachers in Cross River State’s eighteen local government areas formed the population of the study. 533 teachers, representing ten percent of all the teachers that formed the population of the study, were selected for the study. Provision of Specific Special Needs Educational Goals and Vision of Learning through Technology Questionnaire for Teachers (PSSNEGVLTQT); Provision of Evolving Professional Development for Teachers Questionnaire (PEPDTQ); and Provision of Structural Changes in the School Day Teacher Questionnaire (PSCSDTQ) constituted the instruments for data collection. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics involving simple percentages. Results showed that the level of planning towards implementation of technology-based education for upper basic public school learners with special needs is quite stubby or squat as the responses of most teachers/respondents fall within “Not Reflected” scale with disagreement aggregate percentage scores ranging between 73.73% - 96.50% for all the variables. Thus, planning towards implementation of technology-based education for upper basic public school learners with special needs in Cross River State, Nigeria is very poor. In other words, there is no proper organization towards implementing technology-based education for upper basic public school learners with special needs in the state.