Sub-Sahara African Academic

SSAAR (JESTP); Journal of December, 2022

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Research
Educational Studies, Trends & PracticePublications
Journal of Educational Studies,
Trends and Practice.
December, 2022 Editions
Vol.26, No.8, ISSN 2285-8565

COLLEGES OF EDUCATION SCIENCE STUDENTS AWARENESS OF E-BOOKS IN

SCIENCES FOR LEARNING IN KADUNA STATE NIGERIA

PETER JOY ABOSEDE1 ; & FADIPE B. MICHAEL2,

1Department of Educational Foundations, Veritas University Abuja. 2Department of

Science Education, Veritas University Abuja.

ABSTRACT
E-Books are available electronic learning materials that give users the benefits to; retain,
reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute for teaching, learning, and research purposes. Over
reliance on hardcopy handout, inadequate e-library facilities, and inadequate exposure
to electronic resources among others are factors militating against efficient use of e-
books. Hence, this study investigated the Colleges of education science students
awareness, of e-books in for learning in Kaduna State Nigeria. Specifically, the study:
determined COE science students awareness of e-books for learning. A descriptive
research design of the survey type was adopted for the study. One research questions
was used in-line with the purpose of the study, 398 respondents were randomly sampled
from two colleges of education in Kaduna State. Frequency and percentage were used to
answer the research question. Findings of the study revealed that College of education
students were aware of e-books for learning and it was recommended that, orientation
program should be organized for students in th school on how to download e-books.

Keywords: E-Books, Science, learning,, Awareness.

Introduction
Science is a process as well as knowledge. Children learn science by being involved not
only with its content, but also with its methodology. The effective science facility
accommodates both Science study requires a variety of unique instructional materials in
addition to those materials common to all of education. A science facility must have space
to accommodate this variety in combination with hands-on instructional strategies.
Science instructional areas have spatial and material needs that are different from those
considered in designing a general use classroom National, state, and local efforts, public
and private, are underway to improve science education. A major goal for education in
the 21st century is to create scientifically literate citizens, who are able to think critically,
make sense of complex data, and solve problems. Currently, it is observed that the

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objectives for improving scientific literacy are not achieved. Science enrollment is
relatively low, achievement in certain grade level is declining and teachers’ morale is
low.. The number of colleges schools has more than tripled between 2004 and 2014 to
serve different underserved communities and so has the number of enrollees. Despite
these successes, there have been a number of challenges, including the following; Poor
performance in secondary education examinations, with most students getting marginal
pass of Division IV or failing completely, acute shortages of teachers, especially in the
Sciences and Mathematics, with many students not able to do these subjects at all, acute
shortages of Science and Mathematics teachers, inequalities in learning environments
among different schools resulting in inequalities of learning outcomes Knowledge of
science and technology is therefore a requirement in all countries and all people globally
due to the many challenges that are facing them. These challenges include emergences
of new drug resistant diseases, effects of genetic experimentation and engineering,
ecological impact of modern technology, dangers of nuclear war and explosions and
global warming among others (Alsop & Hicks, 2001).
Information and Communication Technology is a term notable for the use, re-use,
processing, storing, accessing, gathering, manipulating and presenting or
communicating of information from one person to another. ICT is applied in all branches
of human knowledge as it offers better solutions to greater heights in all institutions. The
field of education has been influenced by the infiltrating impact of information and
communication technology (ICT). Information is a dynamic and unending asset that
influences all disciplines and all works of life. The advent of the computer in the 1950s
has brought radical changes in all spheres of life in the way in which information is
gathered, stored, organized, processed and expended.
Information and Communication Technologies are technologies used for collecting,
storing, editing and spreading of information in various forms and structures (Issa,
Daramola, Aladesusi, & Udoh, 2017). The term ICT is an umbrella term that incorporates
any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, mobile
phones, computer, and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as
well as the different administrations and applications related to ICT, such as information
storage gathering (Mondal & Mete, 2012).
Technology as communication equipment and software required to organize, study,
strategize and provide support to manage information systems dependent on computer
software as well as hardware. These technologies can be utilized to offer anticipated
results with little error or flawless, steady, reliable and interactive in the learning
process (Alasela, Ogunlade, Obielodan, & Nasiru, 2017). It can also be described as all
devices, networking components, applications and systems that are combined which
enables individuals and organizations to interact in the digital world (Margaret & Pratt,

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2017). Furthermore, ICT is a collection of technologies used for collecting, storing,

processing, communicating and delivery of information associated with the teaching and
learning processes (Ogunlade & Anaza, 2017).
Information and Communication Technologies connected to the internet gives its user a
wide range of information to pick from. Moreover, ICT has turned the world into a global
village, with a consistently expanding access to a wide array of information and
knowledge, similarly making it feasible for sharing of written, audio and visual
information in real-time in many parts of the world (Usang, et al, 2018). ICT is winding
up progressively significant in our daily lives and in our educational system. There is a
growing demand for educational institutions to use ICT facilities to enhance the skills
and knowledge the students need for the 21st century (UNESCO , 2012).
The introduction of ICT into schools and in the learning process was driven by global
forces that are beyond the school-based decision making (Voogt, Philip , & Oluwaranti ,
2013). The implementation of ICT in education was to transform the teaching and the
learning process from the conventional instructional instructor focused on a student-
focused approach with the active participation of the learners (Voogt, 2010). The
utilization of ICT tools has enhanced the productivity of academic staff of institutions as
they used ICTs for functions such as information collection, processing, reporting,
teaching, educating, managerial capacities, organization, storage, dissemination, and
research (Aderoju & Olumorin, 2017). ICT can complete, enrich and transform education
for the better, it have become the most basic building block of modern academic and
industrial society, it has been mainstreamed in instruction design in different teaching
and learning process (UNESCO, 2018). ICT has impacted on the quality and quantity of
education, most especially for classroom instruction and research in traditional and
distance education institutions. Technology presents a new dimension to
communication in the world thereby lessening the world to one small but a connected
village. New technologies present remarkable access to information, content, and
information. This is evident in the communication devices used in contemporary society
and most particularly in the educational sector in Nigeria.
Abdulraham and Soetan (2017) noted that ICT is the utilization of scientific tools and
techniques for developing, documenting and communicating information for solving
problems or providing required administrations in different regions of human
undertaking. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) has
the potential to radically modify the social structure and mode of operation, and this
social change will in turn force educational institutions to react and change as well. With
respect to the role of technology in education. The evolution means of generating and
gathering information in the twentieth century has influenced students utilization of
information resources, among such information resources includes electronic resources.

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Statement of the Problem

The infiltration of innovative technological resources in education has made E-books,
also known as electronic books to become an essential part of electronic resources that
meets the 21st century innovation. ICT use in education ensures a consistent
progression to quality education via electronic delivery systems. It is no doubt that E-
books is already a fundamental part of the electronic learning system, which is used to
describe different kinds of digital or electronic books consisting of text, images or both
that are viewed using e-readers on computers, phones, tablets or other electronic
devices (desktop or mobile). Most of these come in different e-reading formats such as
adobe pdf, Microsoft word document, amonge others; and often accessed via online view,
downloads, e-mails, shared via social media and other delivery channels.
However, despite the growing popularity and use of e-books and e-book readers in
Nigerian institutions. Some factors tends to militate agaist the college of education
students awareness of e-books such as their over-reliance on lecturers hardcopy
handouts as the course material . Furthermore, it is apparent that Nigerian institutions
have libraries, but the inadequate availability of E-library facilities has since impacted
negatively on students exposure and access to e-books through open access to
institution e-books repository. Hence, students inefficient utilization of e-books for
learning, due to their inadequate of exposure to electronic resources for learning, and
the negative nature of their already streamlined mentality to the use of hardcopy
learning resources despite the billions of e-books and resources available online with
the wider advantage of flexibility, accessibility and mobility. All of which are apparent
problems and one that is yet to be articulated in-line with contemporary learning
practices with the use of electronic resources available online.
Abdullah and Gibb, (2006) in a study revealed that e-book awareness amongst students
was low as was the level of e-book usage, a inadequate of awareness regarding e-book
availability and publicity also contributed to the main reasons for a inadequate of
utilization of e-books amongst students surveyed in the study. Oriogu, et.al., (2018) in
another study revealed that students surveyed in the study do not often access e-books
due to their inadequate of awareness on how to access e-books on the institution's e-
library repository. The researchers also revealed that students inadequate use e-books
from the institution’s e-library repository, as long as they could get the desired books in
hardcopy from the institution library. These challenges were however reported to be
due to inactive links, students unawareness and orientation on where to locate or how
to access needed e-books and poor internet connections, all of which invariably lead to
poor utilization of e-books amongst students.
Having established the prevailing problems and other impediments critical to students
unawareness, access and utilization of e-books; hence this study. This study therefore,

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seeks to investigate and determine the inherent reasons behind the Colleges of education
students awareness, access and utilization of e-books for learning in Kaduna State and
more importantly to proffer suggestions and solutions to solve or improve students
awareness, access and utilization of e-books for learning.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the Colleges of education science students
awareness, of e-books for learning in Kaduna State Nigeria. Specifically, this study:
Determined colleges of education science student’s awareness of e-book for learning;

Research Questions
1. What are the colleges of education student’s awareness of E-books for learning?

Methodology
This research design was descriptive method of survey type. It is considered appropriate
because the descriptive research method involves the systematic collection and analysis
of data collected from a large population that helps to describe the characteristics of the
population as they appear based on the phenomenon under consideration for this study
without external manipulations by the researcher. The questionnaire was used to gather
information on awareness, access, and utilization of E-books for learning among the
colleges of education science students in Kaduna State which is the focus of this study.
The population for this study was science students in all colleges of education in Kaduna
state. Two colleges of education was purposively selected because they are the only two
colleges in the State. The target population consisted of all the science students of the
colleges of education in the selected colleges. A multistage sampling procedure was used
for the study, proportional sampling techniques was used to allocate the number of
respondents in each school base on their estimated population using Israel Model (2012)
at a 5% level of precision, purposive sampling was used in the selected school to select
398 science students from the sample colleges of education to serve as the respondents
in this study.
Data was collected using the researchers-designed questionnaire titled “Colleges of
Education Science Students Awareness of e-books for Learning in Kaduna State Nigeria.
It is divided into two parts, section A elicited demographic information from the
respondents, section B contained items to investigate the students awareness of E-
books, the items in section B was rated on a response mode of Extremely Aware, Very
Aware, Slightly Aware, Not Aware At All.

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Table 1: Distribution of the Respondents according to Gender

Gender Frequency Percentage
Male 240 60.3
Female 158 39.7
Total 398 100

Table 1 Shows that 240 respondents representing 60.3 percent were male while 158
respondents representing 39.7 percent were female. It implies that the majority of the
respondents were male.

Results and Discussion

Research Question One: What is the college of education science student’s awareness of
e-books for learning?
Table 2:
S/N Statement EA VA SA NA
F % F % F % F %
1 Quality e-books which are 106 26.6 214 53.8 26 6.5 52 13.1
useful for learning are
readily available online
2 E-books are available for 94 23.6 173 43.5 40 10.1 91 22.9
learning in my area
specialization
3 I am familiar with the cost 92 23.6 132 33.2 122 30.7 52 13.1
benefits of using e-books
for learning
4 I know about the flexibility 120 30.2 79 19.8 66 16.6 133 33.4
and convinces of e-books
for learning
5 I’m familiar with e-books 106 26.6 107 26.9 66 16.6 119 29.9
apps for mobile devices (e.g
ReadEra, Cool Reader,
Nook, Bluefire Reader and
so on)
6 I am familiar with the 134 33.7 106 26.6 92 23.1 66 16.6
dedicated e-book reader
dev106ices (e.g Amazon

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Kindle, Kobo clara Reader,

Sony Reader and so on)
7 I am aware of e-book open- 121 30.4 120 30.2 92 23.1 65 16.3
access sites (e.g project
Gutenberg, open library,
internet archive, and so on)
8 I know that I can download 146 36.7 160 40.2 40 10.1 52 13.1
the e-book to mobile
devices and laptops
9 I am aware that my college 118 29.6 146 36.7 27 6.8 107 26.9
library provides access to
e-books
10 I have knowledge of the 159 39.9 80 20.1 79 19.8 80 20.1
availability of free
academic e-books for
learning

Table 3 shows the opinions of the respondents on their awareness of e-books for
learning among college of education students in Kaduna State. 320 respondents
representing 80.4 percent agreed that they are aware that quality e-books which are
useful for learning are readily available online while 78 respondents representing 19.6
disagreed. It indicated that the students in colleges of education in Kaduna State are
aware of the quality e-books which are useful for learning are readily available.
267 respondents representing 67.1 percent agreed that e-books are available for
learning in the students’ area of specialization while 131 respondents representing 32.9
percent disagreed. It implies that e-books are available for learning in the students’ area
of specialization in colleges of education in Kaduna State. 224 respondents representing
56.3 percent agreed that they are familiar with the cost benefits of using e-books for
learning while 174 respondents representing 43.7 percent disagreed. It means that the
students are familiar with the cost benefits of using e-books in colleges of education in
Kaduna State.
199 respondents representing 50 percent agreed that they know about the flexibility and
convinces of e-books for learning while 199 respondents are not aware about the
flexibility and convince of e-books for learning in colleges of education in Kaduna State.
213 respondents representing 53.5 percent agreed that they are familiar with e-books
apps for mobile devices such as readera, cool reader, nook, Bluefire reader while 185
respondents representing 46.5 percent are not aware. It implies that the majority of the
students are aware of e-books apps for mobile devices in colleges of education in Kaduna

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State. 240 respondents representing 60.3 percent agreed that they are familiar with the
dedicated e-book readers’ devices such as amazon kindle, kobo clara reader, and sony
reader while 158 respondents representing 39.7 percent disagreed that they are not
aware. It indicated that the students are familiar with dedicated e-book reader devices
such as amazon kindle, kobo clara reader and sony reader in colleges of education in
Kaduna State.
241 respondents representing 60.6 percent agreed that they are aware of e-book open
access sites such as project Gutenberg, open library, and internet archives while 157
respondents representing 39.4 percent are not aware of e-book open access sites. It
means that majority of the students are aware of e-book open access sites such as project
Gutenberg, open library and internet archive. 306 respondents representing 76.9
percent agreed that they know that they can download the e-books to mobile devices
and laptops while 96 respondents representing 23.1 percent disagreed. It implies that
the students are aware that they can download the e-books to mobile devices and
laptops.
264 respondents representing 66.3 percent agreed that they are aware that their college
library provide access to e-books while 134 respondents representing 33.7 percent
disagreed. It indicated that the students are aware that colleges of education in Kaduna
State libraries provide access to e-books. 239 respondents representing 60 percent
agreed that they have knowledge of the availability of free academic e-books for learning
while 159 respondents representing 40 percent disagreed. It implies that the students
have knowledge of the availability of free academic e-books for learning in colleges of
education in Kaduna State.

Summary and Conclusion

This study investigated awareness, of e-books for learning among science student in
colleges of education in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The research question seeks to check the
students’ awareness of e-books for learning among science students in colleges of
education in Kaduna State, such awareness includes; quality e-books which are useful
for learning are readily available online, e-books are available for learning in the
students’ area of specialization, the students are aware that their college library provide
access to e-books. The findings of this study are similar to that of Asunka (2013) revealed
that the level of awareness and perception of e-books among undergraduate students in
was somehow considerable, but the degree of acceptance and use was limited to
reference sources.
In conclusion, the findings revealed that majority of the science students in colleges of
education in Kaduna State were aware of the availability of e-books for learning.

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Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that
Institutions should create awareness among the students on the availability e-books on
their colleges’ websites by organizing orientation programmes where the students
should be trained on to how to download e-books.

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