Appraising the extent of digital divide between music teachers and students in Anambra state secondary schools, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the extent of existence of digital divide between music teachers and students in selected secondary schools in Anambra state. Two objectives and two research questions guided the study using mixed-research design. Three education zones consisting of nine public secondary schools, 18 music teachers and 270 music students formed the sample for the study. Structured questionnaires and oral interview were developed for teachers and students and used for collecting data from the field. The data gathered were presented quantitatively and qualitatively. The reliability indices were .71 and .70 for teachers and students, respectively. Mean and standard deviation and t test were the statistical tools used in the analysis of the work. The findings revealed high extent of digital divide based on the responses of music teachers and students on the place of information and communications technology (ICT) in operative curriculum. There was low extent of digital disparity in ICT knowledge on the teachers’ part and high extent on the students’ part. The recommendations were as follows: the present music curriculum should be restructured to integrate ICT in order to meet the needs of 21st-century music education, and music teachers should be trained to have the wherewithal in ICT applications for bridging the digital disparities.