THE ROLE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY(ICT) IN PROMOTING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS INNIGERIA TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The study examines how information and communication technology (ICT) might support economics education in Nigerian higher education institutions. The need to comprehend how digital tools might improve educational outcomes in a field that is essential to national growth is what motivates this study. The assessment of ICT infrastructure and access, the effect of ICT on students' understanding and interaction with economic ideas, and the main obstacles to its successful integration were the specific goals. Using a mixed-methods approach, information was gathered by conducting in-depth interviews with 15 lecturers at two colleges of education and also distributing structured questionnaires to 50 students studying economics at two colleges of education. The results show a notable discrepancy between the actual use of ICT and its imagined potential. Despite the fact that both students and lecturers agreed that ICT can simplify complicated models, offer real-time data, and promote interactive learning, its integration is hindered by a lack of proper infrastructure, erratic internet, a lack of digital literacy among some lecturers, and a continued dependence on conventional lecture techniques. According to the study's findings, ICT has the potential to revolutionised economics education in Nigeria, but systemic limitations have mostly prevented this potential from being realised A curriculum redesign that incorporates ICT-based tools, mandatory and ongoing ICT training for academic staff, immediate investment in campus-wide digital infrastructure, and policy support from educational regulatory bodies to encourage technology-enhanced pedagogy are some suggestions for closing this gap.