Utilization of Digital Facilities in Record Management in Public Secondary Schools in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined utilization of digital facilities in record management in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. Two objectives, two research questions and two corresponding null hypotheses were posed to guide the study. The study was anchored on technology acceptance theory by Davis 1989.

The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a population of 290 principals in public senior secondary schools out of which a sample size of 168 principals were drawn from a total population of 290 principals using Taro Yamane minimum sample formula. The instrument for data collection was a self-designed questionnaire titled: ‘‘Utilization of Digital facilities in Record Management Questionnaire (UDFRMQ)’’. The instrument was validated by experts in the field of Measurement and Evaluation of the Department of Educational Psychology, Guidance and Counselling of the University of Port Harcourt.

Test-retest technique was used to determine the reliability of the study, which yielded an index of 0.89 using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient which is high, reliable and adequate for the study. The mean, standard deviation and rank order statistics were used in answering the research questions while z-test statistics was used in testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.

The findings of the study revealed that computers and cloud storage enhance record management. Also, there is no significant difference between the mean scores of opinions of male and female principals on the ways computers and cloud storage enhance record management in public senior secondary schools in Rivers State.

Based on the findings, the study concluded that computers, cloud storage and among them are strong components of digital facilities in record management. The study therefore recommended among others that government and stakeholders in education should through in-service training such as seminars, conferences and workshops enlighten school administrators on the need to adopt computers in school record management.