Sources of Information for Social Studies Teachers and their Level of usage in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria

The study examined sources of information for teachers in social studies and their level of usage in secondary schools. The design of this study was descriptive of survey type. Data was collected from twenty- four (24) secondary schools and was randomly selected from Abeokuta north local government and Abeokuta south local government area of Ogun state, Nigeria. Ninety-seven (97) secondary schools female and male teachers of different age- grades, qualifications and experience were used as sample. Questionnaire was made use of for data collection. The questionnaire was the close-ended likert- type technique that expresses degree of agreement or disagreement with he supplied statement. Data was analyzed using standard deviation, students- t-test statistics, mean and rank order. The findings of the study revealed that, teachers' sources of information for social studies include reference materials, newspapers, journals, literary materials, historical monuments and artefacts, television, textbooks, resource person, magazines, pamphlet, bulletins and radio. Computer component, such as e-mail, file transfer protocol, World Wide Web (www) rarely used by social studies teachers. Recommendations were made which includes computer training be provided for social studies teachers at all level of education in Nigeria and modern information centers with integrated circuits and digital communication to link schools should be provided at local levels for the use of teachers, particularly for social studies teachers.


Introduction
Social studies is a subject that depends on the use of a number of resources to ensure that its objectives are realized (Osakwe and Itejare 1993). Some of these resources maybe textual like books, audio-visual and human resources (Ahmed and Anmed 2005). Consequently, these resources are either used individually or collectively in any meaningful social studies teaching and learning situation. According to Adekunle (2003) instructional materials in themselves are not self instructing; they are only intended to be used to supplement normal daily teaching activities directed by the teachers. The extent teachers use multimedia strategies varies. It is only the unimaginative and unremorseful social studies teacher that would have students use only a single source of data, such as textbooks, magazine, newspapers and radio or more of these resources (Anyanwu 2003). Ololube (2006) submitted that, employing instructional resources in the social studies classroom would require the teacher to exercise professional judgement about their relevance, how they are to be used, and for what purposes. Consequently, the use of any teaching resources in social studies would depend to a large extent on the professional competence and knowledge of ~ 43 ~ the subject matter by the teacher (Adeyanju 2003). Through the computer/internet, teachinglearning process is made more effective, productive and enjoyable.It becomes expedient for nations and individuals to avail themselves the opportunities existing in this up-to-date information on virtually all issues. Social studies being a value-teaching subject and its teachers being driven and directed by value goals should align with new means of obtaining relevant information to complement and update the content of the subject. Social studies is flexible, dynamic and easily amenable to new information. Social studies teacher has the prerogative to include latest facts and ideas into the content (Babalola 1999).
Therefore, social studies teacher has the challenge to bring in every relevant information around the globe that can facilitate the acquisition of the necessary competencies. Hence, this study investigates resources of information for social studies teaching and their level of usage (Yusuf 1998), Osofisan (1998) iterated that the fluidity of information flow in the world today is very high. Information technologies have made the spread of facts, opinion, ideas, discoveries, innovation and inventions across national and continental boundaries so easy. This is hyper-generation of information all round the world now. And these means are necessary to adequately complement the need to diffuse this information for the use of people of the world (Radlowed 1986). There is no doubt that, widespread education and information technological inventions had opened up the world into an era of easy access to social, economic, political and scientific information. And by this, dynamic change occurs in value system of societies at highly short moment (Shibanda 2002, Akintunde 2003. Adekunle (2003) examines the sources of information for social studies teachers and challenges for computer education in Oyo State. In the same vain, Akintunde (2003) examines the social studies teacher and global information dissemination in the classroom. Also Adeyanju (2003) examines teachers' perception of the effects and use of learning aids in teaching. Their studies revealed that teachers generally appeared less enthusiastic about utilizing the computer as source of information.

Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study are to: 1. Reveal teachers sources of information for social studies teaching. 2. Unfold the extent of use of computer as a source of information.
3. Afford social studies teachers easy means to fact, ideas and opinion around the world through which they could obtain fresh information to up-date their content.

Research Questions
1. What are the sources of information teachers utilize in social studies? 2. What is the level of use of computer as source of information for social studies teachers? 3. Is there any significant difference between male and female teachers on their level of use of computer as a source of information? 4. Is there any significant difference between junior and senior teachers on their level of use of computer as a source of information? 5. Is there any significant difference in the sources of information being used by male and female teachers?
~ 44 ~ 6. Is there any significant difference in the sources of information being used by junior and senior teachers? Methodology The design of the study is descriptive survey. The population of this study consisted of social studies teachers in twenty four (24) secondary schools, in both Abeokuta South and Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select ninety -seven (97) participants. A structured questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. The instrument contains twenty items that enable the researchers test the research questions. The collected data was analyzed using standard deviation, mean, rank order and student t-test statistic.
Research Question 1: What are the sources of information teacher utilize in social studies.  Table 1 shows that item 6 has the highest mean followed by items 1, (textbook) 3, (newspaper) 10, (monument and artifact) 2, (journal 7, (literary materials) 4, (magazine) 8, (television) 5, (pamphlet and bulletin and 9 (radio) respectively. It therefore shows that the sources of information is through reference materials followed by textbooks, newspaper, monuments and artifact, journals, literary materials, resource person, magazines, television, pamphlet and bulletin and radio which is the least source of information. Under this table all the means are greater than 2.5 which indicate that they are high values i.e. they are all good sources of information for social studies teachers.  From table 2 item 14, (news group) has the highest mean followed by items 16, (internet) 17, (computer generally) 15, (World Wide Web) 12 (e-mail) and 13 (file transfer protocol) respectively. This implies that the use of computer is majorly on news group followed by internet, computer generally; World Wide Web, e-mail and file transfer protocol is the least. Out of the six items here, the means of 3 are high i.e. items 14, 16 and 17 while the means of others are low i..e items 15, 12 and 13 because their means are less than 2.5.

Research Question 2: What is the level of use of computer as source of information for social studies teachers?
Research Question 3: Is there any significant difference between male and female teachers on their level of use of computer as a source of information?  Table 3 shows a small t-value (1.34) and a significance (0.18) higher than 0.05. This indicates that the difference is not significant at 0.05 level. Therefore there is no significant difference in the level of use of computer between male and female teachers. From the table, the t-value (0.14) is small and the significance (0.89) is greater than 0.05. This indicates that the differences is not significant at 0.05 level. Therefore, there is no significant difference in the level of use of computer by the junior and senior secondary school teachers. The table reveals at t-value (0.94) and a significance (0.35) which is greater than 0.05. This indicates that the difference is not significant at 0.05 level. Therefore, there is no significant difference between the sources of information being used by the male and female social studies teachers. From the table, the t-value (0.04) is very small compared with the large significance (0.97) which his greater than 0.05. This shows that the difference is not significant at 0.05. Therefore there is no significant difference between the sources of information being used by junior and senior secondary school teachers.

Discussion of Findings
The result of the research question 1 according to the table shows that there is almost no significant difference between female and male teachers on their level of use of computer. In particular, the use of computer (i.e. internet as source of information is about (0.18) high than 0.05. This indicates that the difference is not significant at 0.05 level. That is, what male teachers use in getting information does not affect what female teacher use and vice versa. The findings of the study corroborates Adeyanju (2003) that through the computer/internet, teaching and learning process is made more effective.
In order to master how to get necessary information, the social studies teachers have to acquaint himself with information system. The primary vehicles for the purposeful, orchestrated processing of information are called information systems. There are the constructs that collect, organize, store, process and display or retrieve information in all its form raw data, interpreted data, knwoeldge and expertise and formats (video computer/internet and voice). The purpose of such system is to have access to and use knwoeldge that has been recorded (Adekunle 2003).
From the table, the t-value (0.41) is small and the significance (0.89) is greater than 0.05. This indicates that the difference is not significant at 0.05 level. Therefore, there is no significant difference in the level of use of computer by the junior and senior secondary school teachers. This was buttressed by the study of Akintunde (2003) that social studies teachers rarely source for information from internet to teach their students.
The level of use of computer as a source of information is very poor, most probably because of its accessibility and cost. Therefore the senior and junior teachers in both local governments in Abeokuta township of Ogun State find it difficult to use computer as a source of information. The findings of the study tallies with the study of Adekunle (2003) that social studies teachers hardly use computer to teach.
However, recent studies have shown an increase interest of teachers to use computer in social studies teaching, (Adesoji, 1996 andYusuf, 1998).
The Table reveals t-value (0.94) and a significance (0.35) which is greater than 0.05. This indicates that the difference is not significant at 0.05 level. Therefore, there is no significant different between the sources of information for male and female teachers. The Table clearly shows that social studies teacher in public and private school in both Abeokuta North Local Government and, ~ 47 ~ Abeokuta South Local Government Area, regardless of their gender and level of placement use all the media of information. Result from the table also shows that there is almost no difference between how male teachers source for information and how female teachers source for theirs.
From the Table the t-value (0.04) is very small compared with the large significance (0.97) which is greater than 0.05. This shows that the difference is not significant at 0.05. Therefore, there is no significant difference between the sources of information for junior and senior secondary school teachers.
We can deduce from the table that there is no level of significant difference in what senior staff use in getting information and what junior staff used. As such, whichever media the senior members of staff use is exactly what the junior members of staff would use and vice versa. Probably, the senior staff mandates the junior staff on what to use or junior staff challenge the senior staff on what to use as source of information. Ass additional information, it does not matter whether they are teachers teaching in public school or private, the percentage of the use of textbooks and other printed materials are very high, virtually higher than the percentage of use of other sources of information (Osofisan, 1998).

Conclusion
The result of this study indicates that generally, most teachers are not aware of the wealth of information available for enriching, social studies education in the areas under study. This may be due to their limited exposure to computer, magazines, television, Radio, Journals, Historical monument and Artifacts, Pamphlet and bulletin. The low ranking and low percentage of the level of use of computer, Radio, Television, bulletin and Pamphlet, magazines are indications that teachers depend mostly on textbooks, reference materials, Literary materials and newspapers are sources of information in social studies. The heavy reliance on textbooks and other printed materials as the source of information needs to be de-emphasized in favour of the array of world-wide latest information on the internet, radio, television, journals and magazine.
The most significant technological trend in information technology over the next decade or two appears to involve the digitizing, storage, retrieval and distribution of any kind of information, linguistic or graphic to our numerous homes. It is evident that electronic document will gradually replace printed documents. Hence the need to improve our orientation to match with time and prevailing changes. Against this background therefore, the government and educational implementer should enhance globalization of social studies education through information technology.

Recommendations
Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made.
• There should be an awareness programme on the benefit of using computer as a source of information.

•
The government and private schools owners should make online services very accessible and affordable.

•
The government and private schools owners should provide current textbooks, magazines and journals in schools.

•
The senior members of staff should use up-to -date medium of information as the junior members of staff look up to them.

~ 48 ~
• More computers should be made available in all secondary schools for benefit of both teachers and the students.

•
Teacher should be given allowances to use in sourcing for information from internet through computer.