PERCEPTION OF TEACHING FACULTY TOWARDS CHALLENGES IN INTEGRATING ICT IN POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION – A STUDY IN VISAKHAPATNAM

Abstract

Current situation of the polytechnic colleges shows us that access to Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is a major requirement for participation in a technological education. Adoption of ICTs as a means to provide access and continuity must begin by breaking up the digital education in the colleges that has not fully internalized adaptation dynamics yet. On the other hand there are various challenges involved in integration of ICT with reference to teachers as well as college administration. Since, the main objective of this research paper is to study the perception of teaching faculty towards challenges in integrating ICT in Polytechnic Education, the author has selected Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh as study area and teaching faculties in the selective polytechnic colleges as samples (368), who have shared their perceptions on the main objective of this paper. According to the perceptions of the teaching faculties in polytechnic colleges it is found that there is lack of sufficient ICT equipments, lack of trained teachers and lack of time with both students as well as students to learn and use ICT tools in teaching and learning practice. While ICT as technological tools have increased the degree of significance and educational conception, it is establishing new models of communication. The teaching-learning process in the classroom by using ICT tools requires a set of skills and knowledge to be developed by the teacher with a view to implement a methodology to make the most of technological tools, in which teacher training shall be deemed among the first options prior to facing new educational challenges. In this context of ideas derived from the above, the transition from traditional education to a knowledge acquisition-based technical education with information and communication has been no easy task. Thus, the functional role of teachers within this approach not only requires a change in their methodological practices, but a change of education system involving beliefs in the different environments where learning can be achieved.

Keywords: Integrating ICT, teaching faculty, challenges, polytechnic education.