BIOLOGY TEACHERS’ COMPUTER ANXIETY AND DIGITAL LITERACY AS CORRELATES OF UTILIZATION OF DIGITAL TOOLS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated Biology teachers' computer anxiety and digital literacy as correlates of the utilization of digital tools in secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria. The study sought to investigate the relationships between Biology teachers' computer anxiety, digital literacy, and their utilization of digital tools. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted in Anambra State and was guided by two research questions and two null hypotheses tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The population comprised 642 Biology teachers in 274 government-owned secondary schools. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select a sample of 350 Biology teachers. Three instruments were used for data collection: Biology Teachers' Computer Anxiety Scale (BTCAS), Biology Teachers' Digital Literacy Scale (BTDLS) and Biology Teachers' Utilization of Digital Tools Questionnaire (BTUDTQ). The instruments were validated by three lecturers from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, while reliability coefficients of 0.79, 0.75, and 0.77 were obtained using Cronbach's alpha. Data were collected through direct administration and retrieval of the questionnaires and analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation with SPSS version 20. The findings revealed a very low negative and non-significant relationship between computer anxiety and the utilization of digital tools (r = -0.095, p > 0.05), while digital literacy had a high positive and significant relationship with the utilization of digital tools (r = 0.671, p < 0.05). The study concluded that digital literacy is a key correlate of Biology teachers' utilization of digital tools. It was recommended that teachers should receive regular digital literacy training and that schools should provide continuous technical support and adequate digital infrastructure to enhance technology integration.