LEVEL OF COMPUTER APPRECIATION SKILLS ACQUIRED BY JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NSUKKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA.

This study was aimed at determining the level of computer appreciation skills acquired by junior secondary school students in Nsukka Local Government of Enugu State,Nigeria. Specifically the study determined the level of acquisition of word processing skills, data processing skills, spreadsheet application skills, computer virus detection skills, database application skills, graphic application skills, and internet skills among junior secondary school students in Nsukka Local Government of Enugu State. Seven research questions and fourteen null hypotheses were formulated in line with the objectives to guide the study. Related literature and some empirical studies were reviewed. The study employed a descriptive survey research design and was conducted in three secondary schools in Nsukka to include: St Theresa’s College Nsukka, Urban girls’ secondary school Nsukka and community Secondary school Obukpa. The population for the study was 2,229 junior secondary school three students in the thirteen secondary schools that offer computer studies and a sample of 272 respondents was selected. The instrument used for the study was a 41 structured questionnaire items, which was face validated by 3 lecturers; structured in into a four point Likert rating scale. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation was used to answer the seven research questions, while inferential statistics such as t-test statistic was used to test the fourteen null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The reliability of the instrument for the study was 0.72, 0.94, 0.83, 0.49, 0.96, 0.83, and 0.80 using split half reliability coefficient. It was found that students’ acquisition of word processing skills, data processing skills, computer virus detection skills and internet skills are at high level while spreadsheet application skills, database skills and graphic skills are at moderate level of performance. The study also revealed that there is no significant difference among male and female student in acquisition of computer appreciation skills while a significant difference exist among student in the urban and rural areas as urban students performed better than their rural counter parts. The educational implications of the study was given, recommendations made based on the findings of the study and suggestions for further studies were also made.