AWARENESS AND USABILITY OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN TEACHING CIVIC EDUCATION IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Understanding the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in teaching senior secondary school Civic Education in Kwara State, Nigeria, is crucial due to AI's increasing potential to enhance educational practices. This study examined the AI tools Civic Education teachers are aware of and use, the challenges they face in utilizing AI, and the differences in these challenges based on school type and years of teaching experience. Descriptive research was adopted, utilizing a questionnaire titled "Awareness and Usability of Artificial Intelligence in Teaching Senior Secondary School Civic Education Questionnaire," administered to 180 Civic Education teachers from 72 schools in Kwara State. Descriptive data analysis techniques were used to summarize and interpret the data. The findings reveal that WhatsApp Meta AI, Google Assistant and ChatGPT were the most recognized tool, However, awareness was significantly lower for tools like Perplexity.ai, Jasper AI, and Llama 3 by Meta. ChatGPT, WhatsApp Meta AI, and Google Assistant were identified as the most usable AI tools for Civic Education teachers. The main challenges faced by Civic Education teachers included high internet connectivity costs, limited AI tool selection, time constraints for learning AI tools, lack of awareness among school administrators, non-user-friendly features, difficulty in finding quality content, and insufficient training and support. Recommendations include increasing investment in educational technology to ensure all schools have access to necessary AI tools and resources. Professional development programs should be established to train teachers in the effective use of AI in the classroom. Policy reforms are essential to support AI adoption, focusing on creating a conducive environment for AI integration in schools. Tailored training programs based on teachers' experience levels and school-specific strategies should be developed. Awareness campaigns for lesser-known AI tools and enhanced support systems for teachers are also crucial.