Examining Information and Communication Technology Integration in the Administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana

Examining Information and Communication Technology Integration in the Administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana

Derrick Nii Quarcoopome Sackey¹, Kwaku Duah²

¹Department of Social Sciences, SDA College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana

²Department of ICT, SDA College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2023.10810

Received: 18 July 2023; Accepted: 11 August 2023; Published: 09 September 2023

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study is to investigate how administrators view the usefulness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) application and the difficulties they encounter when implementing it in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana. The investigation is a descriptive survey. Using a stratified random selection approach, the researchers chose thirty-two participants for the study from the categories of academic staff (administrative teachers) and non-academic staff (administrative staff). A closed-ended questionnaire was developed and circulated to gather data for the study. The goals of the research guided the data processing and analysis. Using the code sheets created from the questionnaire, data were input into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22 programme. The gathered data was examined using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviation. According to the study’s results, administrators at S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana believe that the use of ICT in administration is beneficial for processing, storing, and retrieving data quickly, accurately, and efficiently, as well as for managing student admissions. In order for administrators to effectively use ICT applications in their daily activities, the study recommends the management of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana, must guarantee that the college has a clearly defined policy on ICT integration in administration.

Keywords: Administration, Management, ICT, Integration, Internet, Policy

INTRODUCTION

Information and communication technology (ICT) is defined in its broadest sense as technological tools and methods used for communication, creation, organisation, dissemination, storing, retrieving, and managing information (Chaka, 2008). ICT is more than just using computers. Technology-related issues must be addressed, including those involving computers, the Internet, radio, television, and telephones. This argues that ICT is the use of telecommunications and computer technologies. ICT is now recognised as a key tool for resolving communication problems on a worldwide scale since it has made the world smaller and turned it into a global village. ICT has demonstrated to be a highly successful tool for changing education. In order to better position educational institutions to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, their mission, goals, strategies, and operations have lately been evaluated (Oboegbulem & Ugwu, 2013). The success of any educational system is largely reliant on careful planning, ample money, and efficient administration. An educational institution’s aims and objectives cannot be achieved without efficient and effective school management. School administrators must keep up with the ICT principles and applications that are revolutionising the world in order to perform their duties well.

A school is a building designed for teaching students under the guidance of teachers. Since ICT has a significant impact on students’ progress in both public and private schools, all stakeholders believe that its administration is essential (Oyedemi, 2015). School administrators manage everyday activities and also act as instructional leaders. Educational administration, according to Hoy and Miskel (2001), is the process used in educational institutions (as an organisation) to develop, maintain, and promote those institutions in line with the goals. An effective administrator serves as a link between the many parts of an organisation, facilitating adequate communication and information flow.

In the current information age, educational institutions are expected to play a vital role as the engine for knowledge creation and learning. Therefore, information and communication technology (ICT) is an essential instrument for facilitating this effort. ICT must be incorporated into education since it has become a necessary part of daily life and cannot be avoided. This is because using ICT in education is currently one of the best strategies to improve schools for both administrative and pedagogical goals (Ghavifekr et al., 2013). ICT use in education can be considered as an effective enabler to access, save, transmit, and alter varied information in auditory and visual form due to its ability to create proactive settings. Applications of ICT in education can perform a number of tasks. It can be used for effective administrative needs, such as guaranteeing efficient teaching and learning procedures to achieve quality education, by academic staff, non-academic personnel, and the management team (Kazi, 2012).

Statement of the Problem

The management of tertiary institutions in Ghana has grown more challenging as a result of the increase in student enrolment and the diversity of programmes being provided. As a result, administrators are required to put in more efforts to ensure that tertiary institutions in Ghana achieve their set goals. It can occasionally be challenging for college administrators to manage institutions of education in a meaningful and effective way because of its intricacy. One of the problems is the lack of effective communication between faculty and students, as well as with the college’s external governing bodies. This situation occasionally may have a negative effect on the effective development and implementation of administrative policies to ensure functional colleges.

Oyedemi (2015) came to the conclusion that school administrators supported the use of ICT tools as a solution to the issue of inadequate communication and increase their effectiveness. ICT is also very beneficial for efficient planning, which helps administrators accomplish their goals by streamlining the college administration. According to Yalley (2022), tertiary institution administrators lack the knowledge, self-assurance, and time necessary to incorporate ICT into their daily responsibilities. This study tries to fill the gap left by the conflicting findings of Oyedemi (2015) and Yalley (2022), which may be the result of regional or methodological differences.

Purpose of the Study

The aim of the study is to investigate how administrators view the usefulness of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) application and the difficulties they encounter when implementing it in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana.

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study were to

1. examine administrators’ perception of the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology application in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua;
2. explore the challenges associated with integrating Information and Communication Technology application in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua.

Research Questions

The study was guided by the following research questions.

1. What is the administrators’ perception of the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology application in administration in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua?
2. What are the challenges associated with integrating Information and Communication Technology application in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua?

Theoretical Framework of the Study

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is a theoretical framework that this study uses to support the conclusions that will be drawn from the data. This is due to the presumption that administrators’ use of ICT for administrative tasks is based on the significance they attach to the role it plays in their jobs and the advantages derived from it. Administrators are also more willing to embrace, adopt, adapt, and apply technology once its use increases the efficacy and efficiency of their work. According to Taiwo and Downe (2013), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) postulates that behavioural intent towards the acceptance of Information Technology is predicted by performance expectations, effort expectations, and social influence. Also, Taiwo and Downe (2013) mentioned that UTAUT predicts use behaviour in the acceptance of Information Technology based on facilitating factors and behavioural intent.

The theory was founded on four theoretical constructs that describe factors that influence “use behaviour” or “intent to use,” which are crucial as stand-ins for “technology acceptance” (Ahmad, 2014). The first theoretical construct is performance expectancy, which states that if a technology performs as predicted, it will probably be deployed. Therefore, it will be assumed that administrators will employ technology for their operations more frequently if it supports them in their work as it should. The likelihood of usage is equated with the amount of work required to be able to use it in the second construct, called “effort expectancy”. The third construct is called “social influence,” and it states that something is more likely to be adopted and employed if it is socially acceptable and administrators acknowledge its advantages. Finally, the concept of “facilitating conditions” suggests that administrators are more likely to accept and use technology if they have the technical support to do so, such as access to training to help them develop the skills to facilitate technology use and the enabling environment through adequate facilities and policies showing management commitment (Bosu, 2019).

ICT Applications in Education Administration

ICT applications have recently been applied in management and administration of education to encourage sustainable development. Software-based tools and applications, according to Higgins and Packard (2004), are computer programmes like word processing, desktop publishing, managing a database, generating a presentation, or e-mail that carry out practical activities for education. According to Ghavifekr et al. (2013), there are three main administrative groups that use ICT in a variety of ways in their day-to-day management and administrative roles at schools. Administrative workers, administrative teachers, and administrative heads are those people.

Afshari et al. (2012) assert that school principals should be proficient in using ICT for routine management and administrative work at their institutions. When using computer technology for administrative and management tasks, principals serve as role models. The integration of computers into teaching and learning is facilitated by principals in their capacity as instructional leaders (Singh & Muniandi, 2012). In their capacity as transformational leaders (Afshari et al., 2012), they also encourage creativity, open-mindedness, and facilitate the conditions and events that foster a favourable environment for technology adoption. While administrators usually apply PowerPoint presentation to give instruction and in-house training in a more interesting way, teachers have a more favourable attitude towards the instruction in this way (Chen, 2012). Mwalongo (2011) discovered that administrators write school announcements, reports, letters for parent meetings, student registration, and teacher and staff hiring using ICT apps. Additionally, administrators use ICT programmes efficiently to make decisions, store information, and run online programmes.

Teachers with administrative obligations in addition to their instructional duties are called administrative teachers. All offices and departments at higher education institutions are overseen by these department heads, directors, and coordinators (Lin et al., 2011). Administrative teachers were categorised into three categories by Ghavifekr et al. (2013) as curriculum head, student affairs head, and co-curriculum head. The Curriculum Head instructors are in charge of maintaining a specific structure for processing the overall student records. This computer file, which can be printed from the software programme for hardcopy documentation, contains the cumulative records, formative evaluations, and summative evaluations of the learners. But according to Mwalongo (2011), preparing lecture notes, teaching-learning materials, and examinations is the most frequently mentioned usage of ICT for teaching.

Administrative workers can use ICT apps to complete their regular tasks more quickly and accurately. Different tools are used by administrative employees to manage financial tasks, maintain communication, retain records, process documents, and gather data. They can manage these duties more skilfully and effectively by using ICT apps. Additionally, employing ICT apps would assist administrators in documenting financial information for the school, including the balance sheet, pay stubs, audit reports, non-salary grants, stock holding, student evaluation reports, and overall records for future use (Kawade, 2012).

ICT Application Tools in Education Administration and Management

There are many ICT application technologies that have been extensively employed in managing and administering education. Internet, websites, software, and hardware are all examples of ICT applications that can be used for administrative purposes in education (Kazi, 2012). The use of the Internet in higher education institutions around the world is well documented. The majority of teachers throughout the world allow their students to interact with them directly through email, forums, or social media sites like Facebook and Twitter (Ghavifekr et al., 2013). Additionally, assignments for students are sent and received via the Internet. Literature demonstrates the confidence teachers have in the internet’s ability to give them access to helpful data tools and online resources that can benefit both groups of students and teachers (Richardson, 2007).

Every year, paraphernalia for Information Technology and Communications, including computers, advances. Particularly in the field of educational administration, modern machinery and equipment provide new possibilities for streamlining, accelerating, and reducing the cost of management. In this context, ICT application tools like computers, photocopiers, smart televisions, radios, digital cameras, scanners, DVD players, laptops, multimedia projectors, and overhead projectors have enabled school management to carry out daily tasks more effectively (Kawade, 2012).

In order to carry out their administrative duties, school managers and administrators frequently employ a variety of software programmes. According to Ashok (2007), Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and tally are the two software that school administrators and supervisors use the most frequently. Administrators and managers are conversant with a variety of information-handling applications, including spreadsheets and databases. The Education Management Information System (EMIS), a component of the educational system whose goal is to gather, store, process, analyse, and disseminate information, is the most well-known software programme used by school administrators and managers (Susmita, 2007).

ICT Integration in Administration in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)

ICT integration in HEI administration has become necessary due to the rising student population in these institutions. Alam (2016) stated that the growing student population in higher education increased the need for ICTs to process, store, and retrieve data in a quick, systematic, and correct manner. ICT integration in administrative processes in HEIs can take many different shapes and stages. This depends on the ICT resources that are accessible, the staff members’ abilities and expertise with regard to using ICT, the management’s commitment, as well as the employees’ attitudes towards and/or perceptions of the usage of ICT. Numerous research on ICT in connection to administration of Higher Education Institutions have been done. Examples of current study include the assessment of ICT’s role as a change agent in HEI by Adeoye et al. (2013). While Alam (2016) studied the usage of ICT in higher education generally, Adebayo (2013) assessed the effects of the application of ICT in administration in HEI. This study focuses on how administrators view the usage of ICT in their daily operations.

ICT is used in managing student admissions, student and examination records, monitoring and evaluating staff, planning school activities, developing curriculum, managing finances, disseminating information, and fostering communication between school units, parents, and principal administration, according to Oboegbulem and Ugwu (2013). In terms of general administration, payroll and financial accounting, administration of student data, staff record maintenance, and library system, Bosu (2019) highlighted the use of ICT in higher education institutions. ICT is mostly used for everyday administrative tasks, presentations, assessment records, and budget creation in higher education institutions. When HEI use ICT in the secondary process where administrators also use the technology to manage information like financial data and student registration, e-learning (using blogs, social networks, student portals, and multimedia tools like video), and online discussions, it is at a higher level of integration.

According to Mwalongo’s (2011) research, for example, ICT was used administratively to create school announcements, reports, letters, and student registration. The use of ICT in administrative tasks improves productivity in HEI. Information and Communications Technology improves the quality of decision making in the administration of polytechnics, according to Adebayo’s (2013) study on the influence of ICT in Nigerian polytechnics. Juma et al. (2016) stated in their report on the study’s findings on the use of ICT in Ugandan administration that ICT is crucial for improving administrative efficiency and effectiveness through quick and accurate data organisation and analysis, effective communication and knowledge sharing, access to stakeholders, improved monitoring, and resource tracking. Utilising ICT in higher education administration is essentially about leveraging technology for better planning, standard-setting, enacting change, and tracking outcomes of universities’ primary functions (Bosu, 2019).

Challenges of Using ICT in the Educational Administration and Management    

Despite the advantages ICT offers its users, many school administrators, mostly in Africa, especially Ghana, continue to face significant disadvantages and appear to be alone in the global community (Makewa et al., 2013). The use of technology by educational administrators in the twenty-first century presents a number of obstacles, according to Grey and Smith’s (2007) observation. The high cost of purchasing hardware and software, as well as the cost of computers, makes employing ICT in Ghanaian schools a major disadvantage. Bosu (2015) adds that despite an increase in ICT training, institutions lack the technical and managerial support staff necessary to encourage the efficient use of ICT.

The limited adoption of ICT in Africa, according to the Association of African Universities (2014), can be partly attributed to the high cost of bandwidth, a lack of ICT knowledge, and the associated expenses of software and hardware. It is brought up that it is difficult to get the right software licences. The exchange rate drives administrators away from purchasing authentic items in favour of using cracked versions, driving up the price of software and restricting consumers from using the full product services. Additionally, users have less access to and significant costs associated with internet bandwidth (Yalley, 2022).

Another major obstacle to the adoption of ICT in Ghana appears to be the lack of ICT programmes in teacher training curricula; educators appear to have a negative attitude towards ICT use. According to Adebi-Caesar (2012), 90.7% of teacher respondents did not receive any instruction on how to use ICTs for teaching while undergoing certification as professional instructors. These instructors eventually work their way up to become school heads despite having no experience using ICT.

The intermittent power outages are perhaps another obstacle preventing the broad adoption of ICT technology in Ghanaian classrooms. Ghana experiences irregular power supply like many other nations in Africa. ICTs are electrical gadgets that need a steady stream of electricity to function. In the event of a power outage, computers could be damaged and users could lose important information. Teachers and school administrators who are interested in employing ICTs will be forced to return to the old methods of operation (Yalley, 2022). According to Yalley (2022), there is a lack of strategic vision, a shortage of ICT support workers, a lack of maintenance funding, a low retention rate for ICT staff, and minimal peer institution engagement across Ghanaian institutions. According to Coklar (2012), school administrators encounter a number of difficulties, such as bureaucracy, a lack of resources, a lack of innovation, a lack of in-service training, and poverty. The availability of space, availability of appropriate resources, creation of a maintenance culture, and provision of adequate training for users to become competent are all necessary for the successful use of technical resources in education.

Once again, the main obstacle institutions confront when utilising learning management systems (LMS) is a lack of technical competence. Almaiah et al. (2020) found that the main difficulties faced by higher education institutions were a lack of funding, problems with change management, and technical problems with learning management systems. This information was gleaned from the perceptions of students, faculty members, IT experts, and policymakers regarding the difficulties with ICT usage. The inequitable distribution of ICT infrastructure, educational quality, the digital divide, a lack of clearly defined regulations and standards, and the high cost of technology were the main obstacles to ICT integration in education (Dhawan, 2020).

METHODOLOGY

The investigation employed a descriptive survey. Amedahe and Asamoah-Gyimah (2016) claim that the main component of a descriptive survey is the collection of data from a population using carefully written questions and precisely conducted questionnaires. Information is gathered to answer research questions concerning the current state of the issue under study in a descriptive survey. The descriptive survey approach was judged appropriate since the researchers were interested in investigating how Information and Communication Technology was used in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana. Using a stratified random selection approach, the researchers chose 32 participants for the study from the categories of academic staff (administrative teachers) and non-academic staff (administrative staff). According to Amedahe and Asamoa-Gyimah (2016), stratified sampling entails dividing the population into a number of homogeneous groups or strata. In these ways, the subjects in each group are comparable. After that, a sample is picked from each level or category. The sub samples make up the study’s overall sample. The population is separated into homogeneous groups based on one or more variables, such as sex, age, or profession. To create a sample that was representative of the population, participants from each stratum, or the two distinct staff classifications, were chosen at random. Twenty (20) and fifteen (15) respondents were proportionally chosen from each group (administrative staff and administrative teachers) respectively to make up the sample size. A closed-ended questionnaire was developed and circulated to gather data for the study. Two senior instructors from the SDA College of Education’s Centre for Academic Success (SDACoE-CAS) Research Unit independently confirmed the measure. The goals of the research guided the data processing and analysis. Using the code sheets created from the questionnaire, data were input into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 22 programme. The gathered data was examined using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviation.

RESULTS

The following Tables present the demographic data gathered on the respondents.

Table 1: Sex of Respondents

Sex	Frequency	Percentage
Male	19	54
Female	16	46
Total	35	100

Source: Field data (2023)

From Table 1, nineteen, representing 54% of the respondents were male administrators and the remaining sixteen, representing 46% of the respondents were female administrators of the college. Thus, from Table 1, the respondents of the study were made up of both male and female administrators of the college. This means that the views of both male and female administrators were taken into consideration when arriving at the conclusion for the study.

Table 2: Category of Staff

Category	Frequency	Percentage
Administrative Staff	20	57
Administrative Teachers	15	43
Total	35	100

Source: Field data (2023)

From Table 2, twenty, representing 57% of the respondents were administrative staff and the remaining fifteen, representing 43% of the respondents were administrative teachers. Thus, from Table 2, the respondents for the study are administrative office holders. Therefore, they would understand and respond appropriately to the items on the questionnaire.

Table 3: Number of Years Spent in Current Position

Years	Frequency	Percentage
Above 12 years	7	20
10-12 years	0	0
7-9 years	1	3
4-6 years	7	20
1-3 years	20	57
Total	35	100

Source: Field data (2023)

From Table 3, twenty, representing 57% of the respondents have been in administration up to three years; seven, representing 20% of the respondents have been in administration up to six years; one, representing 3% of the respondents have been in administration up to nine years; and the remaining seven, representing 20% of the respondents have been in administration above twelve years. Thus, from Table 3, the administrators sampled for the study are well experienced in terms of college administration and could therefore, provide credible data for the study to draw useful conclusions.

Table 4: Formal Training in ICT

Training	Frequency	Percentage
Yes	30	86
No	5	14
Total	35	100

Source: Field data (2023)

From Table 4, thirty, representing 86% of the administrators sampled for the study have had a formal training in ICT application in administration. However, the remaining five, representing 14% of the respondents did not have a formal training in ICT application in administration. Thus, from Table 4, the administrators sampled for the study are knowledgeable in ICT application in administration. Therefore, the researchers believe the respondents are in a better position to respond appropriately to the items on the questionnaire.

Research Question One

What is the administrators’ perception of the effectiveness of Information and Communication Technology application in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua? The research question gathered data on the perception of administrators on the effectiveness of ICT application in the administration of the S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana. Table 5 presents the data gathered from the administrators sampled for the study.

Table 5: Administrators’ Perception of the Effectiveness of ICT in the Administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua

Effectiveness of ICT	S.A	Agree	D	S.D	Mean	St. D.
ICT is useful for processing, storing, and retrieving data in a quick, systematic, and correct manner.	28 (80)	7 (20)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3.800	.4058
ICT is useful for managing students’ admissions.	27 (77)	6 (17)	2 (6)	0 (0)	3.714	.5725
ICT is useful for managing students’ continuous assessment and examination records.	22 (63)	12 (34)	1 (3)	0 (0)	3.600	.5531
ICT is useful for monitoring and evaluating staff performances.	19 (54)	12 (34)	4 (12)	0 (0)	3.429	.6981
ICT is useful for planning college programmes, setting standards, and ensuring change.	22 (63)	13 (37)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3.629	.4902
ICT is useful for ensuring effective communication and knowledge sharing.	20 (57)	15 (43)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3.571	.5021
ICT is useful for improving the quality of decision making in the college.	14 (40)	18 (51)	3 (9)	0 (0)	3.314	.6311

Source: Field data (2023)

S.A.=Strongly Agree, D=Disagree, S.D.=Strongly Disagree St. D.=Standard Deviation

From Table 5, twenty-eight, representing 80% of the respondents strongly agreed and the remaining seven, representing 20% of the respondents agreed that ICT application in administration is useful for processing, storing, and retrieving data in a quick, systematic, and correct manner. From Table 5, this item had the highest mean score (M=3.800, Std. D. = 0.4058). The finding agrees with the believe of Alam (2016) that the growing student population in higher education increased the need for ICTs to process, store, and retrieve data in a quick, systematic, and correct manner.

Also, from Table 5, twenty-seven, representing 77% of the respondents strongly agreed and six, representing 17% of the respondents agreed that ICT application in administration is useful for managing students’ admissions. But the remaining two, representing 6% of the respondents disagreed that ICT application in administration is useful for managing students’ admissions. From Table 5, the item had the second highest mean score (M = 3.714, Std. D. = 0.5725). The finding supports the claim by Oboegbulem and Ugwu (2013) that ICT is used in managing student admissions in higher education institutions.

Again, from Table 5, fourteen, representing 40% of the respondents strongly agreed and eighteen, representing 51% of the respondents agreed that ICT application in administration is useful for improving the quality of decision making in the college. However, the remaining three, representing 9% of the respondents disagreed that ICT application in administration is useful for improving the quality of decision making in the college. From Table 5, the item had the least mean score (M = 3.314, Std. D. = 0.6311). The finding contradicts the conclusion by Adebayo’s (2013) study that ICT improves the quality of decision making in the administration of polytechnics in Nigeria.

Research Question Two

What are the challenges associated with integrating Information and Communication Technology application in the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua? The research question sought to gather data on the challenges associated with integrating ICT application in the administration of the S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana. Table 6 presents data gathered from the administrators sampled for the study.

 

Table 6: Challenges associated with Integrating ICT in the Administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua

Challenges	S.A	A	D	S.D	Mean	St. D.
Lack of technical competence.	10 (29)	20 (57)	5 (14)	0 (0)	3.143	.6482
Lack of clearly defined policy on ICT integration in administration.	12 (34)	21 (60)	2 (6)	0 (0)	3.286	.5725
Lack of financial and material resources.	17 (49)	14 (40)	1 (2)	3 (9)	3.286	.8935
Poor maintenance culture.	11 (31)	15 (43)	3 (9)	6 (17)	2.886	1.051
Lack of in-service training for administrative staff.	6 (17)	24 (69)	3 (9)	2 (6)	2.971	.7065
Unstable power supply.	4 (11)	21 (60)	7 (20)	3 (9)	2.743	.7800
Lack of access to the internet.	21 (60)	14 (40)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3.600	.4971
High cost of software and hardware.	11 (31)	17 (49)	4 (11)	3 (9)	3.029	.8907
Lack of technical and managerial.	9 (26)	18 (51)	3 (9)	5 (14)	2.886	.9632

Source: Field data (2023)

S.A.=Strongly Agree, D=Disagree, S.D.=Strongly Disagree St. D.=Standard Deviation

From Table 6, twenty-one, representing 60% of the respondents strongly agreed and the remaining fourteen, representing 40% of the respondents agreed that the college lacks access to Internet connectivity. The item had the highest mean score (M = 3,600, St. D. = 0.4971). The finding is in line with the believe of Yalley (2022) that internet users in Ghana have less access to Internet connectivity and the costs associated with internet bandwidth in the country is quite significant.

In addition, from Table 2, twelve, representing 34% of the respondents strongly agreed and twenty-one, representing 60% of the respondents agreed that the college lacks a clearly defined policy on ICT integration in administration. However, the remaining two, representing 6% of the respondents disagreed that the college lacks a clearly defined policy on ICT integration in administration. The item had the second highest mean score (M = 3.286, St. D. = 0.5725). The finding agrees with the conclusion of Dhawan (2020) that lack of clearly defined regulations and standards are obstacles to effective ICT integration in education.

Also, from Table 6, seventeen, representing 49% of the respondents strongly agreed and fourteen, representing 40% of the respondents agreed that the college lacks financial and material resources for effective ICT integration in administration. However, one, representing 2% of the respondents disagreed and the remaining three, representing 9% of the respondents strongly disagreed that the college lacks financial and material resources for effective ICT integration in administration. The item had the third highest mean score (M = 3.286, St. D. = 0.8935). The finding confirms the opinion of Coklar (2012) that school administrators encounter a number of difficulties including lack of resources to effectively integrate ICT application in administration.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

ICT is recognised as a significant tool for resolving communication issues on a global scale since it has made the globe smaller and converted it into a global village. ICT has proven to be a very effective instrument for transforming administration of education. An educational system’s effectiveness is largely dependent on careful design, sufficient funding, and effective management. Without efficient and effective school management, an educational institution’s goals and objectives cannot be met. To effectively carry out their tasks in the twenty-first century, school administrators rely on ICT principles and applications that are revolutionising the world.

According to the study’s results, administrators at S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua in Ghana believe that the use of ICT in administration is beneficial for processing, storing, and retrieving data quickly, accurately, and efficiently, as well as for managing student admissions. Once more, it can be said that the administrators of the S.D.A. College of Education in Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana, believe that the institution lacks Internet connectivity, a clearly defined ICT integration policy, and the financial and material resources necessary for effective ICT integration.

In order for administrators to effectively use ICT applications in their daily activities, the study recommends that the management of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana, ensures that the college has a dependable internet connection. In order to provide clear policy guidance to administrators, the management of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana, must guarantee that the college has a clearly defined policy on ICT integration in administration. Also, the administration of S.D.A. College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana, must see to it that the institution receives sufficient cash from internal and external sources to buy pertinent ICT application tools for usage by administrators.

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