Bridging the Digital Divide: ICT Competency of Chemistry Teachers in Public and Private Secondary Education

Sreekanta Das^1, and Yendluri Chakradhara Singh²

¹Research Scholar, Faculty of Education, ICFAI University Tripura, Agartala, India

²Professor, Faculty of Education, ICFAI University Tripura, Agartala, India

Cite this paper:
Sreekanta Das and Yendluri Chakradhara Singh. Bridging the Digital Divide: ICT Competency of Chemistry Teachers in Public and Private Secondary Education. American Journal of Educational Research. 2025; 13(6):306-310. doi: 10.12691/education-13-6-1

Abstract

This research examines the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) competency of Chemistry teachers at the secondary level in both government and private schools in the West Tripura district of Tripura state. The objective is to assess and compare the levels of ICT competency among teachers from both sectors to understand the current status and identify areas for improvement in technology integration in science teaching. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for data collection. One educational district out of eight in Tripura—West Tripura—was selected purposively for the study. In this district, four blocks were randomly selected, and from each block, four schools were picked, including two public and two private institutions. Three Chemistry teachers from each school participated, resulting in a total sample of 48 teachers. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed to measure ICT competency across various dimensions, related to word processing, Presentation Competency, Spreadsheets Competency, E-mail, Internet and Networking, Communication, Professional and Digital Tools in classroom teaching. A t-test was conducted to interpret the data using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). The results show a significant difference in ICT competency between government and private school teachers. In government schools, only 8.33% of teachers demonstrated high ICT competency, 29.16% showed moderate competency, and a majority of 62.50% exhibited low competency. In contrast, 79.16% of private school teachers were found to possess high ICT competency, 20.83% demonstrated moderate levels, and none were in the low competency category. These results highlight a critical gap in ICT preparedness between government and private sector teachers, with private school teachers showing a significantly higher level of competency. The findings suggest the need for targeted ICT training programs, especially for government school teachers.

Keywords:
ICT Competency Digital Chemistry Education

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