INTRODUCTION Regardless of the lavishness of the natural resources that reside on our country, Philippines, among all other

countries that are supposed to be economically stable and universally good, is ironically having a hard time struggling to beat just the lowest in line when it comes to efficacy. The probability of our expected means to keep us renowned may be a good thing but it isnt a lot to contribute in terms of international deviations. Atypically, our country which is prearranged to change for the better cannot compete globally given such enormous reasons that can be and should be lessen by a great amount of focus on our national achievements. The Philippines is the only country in Asia and is one of the only three countries in the world with a ten-year basic education cycle and a mountainous percent of unemployment. This is a factor that has a vast effect on our poor educational situation and never ending idleness of the fresh and not so fresh graduates. Being a foreign-country-dependent nation, we have always been after the improvements and developments overseas especially of the United States of America, yet it takes a long period of time for us to comply with the changes. Education is by far the most useful device imparted to us by our superior country, but of course, they didnt do a ludicrous thing like resembling their curriculum with ours to keep themselves ahead of us. Education in our country must be given full concentration and development to be able to pursue the trail of success that most western countries have already primed. Of course, if there is good education there is a higher chance of getting hired. These days, probably one of the most promising tools for developing education is those that are used with an Internet connection especially nowadays when technology is the key to communication and action. The tenacity of the economy on challenging us to be an internationally virtuous entrant generally accepted that universities, faculties and members, and students of any local learning establishments enhance

their preparation for what is yet to come. We may not be the last one on the list in terms of complying with the innovation and progress in education and occupation, but the thing is, we are listed there and we need to do something. The philosophy of progressivism claims that the childs growth and development as an individual depends on his experiences and self-activity. This philosophy emphasizes that

educational concern must be on the childs interests, desires, and the learners freedom as an individual rather than on the subject matter. It asserts that learning is an active process and that a novice learns best if he is an active participant in the learning process. The child must respond to his experiences based on the degree of his understanding of a particular situation (Bucao, Jacolbia, 2011). Education should be given a massive attention for it to become well-flourished for the societys use, hence, service. Participation of the student in the knowledge-acquisition process is a crucial part of learning but knowing how technology works is a great deal as well. Perhaps the most promising tool for developing education is the Internet. The innovation of new and high technologies such as computers, tablets, cellular phones, projectors, cameras and the likes had tremendous impact in humanity and in education no less. Technology should be used not only for the entertainment of those people who can afford it but also to the learning process of every student who deserve it. Students and faculties can keep up with all the advances of technology to develop new learning strategies. As communication between apprentices and educators are increasingly being intervened by the computer via Internet, the pressure and annoyance about the technology itself is the most significant and foremost unfavorable factor to the success of such as Virtual Learning Environment. Researches into the recognition of E-learning systems have confirmed that

considerable factors are indeed significant predictors of student reception of such systems. It

seems that the leading matter to both university faculty members and students is the lack of groundwork and flexibility to the tools, languages and protocols linked with Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY In an era dominated by globalization and fast paced progression, there is no doubt that technology has become heavily integrated into our everyday lives. It has influenced several areas such as governance, health practices, business administrations, and communication among other things. Another field that has also been highly affected by various technological advancements is the field of education. In fact according to an article posted on edudemic.com (Alex Summers, 2012) the top five tech effects in education are social media, online classrooms, tablets and smartphones, free online resources and most importantly virtual learning tools. The internet has become the platform of learning and the traditional classroom has been modified to support technological devices or gadgets. According to a study conducted by Dell which surveyed 1,575 high school and college students, teachers in various universities located in the United States, Philippines and Germany, 9 in 10 respondents said that they use electronic devices for classroom facilitation. These electronic devices were later termed as Virtual Learning Tools. Information Technology has an immense influence in the daily lives of people specifically of the students and the workers who are specially the best consumers of such. Out of this we can assure that Information Technology is very substantial in the area of education and employment, and in communication no less, which is the foundation of getting things done. Information Technology is constituted by different technological merchandises that are fashioned

by different names and it makes up advanced methods covering the different needs, be it for personal or for professional uses, of the daily lives of individuals to name some; (1) to send instant messages; (2) to utilize the different software; (3) to widen social activities and to enhance e-interpersonal skills.

Information Technology is composed of both hardware and software. It is composed of a variety of devices, apparatus, and program. It includes accessing teaching resources and

activities online; communication tools and multimedia forms such as images, video audio clips, hypertext, hypermedia and web pages; online assessment; and classroom technologies. These integrated tools, may be one product or an integrated set of individual, perhaps open-source, tools.

Research literature throughout the past decade has also shown that technology can enhance literacy development, impact language acquisition, provide greater access to information, support learning, motivate students, and enhance their self-esteem (ACT, 2004; CEO Forum, 2001; Boster et al., 2004; Mann et al., 1999; Tracey & Young, 2006; WestEd, 2002). Indeed, researchers have affirmed that computer technology provides abundant opportunities for students to build or modify their personal knowledge through the rich experiences that technology affords.

This study will determine the importance of Information Technology in education and in employment to selected respondents of a local university and will reinforce previous research studies conducted. Utilizing Information Technology and understanding its significance can aid in maximizing its usage and acquiring more benefits that comes along with its assimilation to the contemporary environment.

Theoretical Framework
This study was anchored on a theory of effective computer-based instruction for adults that integrates the critical components of computer-based instruction to provide a much-needed framework for research in CBI for adults.

The units represent those things whose interactions constitute the subject matter or the phenomenon of the theory (Dubin, 1978). The units of learning outcome, self-directedness, computer self-efficacy, learning goal level, instructional strategy design, CBI design, and external support represent the concepts about which the researcher is trying to make sense. Learning outcome is defined for this study as achieving learning goal level through appropriate instruction delivered by means of a computer. Learning outcomes are the performance made possible by learning (Wager & Gagn, 1988).

Lowe, Janis Sue, A Theory Of Effective Computer-Based Instruction For Adults, May 2004, p.96. Retrieved from Lowe_dis.pdf, October 16, 2012

Self-directedness is defined as an approach where learners are motivated to assume personal responsibility and collaborative control of the cognitive and contextual processes in constructing and confirming meaningful and worthwhile learning outcomes (Garrison, 1997). Self-directedness is the learners ability to independently plan, conduct, and evaluate their learning activities (Guglielmino, 1977). The level of self-directedness is different for each learner. CBI is often referred to as self-directed learning because the learners use it at their own pace and at their own convenience with little or no human contact, and the process of learning is the responsibility of the learner. Motivation to Learn. CBI provides individualized instruction that accounts for various learning differences of adults. One of those differences is the motivation to learn. Knowles et al. (1998) noted the fundamental differences that motivate adults to learn, known as the andragogical model. The most potent motivators for adults are internal ones (Wlodowski, 1985). The learning that adults value the most is that which has personal value to them. Therefore, the adult must see value in the CBI in solving problems or providing internal payoffs. This motivation to learn will influence the learning outcome. Metacognitive Skills. Metacognitive skills are those that help a person understand and regulate cognitive performance (Artzt & Armour-Thomas, 1992; Slife & Weaver, 1992). Because of the advances made with computer technology and the research in cognitive psychology, researchers are learning more about cognition and metacognitive skills. Locus of Control. Locus of control is a persons belief in the ability to control outcomes of forces either internal or external to themselves (Rotter, 1990). When people attribute the cause or control of events to themselves or to an external environment, this is referred to as locus of control (Spector, 1982). Computer self-efficacy is defined as the individuals belief about his capabilities to successfully engage in CBI. Based on the social cognitive theory developed by Bandura (1986), self-efficacy can be defined as
Lowe, Janis Sue, A Theory Of Effective Computer-Based Instruction For Adults, May 2004, p.100-103. Retrieved from Lowe_dis.pdf, October 16, 2012

the belief that one has the capability to perform a particular behavior. Bandura (1993) suggests that perceived self-efficacy plays an important role in affecting motivation and behavior. Learning goal level is defined as the activities or performance required in the affective, cognitive, and/or psychomotor learning domains that results in the desired outcome of learning (Gagn et al., 1992). To determine if the learning outcome is attained, the learning goal level must be a part of the theory (Steinberg, 1991). There are three domains of behavioral learning: affective, cognitive and psychomotor. Learning goal level is demonstrated using Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Affective and Cognitive Domains (1956) and Daves Taxonomy of the Psychomotor Domain (1970). Instructional strategy design is defined as elemental methods for determining and sequencing content, presenting content and decision-making related to the content and its delivery. Janniro (1993) found CBI to be most effective when systematically developed and course content follows the principles of teaching. Steinberg (1991) suggested that appropriate computer application means the application of sound instructional principles. Organizational Strategy. Organizational strategy is the method of sequencing the subject matter content for instruction. Gagn and Briggs (1979) events of instruction should be included in the organizational strategy of the lesson or learning module. Sequencing of information within a module of CBI would be determined by the objectives. Delivery Strategy. Delivery strategies normally involve determining the appropriate media of instruction and grouping strategies. Because the need for CBI was determined previously, one only needs to address the grouping strategy for instruction. The instructional delivery strategy for CBI could be individual, dyad, or small group consisting of three students. Management Strategy. The instructional management strategy guides the orchestration of organizational
Lowe, Janis Sue, A Theory Of Effective Computer-Based Instruction For Adults, May 2004, p.104-110. Retrieved from Lowe_dis.pdf, October 16, 20121993). Scheduling of instruction and the mechanisms for and delivery strategies (Smith & Ragan,

delivery of instruction are guided by the management strategy. With CBI, scheduling may include

providing times when a computer room is available or using resources to ensure that enough computers are available for those needing CBI. CBI design is defined as the programming of content and lesson design that considers the individual differences of the learner to achieve the learning goal level delivered by computer. Instructional control can be program controlled where the program guides the learner; learner controlled where the learner determines the options; or adaptive controlled that is a combination of program and learner controlled where control is based on the learners resp onses. CBI that is adaptive or intelligent to students responses and rate of learning is twice as effective (Gibbons & Fairweather, 2000). Instructional Support. Supporting the adult learner during the CBI learning process is important to the learning outcome of CBI. Weiss (1985) noted that the more a CBI program must stand alone, through lack of instructional support, the greater the burden on the instructional content to be clear, and on documentation and guides to explain how to use the CBI program. Screen design research indicates that displaying information at a consistent location or relevant to graphical information facilitates learning (Aspillaga, 1991). Practice Strategy. The appropriate amount of information and practice to include in CBI varies by the difficulty of the subject-matter and individual learner characteristics. When faced with the decision of determining the amount of practice to include in CBI, a greater amount of practice should be provided if higher student achievement is an important goal of the instruction (Schnackenberg et al., 1998). External support is defined as providing for the needs of the learner with support external to the CBI program but is required to promote the learning outcome of CBI. External support should provide appropriate computer equipment, technical support, time for the learner to participate in CBI, and support from peers, supervisors, facilitator, management, friends, and family.
Lowe, Janis Sue, A Theory Of Effective Computer-Based Instruction For Adults, May 2004, p.110-114. Retrieved from Lowe_dis.pdf, October 16, 2012

Conceptual Framework
The basis for conceptualizing the Importance of Information Technology in School Works as Perceived by Bachelor in Business Teacher Education Students Academic Year 2013-2014 of the Polytechnic University of The Philippines Manila is to provide the university the knowledge and to inform on how they can improve or develop the teaching-learning process in cooperation with technology.

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study. The input for the study was representing the different methodologies of the teachers used in teaching their students. The used of technology as an instructional medium let the teaching-learning process put in advance and give a best learning outcome to the students. The Information Technology truly upgrades the quality of teaching-learning process in schools. It let the students as well as the teachers to become more globally competitive and helps the teachers inculcate effectively the lessons the students are taking.

Statement of the Problem This study attempted to look into the Importance of Information Technology in school works as perceived by Bachelor in Business Teacher Education students academic year 20132014 of Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila. Specifically, the study aimed to answer the following questions:

1. How many BBTE students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines year 2013 be described in terms of:

1.1.Gender; 1.2.Age; 1.3.Type of dwelling; 1.4.Status of schooling; 1.5.Parents' monthly income; 1.6.Parents' educational attainment; 1.7.Parents' Occupation; and 1.8.Parent's status of work? 2. Is there a relationship between students' profile towards how usefulness IT applications to them? 3. How often the students' use IT applications for school work and recreation? 4. How well the students use IT applications in executing certain tasks? 5. What are the most commonly used IT applications by the students? 6. What are the opinions of the students about IT applications? 7. How students describe their preferences in using IT?

Significance of the Study Information obtained by the study will be significant: Students. They may develop more interest and knowledge in the learning process Teacher. They may develop skills in utilizing the use of Information Technology in both teaching process and learning process and will help them to choose the most effective ways or methods in teaching their students. School. It will help the schools to manage the learning process of students. Parents. It will help parents to teach their children effectively and will help them to understand their childrens strengths and weaknesses in academic performance. Government. It will help the government to see errors in teaching methods and will help to improve the countrys educational system. Country. We may develop and train patriotic students who have mastered information technology to use their skills to incorporate it in enriching our own culture.

Recommendations Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are suggested: 1. The future researchers may research on the perceptions of the following people about the effectiveness of Information Technology in School Works throughout the school year: a. Administrators b. Professors c. Parents d. Students from other courses of different colleges 2. The future researchers may research on the appropriateness, suitability and practicality of using Information Technology in school works. 3. The future researchers may research about why other schools and universities cannot afford to use Information Technology in school works. 4. The future researchers may research on other improvements that will enhance the use of Information Technology in school works.