ABSTRACT
The research was conducted to assess the availability and utilization of electronic media in teaching Social Studies in colleges of education in Nigeria. The objectives were to determine availability, assess lecturers and students awareness to available resources in the colleges, assess the utilization of electronic media by lecturers and students in the colleges; identify the factors that influence lecturers use of the resources and to assess the constraining factors in the use of electronic media by lecturers. The research adopted survey design. Five research questions were developed and answered. Five hypotheses were also drawn and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Five thousand two hundred and eighty-two (5,282) lecturers and students from nine (9) colleges of education in the Northwest Geo-Political Zone of Nigeria formed the population of the study. Sampled population for the study consisted of one thousand nine hundred and fourty one lecturers and students, (1,941), through purposeful sampling. Questionnaire was developed and administered to the two categories of respondents: lecturers and students. Data collected from the questionnaire were subjected to statistical analysis using Mann Whitney U-test and chi-square. The research findings showed that most of the required electronic media (59%) for teaching and learning Social Studies were not available in the colleges; the available electronic media in the colleges were not adequately utilized for the teaching and learning of the subject. Based on the research findings, it was concluded that the required electronic media for the effective teaching and learning of Social Studies in the colleges were not adequate; only a few of the supposed media were available. Sequel to the findings, the study recommended among others that, government, management, lecturers, students of colleges of education should as a matter of urgent importance provide necessary electronic media devices for the teaching and learning of Social Studies in the institutions.