LECTURER PERCEPTIONS OF DIGITAL TOOL USE IN ENGLISH AND COMMUNICATION FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE INSTRUCTION: A FOCUS GROUP STUDY OF TWO NORTHERN NIGERIAN POLYTECHNICS

Abstract

Digital tools are increasingly positioned as central to the delivery of English and Communication for Specific Purpose (CSP) instruction in Nigerian tertiary institutions, yet lecturers lived experience of adopting them in under-resourced settings remains under-researched. This study presents findings from an institution-based research project that set out to examine perceptions of digital tool use among English lecturers in two Northern Polytechnics. Owing to the limitation of research funds, the scope of data collection was narrowed to a qualitative, focus-group-discussion-(FGD) design conducted in two institutions within Bauchi State: The Federal Polytechnic Bauchi (17 English/ General Studies lecturers) and the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi (8 English / General Studies lecturers), giving a combined sample of 25 lecturers from two focus-group sessions held on 28 November 2025 and 15 June 2026 respectively. Discussions were guided by a semi-structured protocol addressing teaching realities, generational differences in practice, students’ digital behaviour, curriculum flexibility, material selection, professional support, and future outlook. Transcripts were analysed thematically, using open coding to identify recurring categories which were then grouped under the study’s four research questions. Findings show that lecturers rely heavily on low-infrastructure tools (principally WhatsApp, YouTube, and increasingly AI chat tools) to work around chronic infrastructural deficits (unstable power, absent public address systems, non-functional or accreditation-only language laboratories, and uneven student device ownership). Digital adoption was found to be personally driven and improvisational rather than institutionally supported rather than significant socio-economic barriers including poverty and perceived mismanagement of ICT resources. Lecturers nonetheless described strong informal peer-support cultures and expressed cautious optimism about a fully digital future, provided institutions address infrastructure, training, and funding gaps. The report concludes with recommendations for institutional policy, staff development, and further research extending to the remaining proposed sites.