A Framework for E-Content Adoption in Secondary Schools

Abstract

The recent development in information communication technology has revolutionized the way modern teaching is being conducted. In education, it has led to the emergence of teaching using computers in class. The hard concepts that long used to be difficult to explain have been simplified by the use of whiteboard in classrooms. In the recent years there have been initiatives by Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) - (a Government of Kenya education agency which evaluates and recommends instructional materials for secondary school students) to encourage schools to adopt e-content technologies. While adopting e-content technology is very important, several teachers and authors are unwilling to venture into this emerging culture. The failure to adopt e-content technology in teaching causing a lot of concern among the information system researchers. This study tries to discover why the rate of e-content adoption is very slow in secondary schools. Despite the recent advancement in information technology there has been very minimal use of the e-content in schools. Research efforts for main determinants of user acceptance and use of new technology have been constrained by lack of appropriate reference theory and key variables. As a result of this gap this study aims to investigate and examine the socio-cultural, individual and institutional factors that explain users' behaviour to adoption and use of e-content technology in secondary schools. Further the study aims to design a framework that can be used by the stakeholders as a blueprint in making e-content technology adopted by teachers in the learning environment. This study was designed so as to test a proposed model that borrowed most of the constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) although some of the other models were reviewed to come up with a more comprehensive model. The study design was in form of a survey conducted in Limuru District that covered secondary schools offering computer studies in their curriculum. The findings of this study have significant implications to e-content technology developers, implementers and managers of institutions. The e-content developers and integrators are urged to take into account the importance of social factors, facilitating conditions, technological habits, PU and PEOU that directly or indirectly influence technology usage and hence its adoption. The research finding of this study were analysed and used to test the validity of the model. The conclusion of the results gave rise to the modified model that is hoped to increase the rate of e-content adoption in secondary schools. The implementers of the e-content technology are advised to use the modified model asthey continue to integrate e-content into the secondary school curriculum.