Exploring Opportunities Of Information And Communication Technologies (icts) In Higher Agricultural Education Enrolment In Kenya

Abstract

This study explores the opportunities of information and communication technology on influencing potential university students in their choice to study or not study agriculture and related sciences in purposively selected public universities; namely, Egerton University, University of Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta University of Science & Technology. The existing body of research has highlighted factors that influence decision making among students in their choice to study agricultural programmes. It has focused on lack of information on agricultural education, negative perceptions and lack of role models as some of the factors impacting on students' decisions. On average, 572 students per year enrolled in agriculture and related programmes relative to majority of 23,790 students in other degree programmes. The research seeks to explore how the access and use of ICTs among undergraduate students could influence their choice of agriculture and related sciences as programmes of study in public universities. The study uses KrumboItz's social learning theory of career decision making (SLTCDM) which outlines four basic factors which influence decision making in career choice. The research approach is both quantitative and qualitative study based on a questionnaire distributed completed by 367 students representing three (3) public universities in Kenya. The results reveal that access and use of ICTs has no influence on the data population in choosing or not choosing to study agriculture and related sciences. There is no connection between interaction in ICTs and agricultural education. As the study is based on ex post facto data gathering, the research strategy used does not allow for wider generalization but provides an important explorative insight into the choices students make to enroll in agriculture and related sciences.