Closing the Chasm: Are Secondary School Teachers in Kenya Using ICTs Effectively to Deliver Curriculum Content?

Abstract

This study investigated the extent to which teachers in some selected secondary schools in Kenya use ICTs to deliver curriculum content. Although ICT infrastructure has been enhanced in most schools for the purpose of improving the quality of teaching and learning, sufficient research has not been carried out to establish if indeed there is pedagogical integration, and if so, to what extent. In January 2008, the Kenya Government introduced free secondary education. This is in line with the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) set by the United Nations. The outcome has been mass enrollment overcrowded classes. The use of computer software like the MS Power Point could be used to project classroom learning material effectively. The Southern African Department of Education uses “technology enhanced learning” as a phrase to describe the use of technologies in teaching and learning environments for any education-related purpose (SAIDE Report, 2001). This is the perception this study will adopt to describe the use of ICT in teaching. Although most secondary schools in Kenya have ICT facilities, the extent to which they are used for effective instructional purposes has not been empirically established. This study focused on three objectives namely: to evaluate the extent to which secondary school teachers use ICTs to deliver curriculum content; to establish the type of computer softwares used and to determine the difference in the use of ICT in instructional delivery between schools.