Factors influencing the integration of ICT in teaching and learning in secondary schools: a case of Kikuyu constituency, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to establish the factors influencing the integration of ICT in teaching and learning in public secondary schools in Kikuyu constituency in Kiambu County. The objectives of this study were to establish the influence of teachers’ perceptions on ICTs and ICT integration in teaching and learning, teachers’ ICT skills training on integration of ICT, teachers’ teaching workload and school management support have on level of ICT integration in secondary schools in Kikuyu constituency. Since 2010, Kenya has been providing secondary schools with ICT infrastructure for use in development of students’ skills in ICT and for use in teaching and learning in order to improve quality of Education. So far, 1470 public schools have been equipped with ICT infrastructure. Apart from doing this, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has trained a number of teachers as ICT champions to train teachers and principals in these schools. It is therefore important that the factors that hinder or support the integration are known as this would assist in capacity development of teachers and school managers and also assist in development of an ICT integration policy by the MOE. The design of this research was descriptive survey. Questionnaires were used to collect data from all teaching staff in the five schools in the constituency under the ESP (Economic Stimulus programme) and 100 students at form 11 level selected through random sampling. A semi-structured interview schedule was also used to collect data from all the principals in the five schools. The data collected from principals and students was used to correlate the information from the teachers. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics by means of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 17). The data analysis was presented in form of frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Correlation was used to determine the relationships between variables. Independent T-test and one- way ANOVA was used to test the statistical significance of the differences between variables. From this research, the level of ICT integration in teaching and learning in Kikuyu constituency is low and in particular among female teachers.Teachers’ perception, ICT competencies and level of management support all affect ICT integration in teaching and learning. However, there is no significant influence of teachers’ present teaching workload on level of ICT integration in teaching and learning. Training interventions for teachers should be organized in the use of ICT tools in teaching and learning. Such trainings should be subject based and have a component on attitude change

to help change teachers perception on ICT integration. More sensitization of education managers on the need to support teachers in ICT integration.