E-learning Readiness and Ict Usage Among Public Primary Schools in Athi River Sub-county

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the status of e-learning readiness in public primary schools in Athi River Sub-County, given the government’s plans to provide schools with ICT equipment for use in instruction under the laptop computer project (LCP). However, there is little empirical information on whether the Kenyan primary school teachers have the requisite capacity to implement the LCP in their classrooms. Available empirical literature touched on e-learning readiness in secondary schools and institutions of higher learning but little is said on e-learning readiness in Kenyan primary schools. Consequently this study was designed to fill this knowledge gap by assessing the elearning readiness of public primary schools in Athi River Sub-County, establishing their level of ICT usage; determining their challenges in adopting e-learning and the relationship between e-learning readiness and ICT usage. The study adopted a census survey design by gathering data from all the 35 public primary schools in Athi River SubCounty. The data was collected for this study from 46 head teachers/teachers using structured questionnaires in a drop and pick later method. The obtained data was analysed using descriptive statistics. The findings showed that schools in Athi River Sub-County are not ready to roll out LCP presently, since their e-learning readiness is low given that teachers are currently inadequately trained and the schools have insufficient basic ICT infrastructure and equipment, such as internet connectivity, computer laboratories and Laptops/Tablets/Computers. Furthermore the schools do not have e-learning content nor an ICT curriculum. The study recommended that The ICT training offered to teachers should be comprehensive enough to enable teachers teach and use ICTs effectively; the government should provide schools with ICT equipment and connect them with internet; computer labs should be built in all schools instead of supplying Laptops/Tablets which will benefit only a few pupils; e-learning content and an ICT curriculum should be developed before the LCP programme roll out.