The Influence of Human Resource Capacity on Readiness to Adopt e-Learning in Secondary Schools in Kitui District, Kenya

Abstract

In line with Kenya’s Vision 2030, the government plans to adopt e-learning in all learning institutions. To achieve this, the Government aims to make education the natural platform for equipping the nation with ICT skills in order to create dynamic and sustainable economic growth. This article advocates for speedy facilitation of human resources capacity building in all secondary schools to make it possible for the teachers and learners to adopt e-learning to accelerate educational reforms and innovations for enhancing quality and equity. The article explores the relationship between human resource capacity and readiness to adopt e-learning in secondary schools. It is based on literature review and field research by employing cross–sectional survey research design. The independent variable of the article was Human resource capacity, indicated by skills in ICT; availability of support staff; and availability of time to apply e-learning in the teaching and learning processes. The dependent variable was Readiness to adopt e-learning indicated by availability of sufficient e-learning equipment; and availability of relevant skills in handling e-learning. A single questionnaire coupled with observation schedule were used to collect data from 15 provincial and 36 District public secondary schools, selected through stratified random sampling. Null hypotheses were tested using one way ANOVA at 0.05 and regression analysis. The study established that human resource capacity had influence on the readiness to adopt e-learning. However the influence was not statistically significant. Generally, the human resource capacity was not adequate to support the adoption of e-learning in secondary schools in Kitui district. It was recommended that the government should seek to address the issue of human resource capacity in preparation to adopt e-learning in secondary schools in Kitui District and indeed all other districts before embarking on full scale implementation of e-learning in schools.