E-readiness for integration of e-learning in public secondary schools in Taita Taveta County, Kenya

Abstract

Recent developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have influenced approaches to teaching and learning in schools in the world. Consequently, e-learning has become more and more widespread because of its advantages over the conventional ways of teaching. The Government of Kenya developed a national ICT strategy for education and training whose objective was to encourage use of ICTs in all educational institutions. This was aimed at creating an ICT-literate citizenry for an ICT driven economy by the year 2015. However, little is known about the state of readiness of educational institutions to implement this strategy. The purpose of this study was to assess the state of readiness for e-learning in secondary schools in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population included440 teachers in 48 public secondary schools in Taita. A random sample of 201 teachers and 33 head teachers was selected from 33 randomly selected schools. Data was collected using two self-administered questionnaires to the selected respondents. Data was analysed using both descriptive (frequencies, percentages and means) and inferential (t-test and chi square) statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. The study findings indicate that public secondary schools lacked basic infrastructure and facilities to adopt e-learning in the process of delivery of content to learners. Teachers in public secondary schools lacked adequate skills to use e-learning facilities in teaching. Majority of the teachers had not fully integrated e-learning in teaching in secondary schools. The study recommends that the government should first equip all public secondary schools with necessary infrastructure and facilities before fully implementing e-learning programme in schools. All teachers in public secondary schools should be trained on integration of e-learning in instructional process before the programme is fully rolled out. The government should also come up with a policy document requiring e-learning to be conducted in schools if the programme is to succeed.