Challenges Of Information And Communications Technology (Ict) Integrated In Secondary Education: A Case Of Nakuru County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

This study sought to investigate the challenges of information and communication technology integrated in education in Nakuru County, Kenya. This was following the ministry of education emphasis on adoption of electronic learning in educational institutions. While this policy is being implemented, the problem facing it is the slow up take of ICT integration in secondary school education. The specific objectives of the study were to: analyze the students‟ enrolment rate of computer studies as one of the subjects offered in the curriculum in the last 5 years, establish the teachers‟ and students‟ perception towards integration of ICT in teaching and learning, determine the extent ICT is used in teaching and learning, find out the current status of infrastructural facilities of ICT integrated in education in Nakuru County and find out the problems teachers and students are facing in integrating ICT in education. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The targeted population was 27 principals, 27 computer teachers and 503 computer studies students. The researcher used 40% of the principals‟ population, 52% of the computer studies teachers‟ population and 30% of the computer studies students‟ population in the county. Purposive sampling was used to select principals and computer studies teachers while simple random sampling was used for the computer studies students. This gave a sample size of 179 respondents comprising 11 principals, 14 computer studies teachers and 154 computer studies students. Data were collected using interview schedule for principals of secondary schools and questionnaires for both teachers of computer studies and students of computer studies in these schools. The data collected was both quantitative and qualitative. Percentages and frequency distributions were used to analyze collected data with the aid of Microsoft excel and statistical package for social sciences (SPSS version 18.0). Data was presented using tables, bar charts and pie-charts. The study findings indicated that there was an increase in enrolment in computer studies in the last five years but this was not matched by a similar increase in the number of computers in schools while the teachers and students lacked the skills to use ICT in teaching and learning. It was recommended that the government through the appropriate agencies needs to equip the schools with enough computers to fully embrace ICT integration in education and also organize for in-service training for all teachers in computer skills. The relevant digital content should also be developed by K.I.E as additional resources for teaching and learning.