Information and communication technology adoption among public secondary schools in Kisumu county ,Kenya
Abstract
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) adoption has become a core issue
in many sectors of the economies. In the education sector, considerable benefits have
been derived as a result of adopting ICT. Public Secondary schools have also experienced
the benefits of adopting ICTs in their daily operations, both for instructional,
administrative and management purposes. This study sought to determine the types of
ICTs adopted by Public secondary schools, factors affecting their adoption and the
benefits they derived as a result of adopting the various ICTs.
The study adopted a stratified sampling design with respondents drawn from 93 public
secondary schools from six districts forming Kisumu County. The Districts are Kisumu
East, Kisumu West, Kisumu North, Nyando, Muhoroni and Nyakach. The study found
out that radio, television, video mobile phone, desktop computer, email printers, flash
disk, CD and DVD were the ICT items adopted by most schools in Kisumu County,
Kenya, with over 50% of the respondents indicating that they have been adopted in their
school. Among the least adopted Information and Communication Technologies included
DSTV, Website, Intercom, Scanner, fax Machine and the LCD projector. It emerged that
schools that had adopted ICTs derived many benefits from ICT technologies compared to
those that had not. These include collection of data, data storage, data processing,
analysis of data, management of data, external communication, printing, presentation of
information, retrieval of information, enhanced data and information security and
entertainment.
However, the study reveals that more should be done to enhance the status of ICT
adoption in the public secondary schools in Kisumu County and nationally. It also
emerged that lack of ICT implementation plan, lack of finances, lack of technicians and
ICT training programs remain the main factors affecting ICT adoption in public
secondary schools. It is worth noting however that factors that were once major hindrance
to ICTs adoption such as teacher attitude, phobia for technology, age and gender were no
longer major barriers in public secondary schools. There is need for more research to be
done on the roles of various stakeholders especially parents in influencing adoption of
ICTs in our public secondary schools.
Sponsorhip
University of NairobiPublisher
School of business