An Assessment of the Usage of Information and Communication Technology in Administration of Public Secondary Schools in Seme Sub-county, Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology usage in administration of public secondary schools can counteract obsolete management practices and improve the efficiency and effectiveness in various aspects of school management. There is limited research in Africa and specifically in Kenya to identify and address key challenges facing adoption and use of ICT in the administration particularly in the education sector. The purpose of this study was to assess the usage of ICT in the administration of public secondary schools in Seme Sub-County, Kisumu County, Kenya. The study was guided by four objectives namely; to establish how ICT is used in the administration, to establish the level of competence of principals in ICT usage in the administration, to determine barriers to ICT usage in the administration and to establish factors which enhance ICT usage in the administration of public secondary schools. The study employed a descriptive survey design and a target population of 33 principals, 33 bursars and 198 heads of departments. Eleven public secondary schools, 11 Principals, 11 bursars and 59 heads of departments were randomly sampled. A pilot study was conducted in two schools to establish the validity and reliability of the questionnaire used to collect data. The study found that majority (60%) of schools use ICT in their administration for communication, maintenance of records for teachers, students and non teaching staff, preparation of timetables, students’ report forms and analyzing students’ performance. The key barriers to ICT usage include lack of training in ICT (60%) and lack of technical support from ICT experts (66.7%). Factors that can enhance ICT usage in the administration include training in ICT (90.0%) and technical support from experts (81.8%). The study concluded that majority of public secondary schools use ICT in their administration, principals’ competence in ICT usage in administration range from no competence to moderate competence, lack of training in ICT, inadequate ICT facilities hinder ICT usage in the administration and that barriers to ICT usage can be overcome by having a clear policy on ICT usage in secondary school administration. The study recommends that; Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should develop in-service training in ICT for secondary school principals. Public secondary school Principals should identify specific barriers that hinder ICT usage and eliminate them in time. Further research can be done on; determinants of ICT usage in the administration of public secondary, assessment of ICT usage in the administration of public secondary schools in other Counties using a larger sample size and assessment of ICT usage in the administration of public primary school