Adoption of ICT on management of secondary schools in Kenya: addressing constraints and policy implications

Abstract

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), defined ICT as the range of technologies that are applied in the process of collecting, storing, editing, retrieving and transfer of information in various forms (UNESCO, 2002). The Kenyan government ’s commitment to the integration of ICT in education has been articulated inthe National Policy of ICT of 2006. This study sought to establish the institutional and headteacher factors influencing adoption of Information and C ommunicati on T echnology (ICT) in secondary school management in Kamukunji and Starehe Districts, Kenya. The study was guided by t wo research objectives. Research objective one sought to establish to what extent the headteachers’and teachers’ perceptions towards ICT adoption in secondary school management. Objective two was to determine how access to ICT infrastructure influenced its adoption in secondary school management. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The sample population included 18 principals, 15 deputy headteachers and 70 Heads of Departments from public secondary schools in Kamukunji and Starehe Distr icts. The study used purposive sampling sampling method. Q uestionnaires were used to collect data which was analysed using de scriptive statistics . The study established that m ajority of the schools did not have adequate ICT infrastru cture to support ICT ado ption in management. The study also established that ICT skills were inadequate for ICT integration. Perception hel d by the principals had a significant influence on ICT integration in management. Th e study recommended that the government should address th e issue of ICT infrastructure by availing ICT equipment, enhance connectivity to reliable power, improve connectivity to various internet services and augment human reso urce capacity by organizing structured in - service training for principals and teachers. The study also recommended that schools should have an operational ICT policy to enhance ICT integration i n secondary school management.