Relationship Between School Environment And Use Of Ict In Teaching Science Curriculum In Nepad And Cyber E-schools In Kenya

Abstract

The school environment is a crucial factor in the use of ICT in teaching and learning science subjects in schools. The reality in the classroom falls short of the aspirations of those advocating for the use of Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) in teaching and learning , esp ecially in New Partners hip for Africa Development (NEPAD) e - schools and c yber e - schools in Kenya. This article presents results of 4 hypotheses which tested the relationship between characteristics of the school environment and their influence on the use of ICT in teaching and l earning science in Kenyan secondary schools. The sample was drawn from 12 Cyber Schools Technology Solution (CSTS) and NEPAD e - s chools.. A descriptive survey was employed using an ex - post facto design. Data was collected using questionnaires, interviews, o bservations, site vis its and analysis of documents. A total of 1 , 247 students and 44 teach ers were sampled from the 12 schools. The results showed that the location of the school had a statistically significant positive relationship between where the schoo l is located and use of ICT for teaching and learning science subjects, while access to internet services had a weak statistically significant relationship with utilization of ICT in teaching science subjects. The source of power supply (electricity) has a strong positive significant relationship with use of ICT in teaching science subjects. The r elatio nship between various physical factors inside the ICT laboratory and use of ICT in teaching sciences was also tested and the results indicated a significant relationship with l ighting, ventilation and noise level but no significant relationship with the type of furniture was found. From these findings, it was concluded that the location of the schools, access to internet, availability of electricity supply a nd the physical environment within the school , play a major role in the effective utilization of ICT in teaching and learning science subjects. It is recommended that schools in vest in ICT infrastructure. A national ICT training strategy should be develo ped to guide the improvement of the school environment , to make it more supportive of ICT integration in learning and teaching science subjects