An Investigation into Implementation of ICT in Primary Schools, in Kenya, in the Light of Free Laptops at Primary One: A Case Study of Teachers Implementing ICT into Their Teaching Practice

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been touted as being potentially powerful tools that can be used to facilitate the implied educational change and reform. Implementation of ICT in higher education learning environments is a complex task. Teachers and students, but also management, administration and ICT support are affected by and affect the implementation. To facilitate the change processes better the first step is to actually understand what problems and challenges implementation of ICT leads to and how it affects practice. Although classical instructional methods will continue to be used in the teaching-learning process, it is also true that Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be harnessed to become powerful pedagogical tools. Proceeding from the premise that there are many ways to use new technologies for teaching and learning, the paper presents literature on the possibilities and challenges of integrating ICT into teaching-learning, the rationale for adopting and using ICTs for learning-teaching, as well as the key factors that influence the adoption and use of ICTs in teaching and learning both from a general perspective and in a technical education context.  The paper then outlines and discusses findings of a study designed to investigate the possibilities and challenges of using Information Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching-learning procedures in primary school institutions in Kenya using data obtained from a Tinderet District  school in the Rift valley region of Kenya. It examines views in pertinent literature as well as teachers’ perceptions of the benefits of integrating ICT into teaching-learning, the success factors and obstacles encountered in their endeavours to do this.  Conclusions are drawn and suggestions made to address the challenges and improve on the use of ICT for teaching-learning in teaching institutions.

Keywords: ICTs, implementation, teaching-learning, challenges, possibilities