Integration of Information Communication Technologies in Teaching and Learning of Kiswahili Language in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Integration of technology in education is considered all over the world as a strategy of transforming the quality of education. In recent times, considerable investment in computer based Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has been made by many countries with a belief that it will support and transform teaching and learning in the school systems. Despite the effort, many teachers in Kenya and elsewhere have been criticized for neglect of integrating ICT into their teaching and learning activities. Concerns have also been raised on availability and integration of the ICT resources in teaching and learning process. The main focus of this study was to investigate the integration of computer assisted ICTs in teaching and learning of Kiswahili language in Secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were : to investigate the level and nature of integrating ICTs in teaching and learning of Kiswahili language in Secondary schools; to establish teachers‟ and learners‟ perceptions about integration of ICT in teaching and learning of Kiswahili language ; to establish teachers‟ competency in integrating ICTs in teaching and learning of Kiswahili language in Secondary schools; explore the challenges encountered by both the teachers and learners in integration of ICT in teaching and learning of Kiswahili and finally, investigate the extent to which these challenges influence both the teachers and learners in their teaching and learning respectively. The study was guided by Bruner‟s Constructivism Theory (1990) and adopted a descriptive survey design . It targeted 45 public secondary schools which had been supplied with computers by the government of Kenya from 2008-2012, 90 Kiswahili language teachers and 3148 form three students in these schools, 2 ICT teacher champions in public secondary schools, one curriculum developer in-charge of Kiswahili language and 2 Quality Assurance and Standard Officers (QASOs). Stratified proportional sampling was used to select schools while purposive sampling was used to select teachers in these schools. The students were selected randomly. Data collection instruments included questionnaires for both teachers and learners, interview schedules for ICT teacher champions, curriculum developer and programmer as well as QASOs. Classroom Observation and document analysis schedules were also used to collect the data. Reliability for the instruments was tested through piloting in two schools. Only the questionnaires were re-tested and accepted at r=0.785. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics that included frequencies, percentages, means, ratios and inferential statistics (Chi-square and ANOVA). Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data. The study found out that integration of ICTs in teaching of Kiswahili language was not effective. The teachers and students skills were low and the integration was not significant to the sex, category of schools, experience and teachers academic and professional qualifications. Based on these findings, this study recommended that Kiswahili language teachers should be trained in all the ICT skills and also on how to integrate ICTs in their teaching and learning activities. The ministry of Education in conjunction with KICD should organize refresher courses for all the Kiswahili language teachers in secondary schools on ICTs integration in teaching of Kiswahili language. The higher institutions training teachers should create a unit that equips the trainees with ICT skills in their specialized areas. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations of the study will be useful in filling in the gaps in teaching of Kiswahili language and also provide knowledge and skills that Kiswahili curriculum and implementers can incorporate in their teaching activities.