Abstract:
This study sought to explore the extent to which demographic and contextual factors predicted teachers’ willingness to use ICT tools in classroom teaching. Empirical evidence has shown that teachers’ perception of a concept is an important attribute of the success or failure of implementation of the concept. To achieve this, the study sought to find out if demographic factors such as age, gender, years of teaching experience and the teachers area of specialization (department) influenced teachers' willingness to integrate ICT as well as the extent of the contribution of contextual factors such as teachers’ level of mastery and self-efficacy. The study was conducted among a sample of 126 primary school teachers in Msambweni District in Kwale County, Kenya. Data was collected through a self-report questionnaire constructed by the researchers. The study findings revealed that while age and having access to an internet enabled phone were a negative significant predictor of teachers’ willingness to integrate ICT, gender, teaching experience and teachers’ area of specialization were positive insignificant predictors. Similarly, teacher’s level of mastery was found to predict their willingness to integrate ICT with teachers’ mastery of ICT in teaching being significant. The study also established that teachers’ level of use of ICT tools was still very low even where ICT tools were already available and therefore recommends that the government supports teachers by in-servicing them on ICT skills to increase mastery thus willingness of use. Similarly, it is important that schools put in place departmental ICT support structures to institutionalize integration of ICT in classroom teaching.
