A Comparison of the Use of Computers by Secondary School Teachers in Kenya

Abstract

During late 1990s, the Minister for Education in Kenya launched computer education program for public secondary schools. The main objective was to help large number of secondary students to be computer literate. This was in response to the perceived problem that a lack of computer skills was preventing Kenyan youths from acquiring jobs in the world market. However, the Minister gave no indication of how computers were to be used. Whether computers were to be integrated and used to assist in the mastery of those specific curriculum areas taught in secondary schools, or computers education was to be an optional subject or compulsory subject. The purpose of this study was to investigate how secondary school teachers use computers in public secondary school in Nyanza Province. The main objective of the study was to identify public secondary school that had computers and to provide evidence regarding utilization of computers in teaching. Related literature for this study revealed that learning with computers improves quality of education. The area of the study was Nyanza Province. Saturated sampling technique was used to select a sample of eighty computer teachers. This included 44 male and 36 female teachers. The study schools consisted of 32 girls, 44 boys and 4 mixed secondary schools that had computers at the time of this research. Data was collected by use questionnaires, semi-structured interview and documentary analysis. Data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics and presented qualitatively and quantitatively that included percentages and frequency. The findings of this study showed boys schools than girls used computers in teaching/learning. 50% of the teachers were encouraged by the Principals of secondary schools to use computers while 30% were partially encouraged but 20% were keen and made their own effort to learn and use computers in teaching. The other results showed that teachers used computers to improve students’ communication skills, to teach English language, Science, Mathematics and computer literacy skills. The majority of schools did not have enough computers for students, lack of support materials and teachers were not adequately trained in the use of computers. In view of the above findings, the study therefore recommends that all teachers should be trained to teach computers and all secondary schools be assisted or supplied with enough computers and computer materials.