Laptops for Pupils Project: Challenges and Opportunities in Public Primary Schools in Eldoret Municipality

Abstract

The Kenya Vision 2030 is the country’s long–term development blueprint which aims to create a globally competitive and prosperous country providing a high quality of life for all its citizens by transforming it into a newly industrializing, middle income country. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills play a key role in promoting economic development of a country, However, there are still deficiencies in our understanding of the principles behind the design and implementation of computer learning environments and the development of associated pedagogies in schools and as such, the study sought to investigate the challenges and opportunities in the” Laptops-for- Pupils” project in teaching and learning in public primary schools and to find out the potential gap between the intended, implemented and attained curriculum studies. The study was guided by the implementation evaluation model (Jansen, 2000) which examined the differences or gaps between what is intended, what has actually happened and or other aspects of the program that should be accepted. Descriptive survey design was adopted in the study. The study adopted mixed methods approach research that emerged alongside quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study employed simple random, stratified and proportionate probability sampling techniques. There are 40 public primary schools and the researcher sampled 2 teachers in every school hence the target populationcomprised80 teachers and the sample size for this study was66 teachers, a recommended sample size from a given population (adapted from Krejcie& Morgan, 1970). Using simple random sampling, the head teachers and teachers were stratified into stratas as head teachers and assistant teachers. The questionnaires were administered to teachers while interview schedule was administered to head teachers. Data collected was processed, coded and analyzed to facilitate answering the research questions. This was done using descriptive statistics. The findings of this study would be useful to teachers and other stakeholders on the need to embrace technology in their pedagogy. The study would also be significant to both scholars as well as policy-makers in the government with a view to raising a tech-savvy generation that would fit better in the modern world.