INFLUENCE OF TEACHER TRAINEE'S PERCEPTIONS ON ICT INTEGRATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS: A STUDY IN PUBLIC TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES IN SELECTED COUNTIES IN RIFT VALLEY, KENYA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of teacher trainee's perceptions on prospective ICT integration in primary school education in Kenya. It was also aimed at assessing trainee teachers' perceived advantages and disadvantages of ICT integration. This was done in the light of the fact that the Kenya government will launch the national laptop project in public primary schools by April, 2016 after which it will be rolled out countrywide. Moreover, teachers are key to effective implementation of computer use in the educational systems and have tremendous potential to transmit beliefs and values to pupils. This study was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Davis in 1986. The trainee teachers‘ philosophy about teaching and learning, attitude towards computers, their perceived competence about computers, perceived competence about teaching, subjective norms and gender were independent variables while prospective ICT integration in education was the dependent variable. This study employed mixed method research design. This study applied the concurrent nested design, which is used when the focus is on gaining a broader perspective of the topic in a single study. The researcher purposely selected five public TTCs in former Rift Valley Province for the study. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select a total of 357 participants. Data was collected from trainee teachers in five TTCs, using a teacher trainee questionnaire. Qualitative data was collected using an interview guide during focus group interviews of pre-service teachers. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were employed to analyze quantitative data. The descriptive statistics involved the use of frequencies, means and standard deviation, while the inferential statistics was Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using data reduction, conclusion drawing and verification techniques. Data was presented in form of texts and tables. The findings showed that trainee teacher teaching and learning philosophies, computer attitudes and subjective norms significantly influenced ICT integration in teaching and learning at 0.05 level of significance. The study also revealed that trainee teacher perceived competence about computer and teaching and gender had no significant influence on ICT integration. The study also revealed that trainee teachers support integration of ICT in primary schools. Perceived advantages and disadvantages and suggested supports to ICT integration in primary schools were also established. Based on the findings of this study the researcher recommends that teacher trainers should promote student-centered teaching philosophies and positive teacher-trainee computer attitudes. The MoEST should sensitize education stakeholders and entire communities on potential benefits of ICT to create expectation and sense of ownership so as to enhance teacher ICT integration. Suggestions for further research on ICT integration were also made.