Challenges Of ICT Integration In Teaching History And Government In Public Secondary Schools, Ainabkoi Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) era has made significant changes in our work and lives in general, affecting both the private and public sectors. In Ainabkoi sub county, Uasin Gishu County, the integration of ICT in teaching and learning faces a number of obstacles including inadequate facilities, insufficient training of teachers, and limited availability of digital resources. Despite various efforts by the Kenyan government and other stakeholders to promote ICT use in schools such as the Digital Literacy Programme (DLP), provision of computer labs, and teacher training initiatives there is still a gap in how ICT is practically applied in teaching subjects like History and Government. The study, therefore, sought to bridge this gap by studying the challenges of ICT Integration in Teaching History and Government in selected public secondary schools in Ainabkoi SubCounty, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. A mixed-methods strategy was used in the study, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The target population comprised 660 individuals, including 30 Principals, 30 History and Government teachers, and 600 Form Three students. Using a 30% sampling ratio, the study sampled 196 respondents drawn from 9 schools: 9 Principals, 9 teachers, and 180 students. Stratified random sampling ensured representation from National, Extra-County, County, and Sub-County schools. The instruments comprised of an interview schedule for principals, questionnaire for History and Government teachers and students to collect data on the challenges and coping strategies. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically while descriptive statistics was used to analyze quantitative data. The research highlighted several obstacles, including insufficient formal training, deficient infrastructure, limited technical assistance and time limitations. Educators indicated that their capacity to integrate ICT tools is constrained by insufficient time and training. Students similarly identified technical challenges and insufficient access to ICT resources as significant barriers to effective learning. The study concluded that several barriers exist. These include poor infrastructure, lack of technical support, limited access to ICT resources, and insufficient time allocated for teachers to plan and incorporate ICT in their lessons. It recommends that schools should employ full-time ICT support personnel and allocate dedicated time for ICT-integrated lesson planning to address technical and structural barriers to ICT use in History and Government. Future research was recommended on evaluation of ICT policy implementation in secondary schools and its influence on integration outcomes across school types.