Perceptions and Professional Use of Electronic Communication Media in Education: A Study of Secondary School Teachers in Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

The proliferation of electronic communication media in the 21 st century means that we can no longer ignore its impact on society, organizations, families and individuals. However, while evidence shows a dramatic increase in investment in electronic communication media in education, literature reveals that relatively few teachers use them regularly. This raises the question; why don’t teachers make wider use of electronic communication media? This study investigated the perceptions, extent of use and factors influencing use of electronic communication media by teachers in Kenyan secondary schools. A mixed method research approach was used where both qualitative and quantitative data was concurrently collected and analysed. Machakos County was the study site with a sample of 59 schools and a questionnaire was administered to 227 teachers, an in- depth interview involved four purposively selected principals and an observation guide collected data on the availability and use of electronic communication media. Findings suggest that although secondary teachers perceived electronic communication media to be useful, they were skeptical on its ease of use, compatibility and teachers rarely used or never used it at all. The underutilization may have been attributed to factors such as availability of hardware and software, teacher training, time and technical support. This study recommends the development of a coherent policy, provision of accessible ICT Infrastructure and that for teachers to continuously use electronic communication media in their work, teacher training and continuous professional development oriented policies that support the integration of electronic communication media be put in place.