Abstract:
The relevance of ICTs to English Language instruction stems from the fact that their
use can enhance many aspects of education. ICT warrants teachers to adopt innovative
classroom activities, thus enhancing the language learning process. ICTs continue to
grow in importance and support teachers facilitate language instructions. The
pedagogical skills are changing notably and there is increased demand for current set
of innovations generating a knowledge gap between development of teachers’
technological knowledge from the programmes language teacher training institutions
provide. The purpose of this study was to evaluate teacher cognition of the
incorporation of ICT in teaching English in secondary schools in Nairobi County. The
objectives of the study were: examine technological knowledge of a teacher of English
for ICT integration, establish technological content knowledge of a teacher of English
for ICT integration, determine technological pedagogical knowledge of a teacher of
English for ICT integration, and find out teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and thinking
towards incorporating ICT in teaching English. The study utilised mixed research
approach which combined quantitative and qualitative techniques. The study was
clamped on Pragmatist underpinned by two frameworks: Technological Pedagogical
and Content Knowledge (TPACK) and Teacher Cognition. The study population
constituted secondary school teachers of English in Nairobi County. The sample
comprised 20 teachers of English selected by simple random sampling and purposive
sampling techniques. Interview guides and questionnaires were used to collect data.
The data collection instruments were piloted and scrutinised by supervisors assured
reliability and a triangulation was enforced to warrant validity. The investigation
utilised a descriptive statistics (SPSS) V.20 for windows to analyse quantitative data
summarised and presented using tables and the qualitative data were evaluated using
content analysis techniques and presented in narratives premised on key themes
deduced from the analysis. The findings demonstrated that 75% of the surveyed
teachers of English had limited TPACK necessary to integrate ICT into their
instruction successfully. The required training by English educators to incorporate
technology into their instruction or the resources necessary to execute this were
insufficient in most of the schools studied. Sixty-eight per cent of English teachers in
the study indicated positive views and attitudes concerning incorporating ICT into
English language instruction. The study concluded that teachers' mindsets were a
necessity for the achievement of integrating ICT in teaching English language,
teachers of English required adequate technical and pedagogical content knowledge as
well as basic ICT capabilities to integrate ICTs into teaching successfully, and that
setting ICT capacities does not inevitably lead to improvements in classroom
practices, despite the ambitions of nationwide educational authorities. The study
therefore, recommended that teachers get continual professional growth by
incorporating ICT into instruction, emphasising the significance of ongoing
professional training in ICTs to improve English language instruction. In addition, the
study encourages policymakers to contextualise instructional support in a holistic view
of ICTs for instructions by developing an ICT strategy that includes vision-building
professionals, an ICT-based English content, pedagogical skills, and ICT facilities be
enhanced.