Factors limiting the usage of ICT in the delivery of management services in public secondary schools in Siaya County

Abstract

This study was set to determine the effect of integrating ICT use in the delivery of services in public secondary schools in Siaya County, Kenya. Although many secondary schools introduced computers in great numbers starting early 1990s, there are limited information on their use to facilitate delivery of services in school administration and management. The extent to which ICT is being used in school management in secondary schools, the types of administrative uses of ICT by school managers and challenges affecting the integration of ICT in the management systems in secondary schools needed to be adequately addressed. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the effect of integrating ICT in the delivery of services in public secondary schools in Siaya County. The study objectives were to determine the areas in which ICT is being used in the delivery of management services in public secondary schools in Siaya County and to recommend strategies of enhancing ICT in the delivery of services in public secondary schools in Siaya County. The theoretical framework that guided the study was Social Transformation Theory in Education and Visscher (1992) conceptual model of school information system, which were used to show the relationship between variables. The research design that was used is descriptive survey. The study population consisted of 167 Principals, 167 Secretaries, 167 Deputies, 167 Bursars/Accounts’ clerks and 334 Heads of Departments. Purposive sampling technique was used to identify 48 schools that had incorporated ICT in their management system in secondary schools. Saturated sampling technique was used to select 48 principals. Purposive sampling technique was used to select one head of department in charge of examinations and one in charge of boarding in each sampled schools, giving a total of 96 heads of departments, 48 Deputy Principals, 48 Secretaries and 48 Bursars/ Accounts’ clerk. Questionnaires was administered to the H.O.Ds, Deputy Principals and Bursars/Accounts’ clerks to gather data on the level of ICT incorporation in management in secondary schools. Interviews with school principals and Secretaries captured data on their role in provision of ICT equipment for school management systems and the challenges they face in ICT use in school administration system. To ensure validity and reliability of the research instruments, experts from the School of Education, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology scrutinized the research instruments. A pilot study of 5 schools was equally conducted in the schools not sampled for the study.