Antecedents of ICT utilization in teaching and learning: a study of public secondary schools in Amhara, Ethiopia

Although the utility of educational technology can transform education, challenges persist in properly integrating ICT in secondary schools. This study examined the antecedents of the utility of ICT in public secondary schools in the state of Amhara, Ethiopia. The study employed a quantitative approach with a correlational design, using a sample of 739 teachers and 758 students selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to establish the reliability and validity of the data. The study utilized a set of questionnaires and analyzed the data using Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression. A subgroup analysis was also conducted to examine whether the effects of antecedents of ICT utility could vary across teacher and student groups. Statistically significant relationships were observed between the antecedents and the utility of ICT with varying degrees of strength (p < 0.001). About 65.9% of the variance for the teachers and 52.5% for the students explains the utility of ICT in the day-to-day instructional context of the schools studied. Among the antecedents, support, and access to ICT infrastructure for teachers and ICT users, as well as support for students, significantly predict the utility of ICT. However, ICT policy was the least influential predictor. So, School authorities and the Bureau of Education must provide enhanced technical and administrative support to enable teachers to utilize ICT effectively. Both teachers and students need robust ICT infrastructure, ongoing training, and continuous support to ensure effective technology integration in the classroom. Policymakers and educational leaders should review the current ICT policies and strategies.