Competence, Utilization and Difficulties of Public Elementary School Teachers in ICT-Based Instruction

Abstract: ICT in education is seen as a means of increasing access to education especially to the rural population and making teaching and learning enjoyable. The study of Murithi (2021) supported the use of ICT in education as an enabler in the process of teaching and learning by assisting the learners to grasp concepts that would otherwise have remained abstract. This study sought to establish the level of teachers’ competence, utilization and difficulties they encountered in ICT based instructions. There were 246 respondents form a medium sized division who answered the fully validated, self-made survey questionnaire. The study used descriptive-quantitative research design and used Percentage Count, Frequency Distribution, Mean, Mann-Whitney U Test, and Spearman rho as statistical tools. The results of the study showed that teachers’ competence and utilization were on high level while the diffiulties were at low level. The comparative analysis established the significant difference in the level of teachers’ competence, level of teachers’ utilization, and the level of difficulties encountered by teachers. The study recommended Teachers’ Training and Digital Literacy, Annual Calibration of teachers’ skills and the setting of ICT-related Policy Support. Keywords: Competence, difficulties, ICT-based instruction, public elementary school teachers, utilization