Assessment of Principals’ Leadership in Information communication Technology Integration in Public Secondary Schools Management in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

In this 21st century, there is global recognition of Information Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool for best management practices in various sectors. The Kenya government encourages ICT integration in school management through the National ICT policy and strategy and entered into partnership with development agencies and private organizations to promote ICT integration. Despite the efforts, progress has been short of expectation. In Kajiado County, 51% of teachers lacked Internet accessibility, 55% lacked administrative support for professional development in ICT while in Kakamega County, 61.9% of schools lacked ICT technical support and 57.1% had inadequately trained staff in ICT use. In Bungoma County, over 75% of Public Secondary Schools (PSS) have 1-10 computers while 25% have 11-40 and electricity. Even with these ICTs, principals‟ hardly integrated ICT in management tasks which raises questions on principals‟ leadership as key players in ICT integration in management activities. The purpose of this study was to assess principals‟ leadership in ICT integration in Public Secondary Schools Management (PSSM) in Bungoma County. Objectives were to: establish extent of ICT integration, determine factors influencing principals‟ leadership in ICT integration, assess principals‟ involvement of stakeholders in ICT integration, analyze the relationship between principals‟ technology leadership (PTL) and ICT use and assess impact of ICT integration on management. This study adopted Hasan (1998) Activity Theory in which whole work activity is broken into subject (person studied), tool (mediating device) and object (intended activity). Descriptive survey and co-relational research designs were employed. The study population consisted of 272 principals, 272 Deputy Principals (DPs), 272 Director of Studies (DOS) and 1088 Class Teachers (CTs). Saturated sampling technique was utilized to select 245 DPs while simple random sampling technique was utilized to select 82 principals, 123 DOS and 359 CTs. Data collection instruments were Interview Schedule and questionnaire for Principals. Observation Checklist and Document Analysis Guide were used alongside principals instruments, questionnaire for DPs, DOS and CTs. Validity was ascertained by revising the instruments based on feedback from experts in the School of Education, Maseno University. A pilot study was conducted among 27 principals, 27 DPs, 27 DOS and 11 CTs using test re-test method to establish reliability and yielded Cronbach alpha (α) reliabilities of .9 for principals, .74 for DPs, .93 for DOS and .73 for CTs, which were above .70threshold and therefore acceptable. Qualitative data were categorized and reported verbatim while quantitative data were analyzed using percentages, means, linear regression and Chi-square to determine influence and relationship between principals‟ leadership and ICT integration. The great extent of ICT integration in DOS office with Average Mean Rating(AMR=3.65) while principals (AMR=2.76), CTs (AMR=2.55)and DPs (AMR=2.55)offices was somewhat integrated. Finance (62.2%), training (64.5%), administrative support (62.2%) and attitude (64.6%) influenced principals‟ leadership in ICT integration. Regression analysis indicated that by having an adjusted R2=0.854 in DP‟s office, 0.9637 in DOS and 0.8237 in class management implied that 85%, 96% and 82% of variance in ICT integration respectively attributed to influence of selected factors. With Cohen‟s f2 =2.91 in DPs, 14.82 in DOS and 14.82 in class management implied large effect in respective offices. Principals mobilized stakeholders in ICT integration through PTA meetings (85.59%) and virement of School Funds (84.15%). The principals technology leadership was more pronounced in infrastructural changes than organizational and policy and culture changes. Integration of ICT had great impact on management as indicated by principals in an AMR=3.03 and DOS with AMR=3.19. The study may provide an impetus for formulating policies and strategies for principals‟ leadership in ICT integration in management.