Evaluation of NEPAD’s pilot e-schools in Kenya
This study was conducted to evaluate the success of the pilot phase of the NEPAD e-School project in Kenya. The specific objectives were to: establish the ICT infrastructure installed in the e-Schools and determine the infrastructure‟s quality, accessibility and suitability for enhancing teaching and learning; determine the effectiveness of the training imparted to teachers and students to enable them to constructively engage with the installed ICT infrastructure in teaching and learning; establish the extent to which e-School infrastructure is being used to enhance teaching and learning and provide health information; determine the extent to which e-School users (students and teachers) felt that the e-Schools were preparing students to function in the global economy; and establish the extent to which the e-School improves the efficiency of school management and the processes of teaching and learning. The study employed survey research methodology. All six of the NEPAD e-Schools in Kenya were included. Chevakali High School, Isiolo Girls Secondary School, Maranda High School, Menengai Secondary School, Mumbi Girls Secondary School and Wajir Girls Secondary School and the teachers and students in those schools formed the study population. Of the 5,186 students and teachers, a representative sample of 1,508 was selected using probabilistic techniques that involved stratification based on the number of students in each school, the number in each class level (forms I, II, III and IV), and gender in the case of Menengai Secondary School. Data was collected using an observation schedule, interview schedule and questionnaire. Observations were made of the infrastructure installed in the e-Schools with specific attention to computer laboratories, computer hardware, networking accessories, and presentation and communication equipment. The interviews were conducted with the principals of the e-Schools and self-administered questionnaires were hand-delivered to students and teachers. The collected data was edited and cleaned. An analysis of quantitative data was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) together with Microsoft Excel, while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests assisted with the rejection or acceptance of the hypotheses. xviii The study established that all six of the e-Schools had installed the basic computing facilities required for integrating ICT in teaching and learning. All the e-Schools had VSAT for internet access via satellite in computer laboratories in which a variable number of computers were installed. The computers were networked using structured cabling into a LAN, and the LANS were linked into a WAN through the VSATs. The computer laboratories also had smart televisions, smart boards and LCD projectors. The study revealed that the conceptualized E-School Success Model is valid for the evaluation of the e-School. All seven of the dimensions were found to correlate well with e-School success, with Cronbach‟s alpha values above 0.4. It was further revealed that students and teachers were trained in the use of e-School infrastructure and they were using the ICT infrastructure for teaching and learning. Students found learning with integrated ICT enjoyable, and it appeared to improve their performances. Using document analysis, performance improvement was confirmed in four out of six of the e-Schools. The other two e-Schools experienced decline in academic performance over the period 2005 and 2010. It also seemed as though e-School infrastructure had enabled students and teachers to collaborate and had contributed to their teamwork skills. By testing hypotheses the study revealed that six of the seven dimensions of the E-School Success Model contribute towards the success of the e-School. It was established that the user satisfaction dimension does not contribute towards the success of the e-School. Three variables for measuring the user satisfaction dimension - the ability of the e-School system to facilitate discussion between students, their peers and teachers; sharing what students learn with the learning community; and overall satisfaction with the e-School - were poorly rated and could not support the rejection of the hypothesis that high user satisfaction does not contribute to the success of the e-School. The study concluded that the E-School Success Model is a good model for the evaluation of e-Schools. In addition, the NEPAD e-School project in Kenya has considerable potential for success. Having identified the aspects limiting its level of success, it was recommended that stakeholders should continue investing in the NEPAD e-School project as the gaps highlighted in the study are addressed. Further studies on the impact of e-School benefits are recommended.
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