Abstract:

The study focused on establishing the self-efficacy of teachers in digital literacy in Kenya and Czech Republic. It focused on four objectives: to establish self-efficacy in digital literacy among special primary school teachers of learners with disabilities; to identify how teachers apply digital literacy skills to facilitate learning in special primary schools; to investigate the challenges to the application of digital competencies in class by teachers of learners with disabilities in special primary schools and; to explore how teachers of learners with disabilities overcome the challenges faced in the application of digital competencies. The study was guided by the Self-Efficacy component of Albert Bandura’s Socio-Cognitive Theory. The descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The target population for the study were teachers of learners with disabilities in special primary schools in Kenya and Czech Republic. The study applied a probabilistic sampling technique. Questionnaire and observation checklist were used as tools for data collection. Validity and reliability tests were done to test the research tools. Study results included that: On self-efficacy, teachers in Kenya and Czech strongly agreed that they used the internet to a reasonable extent in their professional communications. A comparison on the use of the internet for professional communication between Kenya and Czechia revealed that teachers in Czechia used the internet more for professional communication compared to their Kenya counterparts; Regarding the application of digital literacy skills, teachers generally agreed that they selected suitable digital resources for teaching and learning, considering the specific learner's needs. A comparative analysis on this response revealed that generally teachers in Czechia strongly agreed with the statement compared to their Kenyan Counterparts who generally agreed with the statement; the main challenge to the application of digital literacy in facilitating in special schools was limited skills in ICT use on the parts of the learners, lack of ICT hardware in pupil’s homes, cost of digital technologies, lack of ICT hardware in schools and time constraints; Some of the ways to overcome the challenges faced by teachers of learners with disabilities on the application of digital competencies included seeking support from donors and the government, requesting parents to buy them, using personal gadgets, children learning in turns, improvising and sharing the available resources, asking pupils to go to cyber, making use of what is available in school, asking learners to share, attending in-service training, encouraging peer learning, integrating learning with digital technologies and identifying some able learners to become teacher aids. The study concluded that teachers in special primary schools in Kenya and Czech had average self-efficacy though those from Czech Republic. Recommendations included that the teachers should be trained further through in-service programs to improve their self-efficacy in digital literacy.

Keywords:

Self efficacy, digital literacy, disability, Kenya, Czech Republic.