Abstract:

Kenya’s education system is undergoing reforms to align itself with vision 2030 and the new constitution. Providing laptops for class one pupils in all the public schools was a key pledge by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Training of teachers to handle e-learning programs is going on. (Kipsang, 2013).The ICT (Information and Communication Technology) integration harmonized curriculum has been launched. Critics of the program have, however, reduced the noble project to delivery of toys to school children, some even saying that the program is an idea whose time is yet to come.

Research has revealed issues of cost, infrastructure, as the potential challenges facing the laptop project. Teachers have not received adequate ICT training in the Teachers Training Colleges (Maruti, 2010). They are only taught ICT as a subject in one term of their study. The subject is not examined by KNEC (Kenya National Examination Council). They are only taught basic operations on a computer and not how they can integrate technology in learning. The teachers are the custodians of the ICT project and will actually do the groundwork in terms of equipping students with the vital ICT skills (Ogolla,2013).The teachers’ role in the success of the laptop project has been greatly emphasized. Technology in the classroom without the teacher has been described as just mere technology (Kipsang, 2013). In the wake of these issues, this study examined the teachers’ fears in the shift to the computer integrated teaching. The study was qualitative and was carried out in Nairobi County, Kenya. The population was lower primary school teachers in public primary schools. The study used in-depth interviews. Qualitative method of data analyses was employed. Content analysis was used in analyzing the responses. The researcher used KWIC (Key Word in Context) to find out key words in a set of strings (Trochim, 2006). A computer program that scanned raw data was used to pick out key word from the data which were alphabetized and were listed with the text that preceded and followed them. This enabled the researchers to see the words in the context in which they occurred. Verbal quotations were made from the respondents.

Findings revealed that the teachers were not opposed to the laptop project. They however expressed the following concerns: kainotophobia (fear of change), lack of ICT knowledge, fear, of laptops replacing them, fear of being overloaded, salary mismatch with the added responsibility and also fear of being held responsibility in case of loss of the gadgets. All teachers felt that they have not been involved in the project.
The study recommended thorough sensitization of teachers on the laptop project; proper security measures of the laptops, modification of teacher training curriculum to include ICT integration in teaching as well as complete involvement of the teachers in all policies to do with the laptop project.

References:
[1] Kipsang, B. (2013). Kenya trains 50,000 teachers ahead of free laptop roll out .http://www.humanpipo.com, retrieved on 25, November, 2013
[2] Maruti, S.M.(2010). E-learning Readiness among Public Primary Teacher Training Colleges in Kenya. A t master of education Thesis, Kenyatta University.
[3] Ogolla,B.(2013).Kenya’s laptop project: how are teachers getting involved?http://www.britishcouncil.co.ke. retrieved on 9 july 2013.
[4] Trochim W. M.(2006). Research methods knowledge based in www.social research methods .net/kb

Keywords:

Teachers, fear, unspoken, ICT, integration, laptop project.