Investigation of the access and use of ICT amongst tutors and student-teachers in government teachers’ colleges: in Moshi rural, Tanzania

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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This study was aimed at accessing the accessibility and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for effective teaching and learning activities by tutors and student-teachers in public teacher’s colleges (TCs) in Moshi Rural, Tanzania. literature indicated that many studies done focused on teachers' attitudes and perception towards using ICT in their classrooms. Consequently, this study assesed the access and use of ICT in teacher’s colleges. Mixed methods approach was employed using a descriptive survey design. To collect the requisite data, questionnaires, interview protocols and observation checklist were used. Self-administered questionnaires (open ended and closed) were distributed to 30 tutors and 90 student teachers that yielded 120 return rate. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis and quantitative data were classified and analyzed through descriptive statistics. The study findings revealed that public teacher training colleges under study had ICT facilities that tutors and student-teachers used for gathering educational and academic information from various sources, communicating with friends’ social network, reading news, games, sports, leisure and entertainment purposes, and doing web-based research. However, majority of the respondents were limited by the availability and accessibility of ICT facilities as these were insufficient and some of them were not accessible. The available facilities such as computers, projectors, scanners, printers and photocopiers were insufficient compounded by luck of educational software. Consequently, access to ICT facilities was very low. Additionally, other barriers were hindering access to the facilities including the limited time allocated in using ICT resources in the laboratories, unreliable power supply, slow internet access speed, luck of technical assistance, inadequate number of computers and luck of in-service training for facilitators and trainers on ICT use in teaching and learning. Finally, the findings revealed the existence of few cases of using ICT for teaching und learning activities in the classrooms and lecture halls were not equipped with ICT infrastructure. Based on the findings in this study, it is concluded that access and use of ICT facilities in teacher’s colleges is not satisfactory. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education through the Teacher Educational Department (TED) und working with other educational stakeholders such us Swedish International Development Agency should mobilize resources tor equipping colleges with up to date ICT infrastructure, future research should cover more teacher colleges in the country including private owned for the sake of utilizing and comparing the findings of this study with those from the other colleges.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF LB1028.5.T34R52)
Keywords
Information technology, Computer assisted instruction, Teachers, Colleges, Moshi rural
Citation
Richard, A.N. (2017) Investigation of the access and use of ICT amongst tutors and student-teachers in government teachers’ colleges: in Moshi rural, Tanzania. Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.