Availability of Information and Communication Technology and Its Influence on Students’ Academic Performance in Karatu District, Tanzania

Availability of Information and Communication Technology and Its Influence on Students’ Academic Performance in Karatu District, Tanzania

Charles Wenceslaus Chacha
Academic Officer; Domel Secondary School,
P.O Box 263- Karatu. District.
Email: charleschacha55@gmail.com

Paul Raphael Kitula
St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Arusha.
P.O Box 12385 – Arusha, Tanzania.
Email: kitula07@gmail.com

Abstract: This study assessed the availability of ICT and its influence on students’ academic performance in Karatu District. Specifically, the study identified the availability of ICT and its influence on student’s learning behaviour and determined the availability of ICT and its influence on effective teaching and learning in Secondary Schools. This study employed descriptive survey design. Six schools were randomly selected. Total of 99 respondents participated in the study which included 60 students, 21 teachers selected using stratified and simple random sampling while 6 Head of Schools, 6 IT Experts and 6 Planning Officers were purposively selected. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while interview guide was used to collect qualitative data. Reliability for students’ (0.89) and teachers’ questionnaire (0.91) was estimated using Cronbach alpha. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study revealed that ICT influence students’ learning behaviour such that, it transform students’ learning behaviour into great passion to learn through audio-visuals and through practical aids in the classroom setting. Moreover, availability of ICT in secondary schools influence on effective teaching and learning such that ICT is used in facilitating curriculum implementation in secondary schools. The study recommends that, since it has been revealed that availability of ICT has a great influence on students’ academic performance in secondary schools, the government should provide ICT equipment: computers, printers, projectors and internet in secondary schools to help them integrate ICT in schools in order to attain the goals of education.