- Some Kajiado schools without digital devices are recording stronger foundational learning outcomes than better-equipped schools.
- Researchers say effective technology use depends on teacher preparedness, relevant content and supporting infrastructure.
- Obegi Malack reports that the study calls for practical digital pedagogy and locally responsive learning materials.
Some schools in Kajiado County without digital devices are recording stronger foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes than schools that have access to digital learning devices, according to a new study.
The finding challenges the assumption that access to tablets and other digital devices alone will automatically improve foundational learning.
Researchers say technology can enhance learning, but its impact depends largely on how it is integrated into teaching, the quality of digital content, teacher preparedness and the availability of supporting infrastructure.
The findings were presented by Dr Joyce Njiiri, a researcher and lecturer at Machakos University, during a stakeholder findings validation and policy briefing meeting held at the United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa). USIU-Africa confirms that the workshop brought together 50 stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Education, KNEC and KICD.
The research, titled “How Technology Enabled Learning for Competency Development: Assessing Foundational Skills Acquisition in Kenya’s CBE Framework,” examined the use of technology in foundational learning in Kajiado County.
Researchers conducted digital audits in eight schools, covering urban, peri-urban and rural settings.
The study found that some schools with limited access to digital devices and, in some cases, without electricity were nevertheless performing well in literacy and numeracy compared with those that had the devices.
According to the researchers, the finding demonstrates that several factors contribute to foundational learning and that technology should be viewed as an enhancement tool rather than a substitute for effective teaching practices.
The challenge, they noted, is not simply whether a school has tablets or other digital equipment, but whether those tools are meaningfully integrated into classroom instruction.
“Having a digital tablet is not enough,” the researchers argued. Digital content and learning concepts must be deliberately developed around the needs of the learner.
In some schools, devices were available but were mainly being used for administrative purposes rather than classroom teaching.
The study identified teacher preparedness as one of the major barriers to effective technology integration.
Researchers found that some teachers had received general ICT training but lacked practical, subject-specific skills on how to use digital tools to teach concepts, particularly in numeracy.
As a result, devices can remain unused even when they are available.
The researchers recommended moving away from broad ICT literacy training towards practical, subject-specific digital pedagogy, enabling teachers to understand how technology can be incorporated into lessons such as mathematics and literacy.
They also called for the development of grade-specific digital content for numeracy that supports the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
ALSO READ: Stakeholders back proposal to raise tobacco, nicotine purchasing age to 21
Language gaps in digital content
Another concern raised by the study was the language used in digital learning materials.
Researchers said much of the available digital content heavily favours English and generic literacy materials, leaving gaps in local-language content and CBE-aligned numeracy resources.
They recommended developing digital materials that are responsive to learners’ linguistic and cultural contexts, including content in local languages such as Maa where appropriate.
The researchers also called for a review of Kenya’s language of instruction policy to reflect changes brought about by technology and digital learning.
The policy providing for the use of the language of a school’s catchment area in the early years has roots in the 1976 Gachathi Report, which recommended the dominant language of the school’s catchment area as the medium of instruction in the first three years of primary school.
The research also highlighted challenges around the maintenance of digital equipment.
In some schools, digital devices had been supplied but were no longer being used because there was no clear mechanism for repairing or maintaining them when they broke down.
Researchers said the government and education stakeholders need to consider maintenance and technical support as part of digital learning programmes, rather than focusing primarily on procurement and distribution.
They also recommended shifting attention from the number of devices delivered to schools to the broader enablers of technology integration.
These could include projectors that allow teachers to use digital materials with an entire class, reliable electricity and locally relevant digital content.
The researchers further recommended formalising the provision of assistive technology for learners with disabilities and ensuring accessibility is incorporated into the procurement of digital learning content.
They also called for clearer guidance for parents, who increasingly play a role as “co-teachers” when children use digital devices at home.
Such guidance, they said, should help parents manage learners’ use of technology and support productive learning outside the classroom.
The study identified movement and transfers of learners, particularly in urban areas, as another factor affecting the implementation of digital learning.
Frequent transfers can disrupt continuity in how learners use digital resources and how schools implement technology-supported programmes.
Beyond providing devices
The findings point to a broader lesson for Kenya’s digital education ambitions: the presence of technology does not automatically translate into better foundational learning outcomes.
For digital learning to contribute meaningfully to the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills, the researchers said investments must go beyond devices to include teacher training, appropriate content, language responsiveness, electricity, maintenance, accessibility and effective classroom integration.
READ ALSO: CS Barasa urges universities to prioritise bamboo research to unlock its potential
The study was supported by Education Sub Saharan Africa (ESSA) and the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge. ESSA confirms its partnership with the REAL Centre in supporting African-led foundational learning research, including work in Kenya.
By Obegi Malack
Get more stories from our website: Education News
To write to us or offer feedback, you can reach us at: editor@educationnews.co.ke
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
