Integrating ICT into Teaching and Learning Practices in Private and Government Higher Education to Improve Quality of Education

Abstract

This study examines the extent of integration ICT into teaching and learning among the members of two private higher learning institutions and one government higher education to improve quality of education in Ethiopia. In this study, a mixed design (quantitative & qualitative) in line of comparative study methodology was used. The sample population consisted of 235 respondents from both private and government higher education (214 instructors, 14 deans and their vices and 7 department heads) from the eight departments. Instruments were observation, individual interviews and questionnaires. The analysis of data revealed that integrating ICT into teaching-learning is yet to be accomplished. The study revealed that the participants, the instructors have positive attitudes towards ICT and considerable knowledge and positive understanding of ICT and its potential in teaching and learning. However, the university fails to provide appropriate ICT-training courses for instructors to develop their technical ICT skills. Having said this, there are crucial examples of horizontal integration; that is, the instructors provide opportunities for the students to use ICT in meaningful contexts. The finding suggest that there is a relationship between the practitioners‘ stages of concern and stages of adoption, which can be described as follows: the personal level of concern moves from the ‗self-concerns‘ to ‗task and impact-concerns‘, the personal adoption level is also likely to move from entry to invention. Although the finding reveal some crucial factors that has prevented the instructors and students from using ICT in teaching and learning, among these the institutional ones such as lack of proper access to ICT resources, overcrowded-classrooms, lack of technical and pedagogical support are more influential on the integration process in improving quality of education. The researcher then recommended that, the ministry of education and sample university should pass a bill at the national assembly on the use of effective ICT facilities in the educational system by provision of adequate fund, securing of ICT experts in university and ensuring that these facilities are monitored from time to time.