Why I Write What I Write

Panel: Why I Write What I Write I

On Translation

Panel: Literary Translation/Literary Criticis

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS FOR PEDAGOGICAL ICT INTEGRATION IN KENYA: LESSONS FOR TRANSFORMATION

This paper is based on a study carried out in selected secondary schools in Kenya. The research examines teachers’ professional development needs in Kenya with a specific focus on the teachers’ needs towards professional development in pedagogical ICT integration. Teachers’ professional development is often regarded as a key element to successful education reforms. Hence, teachers are expected to undergo continuous professional development to keep abreast with the various changes that occur in the education systems including the modes of teaching and instructional resources. In this study, a cross-sectional and descriptive survey design was used where research data was collected through triangulation. Three key instruments namely; questionnaires, interview guides and checklists were used to collect data. The study sample for the institutions was 30 secondary schools from Nairobi and Kiambu Counties. The sample comprised 278 teachers, 375 secondary school students, 30 schools and Computer for Schools Kenya (CFSK) trainers. The study revealed a variance in the use of ICTs by teachers especially between personal use and pedagogical use. The highest teacher professional development need cited by teachers for effective ICT integration was an intensive approach to ICT integration. Most teachers felt that the approaches used in professional development did not equip them adequately for independent ICT usage in schools. The paper proposes for a convergent approach to teacher professional development which supports constructivist learning among teacher trainers and subsequently among learners in schools to enhance ICT integration in teaching and learning.  Article visualizations

Strengthening University Partnerships and Collaborations in Kenya: Strategies for Sustainability

Globally, university partnerships and collaborations have been identified as key pillars of the tripartite roles of universities namely; Academics, Research, and Civic Engagement. In Africa, there is intensified effort to strengthen university partnerships with the governments, industry and communities for greater impact to socio-economic development. The role of university partnerships is considered a vital driver of not only research and innovation but also capacity development as well as internationalization. In this paper, multiple case analysis approach was used to explore the strategies being employed by universities in Kenya with a view of teasing out lessons for advancing partnerships and collaborations in universities in Africa. The two main objectives of the study were; to find out the strategies employed by universities in advancing partnerships and (ii) to establish challenges affecting university partnerships in Kenya. Random sampling was used to identify public and private universities for the study in order to establish the objective position across the higher education landscape. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected. The respondents of the study were purposively selected due to the unique nature of the study. Among various initiatives, the paper highlights some distinctive projects, initiated courtesy of university partnerships in the 21st century. The paper highlights developing partnership policies, creating monitoring systems and capacity building as key ingredients for enhancing resilient and sustainable partnerships and collaborations