The relationship between principals’ access to information and communication technology (ICT) and school performance in Kenya

In recent years, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have gained an increasing role in education in Kenya. As a result, there is a need for reliable data and indicators on the access and use of ICTs, and their impact on school performance. Such data and indicators help the government to design and evaluate ICT policies and strategies, compare its ICT development with those in other countries and adopt solutions to reduce the digital divide in the education sector. This article reports on an investigation of the relationship between principals’ ICT access and school performance; because principals play an important role in influencing ICT use in schools. The research was triggered by the need for ICT integration in school operations and secondary school principals’ preparedness to cope with technology change. A quantitative research project was conducted, involving 188 secondary schools in the Western province of Kenya. Closed-ended and open-ended questionnaire items were used to obtain data. Findings revealed that about 42% of principals had access to basic ICT facilities in school and a principal’s ICT access correlated positively with school performance. This study could be employed as a useful reference for the distribution of ICT infrastructure in schools in Kenya for performance improvement.

Keywords: school performance, ICT access, school principals.