Integration of Educational Technology (Edtech) to Improve Teaching Practices in Secondary Schools

Abstract

The demand for the incorporation of Educational Technology (EdTech) into the modern 2-level schooling has become essential and permits facilitating the learning procedures, communication with students, and evaluation. Despite the fact that its significance is rising, it needs effective implementation that is based on a variety of interrelated factors like teacher digital competencies, availability of resources, school administration support, attitude of the teacher and ICT training. The purpose behind this study was to examine the effects of Education technology integration on teaching in secondary schools, as well as to determine how various predictors affect instructional performance, student motivation, and assessment performance in secondary schools directly and indirectly. The quantitative research design used was by providing a questionnaire, whereby secondary school teachers were administered a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done in accordance with normality tests, reliability and validity tests, Pearson correlation, regression analysis and group comparison tests (t-tests, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis Wallis and Chi-Square). The reliability of all the instruments was high because all the reliability values were above 0.87, KMO was found to be 0.89, Bartlett was significant and the test. The results achieved have reflected that there was a strong positive correlation between the variables of EdTech. The attitudes of teachers were found to be the most predictive of instructional effectiveness, followed by resource availability and digital competency. The group comparisons tests depicted that there existed great differences in terms of gender, teaching experience, age groups and types of schools. EdTech integration positively influenced all dependent variables in terms of instructional effectiveness, student engagement and in terms of assessment efficiency. The paper concludes with an analysis which demonstrates that the practical implementation of EdTech is of great value to the teaching practice in the secondary school. The success of the implementation is not only predetermined by access to the technologies but also by the digital proficiency of the teacher, his/her attitude to motivation, a positive approach to leadership, and the quality of instruction in skills of ICT skills. The development of a holistic EdTech environment would significantly reconstitute the pedagogical and educative outcomes. In order to result in the greatest positive changes, EdTech schools need to involve training of teachers, equal access to technology and policies that help facilitate the former. The educational leaders must also come up with training programs that would satisfy the teachers and ensure that they offer the same support within the classrooms, as far as technology is concerned.