The Kenyan Competency based curriculum key fundamental ability that should be taught and incorporated into

all types of educational endeavours is digital literacy. This paper explores teachers’ perception towards digital

literacy integration in early years education in public primary schools in Nakuru County. The study objective

was to determine teachers' perception towards digital literacy integration in the early years' education. The

Keywords: Teachers' perception, Digital literacy Integration, Competency-based Curriculum

In Kenya before the introduction of CBC, schools were provided with laptops, and teachers' capacity to integrate

digital literacy was developed through a partnership MoE had with UNESCO. In some schools, teachers feared

using digital devices in case they broke down and some head teachers even went to the extent of locking them

in their offices for fear of being stolen. [9].This clearly showed that teachers had a certain perception towards

integration of digital literacy. Hence, there was a need to find out teachers perception towards integration of

digital literacy in early years education.

Reference [4] found that teachers' beliefs and perceptions are strong factors in integrating digital literacy.

Another study by [14] findings showed digital literacy is not integrated into the teaching-learning process. Their

attitude [9]. Teachers' resistance to integrating digital literacy depends on how they perceive it.

However, several teachers are still anxious plus not ready to work with learners who have grown up with digital

devices and resources. In Cameroon and Guinea, most schools had little access to digital resources due to a lack

of investment in digital literacy integration [5].

Teachers’ resistance to integrating digital literacy depends on how they perceive it. For instance, in Burkina

Faso, teachers saw digital literacy as an additional burden and distraction to learners, [5]. In Burkina Faso, some

teachers developed a negative attitude towards digital literacy as an additional burden and distraction to learners

hence some teachers were unwilling to integrate digital literacy. According to [9] teachers apart from their

Having seen ICT being the foundation of digital literacy also how teachers perceive it matters a lot especially

when most of them view it as a distraction during lessons, especially in the early years of education where

learners are more fascinated with anything alien to them. Teachers' credence regarding digital literacy directs

them to integrate it into lesson delivery proficiency linked to greater mastery in integrating digital literacy in

class [1]. Credence emerges out of the view that instructors perceive as being successful in producing a method

for lesson activities [17]. Beliefs also emanate from the experience in teaching that gives benefits for the teachers

to make decisions for future teaching practice. They also arise out of one’s encounters during their career giving

benefits for one to include current or near future. They also guide teachers in the teaching method to adopt and

the kind of learning environment to create. In summary, beliefs and perceptions are key in upgrading any

a group that will not integrate digital literacy and there are already those who are not interested in it. Therefore,

this study found the same was happening in public primary schools in Nakuru County. In Malaysia, [2] did a

study in which they investigated aspects determining teachers’ integration of digital literacy. A sample of 187

mathematics teachers was used. It revealed that teachers’ attitude concerning the integration of digital literacy

was positively correlated. Nonetheless, the study also revealed the existence of a negative relationship between

the integration of digital literacy within pedagogy and a teacher's years of service.

Reference [3] found that attitude was the most outstanding aspect, due to their beliefs in the worth of digital

literacy as a fundamental fragment of the learners learning which is linked to a teacher’s commitment to

integrating the same in teaching. In England, it was also apparent that teachers' attitudes to integrating digital

literacy in learning, cut across various approaches with individuals' convictions, career recognition as well as

which was the same sentiment in Burkina Faso [5]. Something this study looked into among the public primary

teachers in Nakuru County.

The foundation of this work was built on Gross Theory (1971). The curriculum implementation theory by Gross

(1971) postulates the success of an instructional program, components like teacher ability, lucidity, and

awareness, together with instructional capacity are important. Also, support from the administration, teachers’

perceptions, and students together with collaborators’ perceptions should be regarded. Gross (1971) states that

the teacher must be competent and knowledgeable of the content to be integrated. Based on Gross's (1971)

Theory this study found out how teachers’ perception affects the integration of digital literacy. Gross (1971) also

mentions the necessity of changing individuals’ perception to productive integrate any educational program.

The Kenyan government made efforts to develop integration of digital literacy in primary schools through

programs, such as the digital literacy program in 2016 and the laptop project. Therefore, the government of

Kenya and UNESCO signed an agreement on cooperation in the execution of the digital literacy program by

literacy. However, according to [5], the usage of these tablets by teachers stood at 2% which shows teachers

lacked the full capacity to integrate digital literacy.

of digital literacy in the early years of education in public primary schools in Nakuru County Kenya.

This study was guided by the following objective: to determine teachers' perception toward digital literacy

integration in early-year education in public primary schools in Nakuru County.

The following null hypothesis at a 0.05 level of significance guided the study: Ho1: Teachers' perception toward

digital literacy has no statistically significant association with digital literacy integration in early years' education

in public primary schools in Nakuru County.

The study adopted a correlation research design, a design in which researchers lack the actual influence of the

This study was to determine teachers' perceptions towards digital literacy integration in early-year education in

public primary schools in Nakuru County. To determine perception towards digital literacy integration in early-

year education, a questionnaire which had a close-ended question and a Likert scale ranging from strongly agree

to strongly disagree was administered to both head teachers and teachers.

Both the head teachers and teachers’ questionnaires had statements on digital resource utilization and access.

The items were scored on a five-point rating scale. SA (Strongly agree), A (Agree), UD (Undecided) D

(Disagree) SD (Strongly disagree). The weighting of options for positive connoted items were SA=5, A=4,

UD=3, D=2, SD=1, while for negatively connoted items were: SA=1, A=2, UD=3, D=4, SD=5. The results were

presented in tables as shown below:

Source: Research Data (2023)

According to figure 1, the most of teachers 92% and head teachers 94% agreed that digital literacy should be

integrated into the early years’ education level. Therefore, there is a need to support them fully by developing

their capacity to integrate digital literacy in the early years of education level.

According to Table I, the majority of head teachers suggested that digital literacy is beyond the level of learners

in early years education. 6% strongly agreed, 63% agreed, none was undecided, 6% disagreed and 25% strongly

disagreed. This item had a mean of 2.81 and a standard deviation of 2.65 which shows majority of the head

teachers were undecided. On the other hand, a big percentage of teachers felt that digital literacy is beyond the

level of learners in the early years of education. 15% strongly agreed, 13% agreed, 9% were undecided, 39%

standard deviation of 2.06 clearly showing that many teachers disagreed that digital literacy and technologies

are a distraction to learners. Most teachers had the same view as the head teacher were, 8% strongly agreed, 11%

agreed, 4% were undecided, 36% disagreed and 39% strongly disagreed. The item had a mean of 2.50 and a

finding to a study conducted by [18], which found that some teachers claimed integration of digital literacy was

not suitable in early years education. Ho1: Teachers' perception toward digital literacy has no statistically

significant association with digital literacy integration in early years' education in public primary schools in

Nakuru County.

This hypothesis was tested using Pearson’s moment correlation at a 5% level of Significance.

with digital literacy integration in early years' education in public primary schools in Nakuru County.

As shown in Table IV there was a high positive correlation between Digital literacy being beyond the level of

learners in early years education and Video-based e-learning tends to be a distraction in class among teachers.

The computed r values of -0.16 and 0.20 are greater than the tabulated r values of 0.159 and - 0.159 therefore

the null hypothesis was rejected. The findings simply imply that teachers’ perception toward digital literacy has

no statistically significant association with digital literacy integration in early years' education in public primary

schools in Nakuru County.

This study revealed that a good number of teachers have a positive perception towards digital literacy however;

digital literacy is not successfully integrated into early years education over half of them agreed. To some extent,

69% of teachers agreed that digital literacy is beyond the level of learners in early years education. This clearly

high positive correlation between teachers' perception towards digital literacy and the integration of digital

literacy. The null hypothesis, Ho1: Teachers' perception towards digital literacy has no statistically significant

association with digital literacy integration in early years' education in public primary schools in Nakuru County

was therefore rejected.

The head teachers, teachers and teachers in charge of ICT in schools who have sufficient knowledge and skills

in digital literacy should be supported and motivated to help and assist other teachers in areas that possess a

challenge to teachers in integrating digital literacy. Retooling, workshops and seminars should be conducted

often to maintain the positive attitude head teachers and teachers have towards integrating digital literacy in early

years education level.

teachers’ perception towards the integration of digital literacy in early years education.

Even though both the head teachers and teachers had a positive perception towards digital literacy, digital literacy

was not successfully integrated into early years education level due to lack of support for teachers and sufficient

digital devices and resources. For CBC to attain its goal of ICT literacy in the early years of education, teachers’

perception towards integration of digital literacy needs to be cultivated.

I express my gratitude to the Almighty for the good health and strength he has enabled me during my academic

journey. I am also grateful to my academic supervisors Dr.Samson Ikinya Kariuki and Dr. Elizabeth Katam for

their mentorship, support encouragement and guidance. I also appreciate the inputs of Dr Martin Ogola and Dr

Charles Magoma who examined this work at the proposal stage during my defense and gave their views on

Vincent Onyango’s Mother and Aunt (Josephine) and my extended family for their encouragement and support

during my education journey.I also thank my classmates and friends who have been an inspiration in this journey,

Vincent Onyango, Jacob De, Musau, Judith Odongo, Ahmed, Ngure, Biketi Samuel, Gatundu Macharia Nakuru

County Director Ministry of Education Victoria Mulili and everyone who supported me in one way or the other,

including the teachers and headteachers who were involved in this study.

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