The impact of international computer driving license training on the use of information and communication technologies in the classrooms by teachers in the zambezi Region

Abstract

The Namibian Government, through Ministry of Basic Education, Arts and Culture chose International Computer Driving License (ICDL) literacy training as a pathway for equipping teachers with basic ICT literacy skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of ICDL literacy training on Zambezi Region teachers and their use of ICTs in their classroom practices. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used for this study and targeted teachers who received ICDL training between 2007 and 2011. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of 198 teachers for the quantitative phase and eight for the qualitative phase. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were returned with ninety-six completed and twenty-four blank. An adapted Becker survey and structured interviews were used to collect data. The results revealed that fifty percent of participants did not acquire the minimum requirements of four modules to be eligible for the ICDL certification. Although ICDL training empowered participants with confidence to use PowerPoint, Word processing, Excel and internet skills, it failed to translate into teacher’s ability to determine the relative advantage of appropriate technology to use in the classroom for effective integration practice.