Selected digital tools and geography instruction in public secondary schools in meru south sub-county, Tharaka Nithi county, kenya

Abstract

Geography is a fundamental subject that enables students to comprehend the physical as well as the human aspect of the world around them. The subject area surrounds the study of human activities and how they relate and interact with the environment from local to global scales. Despite its importance as a subject area, Meru South SubCounty students have shown a low performance in Geography in their KCSE examinations. Poor performance in Geography may be attributed to many factors among them lack of adequate and poor use of teaching resources. This study was focused on establishing the types of digital tools, frequency of use, influence of use and challenge faced when using the selected digital tools in Geography instruction in all Meru South Sub-County public secondary schools which are located in Tharaka Nithi County. This study employed a descriptive survey research design with a target population of 1995 respondents comprising of 1868 form three Geography students, 89 Geography teachers and 38 heads of Geography subject. The researcher employed both purposive and simple random sampling methods to determine a sample size of 347 participants. The research instruments used were questionnaires for students and Geography teachers and an interview schedule for Geography subject heads. The instruments were piloted in two schools located in Maara Sub-County to assess their internal consistency. A reliability index of 0.80 was achieved for the teachers' questionnaire, while the students' questionnaire yielded a reliability index of 0.82 as determined by Cronbach's Alpha method. The data analysis was conducted quantitatively using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. Both descriptive statistics (percentages and frequencies) and inferential statistics (Chisquare) were employed in the analysis. The hypothesis was tested at a significance level of α=0.05. Qualitative data from the interview was analyzed thematically. The research demonstrated that digital tools are utilized in Geography instruction and have a significant impact on the teaching and learning processes in this subject. The study also established some factors that impedes the use of digital tools like YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter in Geography instruction effectively. The effectiveness in content delivery by Geography teachers by use of instructional resources may increase the learner’s concept learning and knowledge retention. It is therefore recommended that teachers of Geography use appropriate teaching resources like the digital tools that may facilitate teaching of abstract topics in Geography. This could also enhance learners understanding of the geographical concepts and help to improve their performance in the subject. The Ministry of Education and school managements should develop technology-related infrastructure and personnel in the institutions to make the digital tools more accessible for use in instruction.