Influence of Digital Skills on Adoption of Digital Learning of English Language During COVID-19 Pandemic in Kapseret Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unparalleled disruptions to education systems worldwide, compelling a rapid shift from traditional classroom-basedlearning to digital learning platforms. In Kenya, the adoption of digital learning, particularly for English language instruction, faced unique challengesand opportunities influenced by the digital skills of both students and teachers. This study therefore assessed the influence of digital skills on the adoption of digital learning of the English language during COVID-19 pandemic in Kapseret Subcounty, Kenya. Social Cognitive Theory and Diffusion Innovation theory guided the study. The study utilized a descriptive research design, targeting a total of 2,173 respondents from the 32 high schools in Kapseret Subcounty. Using Nassiuma's (2000) formula, 11 schools were selected for the study. A stratified random sampling procedure was employed to choose 7 public secondary schools and 4 private secondary schools. Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) formula was used to determine a sample size of 327 Form three students, English teachers and headteachers from 7 public secondary schools and 4 private secondary schools. Students and teachers were selected using simple random sampling.Data was collected using questionnaires while semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect information from the head teachers. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential  statistics. The study found that 70.1% of students rated their digital skills as fair to very good, while 29.9% rated them as poor or very poor. Most students (86.9%) acquired these skills through interactions with friends and personal effort, 7.8% through trial and error, and 5.3% from computer lessons at school, primarily among those studying computer science. Among English teachers, 71.5% reported lacking competence in using digital tools for teaching, with 85.7% having received no formal training. Additionally, 76.5% of students indicated they had not undergone any training for remote learning. The study revealed a significant relationship between digital skills and the adoption of digital learning for English during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kapseret Sub-county, Kenya (χ²=0.042, N=196, p<0.05). The findings highlighted a significant relationship between digital skills and the adoption of digital learning for English during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends that both students and teachers should receive formal training to enhance their digital skills, focusing on the effective use of educational technologies for teaching and learning. Further, Ministry of Education should ensure that schools should ensure equitable access to digital devices and reliable internet connectivity to support all students and teachers in adopting digital learning methods.