Use Of Information Communication And Technologies In The Teaching And Learning Of Welding And Fabrication In Vocational Training Centres In Mandera County, Kenya

Integration of Information, Communication and Technologies (ICT) in the teaching of the technical courses plays a great role in facilitating students’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and values. This study aimed at investigating the integration of ICT in the instruction of welding and at vocational training centers in Mandera County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to establish availability of ICT resources for instruction of welding and fabrication, to establish teacher’s skills in integrating ICTs in teaching and learning of welding and fabrication, to establish teachers and learners attitudes towards integration of ICT in teaching welding and fabrication, to identify challenges teachers faced in integrating ICT in teaching welding and fabrication. This adopted a descriptive survey design and used questionnaires, interview protocol and observation schedules for data collection. The target population of this study was the administrators of vocational training centers, the instructors of welding and fabrication, the trainees of welding and fabrications and the personnel concerned with ICT recourses in the vocational training Centers. The study established that among the ICT resources available for instruction of welding and fabrication includes; an electricity supply, computer laboratory, desktop computers, televisions, printers, Radio facilities, tablets and I-pads and mobile phones that are available and fully functional. The study also found that the teachers have attended ICT integration training workshops offered by nongovernmental organizations. The teachers had been using ICT resources in making presentations, research and making engineering drawing, tying and giving assignment. The learners were happily using the resources that had improved their training experience. The study also found out that there were challenges of out-dated ICT equipment, viruses, lack of experienced technical staff, unreliable internet and inadequate ICT resources. The study concluded that there are ICT resources used in training welding and fabrication, instructors integrate the ICT equipment through typing, drawing, making presentation and researching, the teachers and students were happily using the ICT resources and there has been improvement with class work. The study also concluded that there are challenges with weak internet, out-dated ICT equipment and inadequate trained staff to integrate the ICT in the curriculum as well as frequent power backups and loss of data. The study recommended for the increase and introduction of ICT resources and to make it available to all trainees such as more computers and introduce projectors in classrooms as well as local area network, the institution also need to bring up to date ICT resources to cope with challenge of breakdown, the institutions also need to configure good access points and also find reliable internet providers, the institutions should also hire technicians on repairs as well as instructing/training the users to ensure their productivity.