An Investigation into the Challenges Faced by Secondary School Teachers in Integrating Internet into the Teaching and Learning Process in Zimbabwe: a Case Study of Harare Province

Abstract

Most schools are now in possession of computers both in urban and rural areas in Zimbabwe and in many other developing countries. The mushrooming of computers has led to developments and changes not only in business sectors, but, also in education. There are many ways that teachers can use to integrate Internet into the school curriculum to enhance authentic learning. Schools can use the Internet to give students access to the latest information around the planet, allow students to participate in global projects of all kinds, to bring experts from numerous fields right into the classroom, interact with people from around the world via live video and audio for free; among many uses of Internet. The big question however is, how can teachers use internet in existing curriculum to enhance academic achievement of their students and also the teachers’ professional development? In view of the above observations, this study sought to establish the challenges that teachers face in integrating Internet into the teaching and learning process in Zimbabwean secondary schools drawing on a quantitative inquiry. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The target population comprised all teachers in Harare province. The sample consisted of 450 teachers randomly sampled. All the information was collected through a questionnaire which largely had close-ended questions and one open-ended question. The study revealed that most teachers had negative attitudes towards the use of Internet in the classroom. Lack of professional development also hindered the smooth integration of Internet into the curriculum. Schools did not provide full access of computers to teachers. The findings also revealed that schools did not provide adequate leadership support and technical support to teachers. The study recommends that teachers should be capacitated to use the Internet for the benefit of the pupils through professional development. Schools should provide ad; equate leadership and technical support to teachers. Keywords: Curriculum, Integration, Internet, Teachers, Secondary School, Province, Challenges