SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF INTERVENTIONS SUPPORTED BY INTEGRATION OF ICT IN EDUCATION TO IMPROVE LEARNERS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN STEM SUBJECTS IN KENYA

Abstract

Poor Learners' Academic Performance in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Subjects has become one of the main problems of education systems in many countries and worldwide learning institutions. They are expected to become more common in the forthcoming decades. This article aims to provide a systematic literature review and a descriptive evaluation of the interventions supported by the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education to improve learners' academic performance in STEM Subjects. This paper adopted a systematic literature review of five databases namely: -Emerald, EBSCOhost, JSTOR, Wiley Online, and Taylor & Francis. The paper provides a quantitative and qualitative description of `critical studies about Interventions Supported by Integration of ICT in Education for the Improvement of Learners' Academic Performance in STEM Subjects in Kenya. The following factors were considered for the analysis: teacher's plausible skills capacity interventions, Access to ICT in Education, and availability of digital content in the cloud. The systematic review demonstrated that interventions supported by the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education to improve learners' academic performance in STEM Subjects have several gaps that need to be addressed to make them more effective. Study findings show varying perspectives regarding ICT integration in STEM subjects. ICT access, skills capacity interventions, and access to cloud digital content pose a challenge in teachers' pedagogical practices, affecting learner performance. Despite the comprehensive literature search and review across geographical regions within limits of time and access, it is clear that the study findings prepare the ground for further research and the possibility of capacity-building interventions,
 This paper has established a need for a more effective pedagogical design promoting technology-supported collaborative learning to prepare learners for the twenty-first century STEM subjects. Further, this study recommends future studies to evaluate interventions to overcome barriers, including teacher access to ICT Education in parts of the world, technology infrastructure, software, and relevant teacher training curriculum for STEM competencies. In addition, further work is required to address the challenge of the glaring lack of access, relevant content, and the necessary infrastructure for digital cloud solutions, particularly with rich STEM subjects’ content.