AWARENESS, ACCESSIBILITY AND ABILITY TO USE COMPUTERS BY PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

This paper is a determination of use of digital technology for instructional purposes in out of school environment. The paper specifically explores the awareness of primary school pupils on the significance of using computers, access to computers and the ability to use computers. A total of 458 pupils were selected from 9 primary schools in three (3) divisions of Meru District in Arusha Region. The findings of the study shows that only 18.8% of pupils were aware of the usefulness of computers, while even smaller percentage of pupils (9.6%) had computers at home. On the other hand, only 16.6% of pupils could use computers. On the basis of the findings, it could be inferred that although some pupils are aware that computers can potentially facilitate learning, they are not adequately available at home, while also quite few pupils can use them. On the basis of these observations; the government, school administrators and other stakeholders in education should work together to raise pupils’ awareness of the usefulness of computers, along with making computers available and enabling pupils to make use of them to improve learning both in regular classroom and out of school time. At the bottom line, studies that are geared towards exploring the robust approaches which not only can raise pupils’ awareness but can more importantly make families see the importance of availing computers to their school children while at the same time encouraging pupils to use computers to improve their learning at school and out of school time are inevitable.