Factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of Internet in higher educational institutions in Kenya

Abstract

Several studies have shown that the importance of the Internet in higher education has continued to rise over the past decade. However, researchers and practitioners have shown that resistance to end-user systems by users such as students is a widespread problem. This phenomenon has created the need to better predict, explainand increase user acceptance of technology in higher education. To fulfill this need,the understanding of the factors that encourage or hinder Internet use in learning,teaching, research and university management function has become critical in moderntimes. As university administrators continue investing in Information &communication Technologies (ICTs) such as the Internet, Learning managementsystems(LMS) such WebCT, and plagiarism and originality tools like Turnitin toimprove quality and to support learning, as well as help in dealing with educationalbudget cuts and increased enrollment, instructors are increasingly making theirteaching materials available on the Internet. However several studies have shownthat the question of whether students are making full use of the Internet to justifythese investments and learning materials efforts by faculty has not been fullyanswered. Consequently, while administrators and instructors would like to makethe Internet an effective educational tool, they need to understand what their students\'attitudes towards using it are.Since the use of the Internet in higher education is still in its early stages especiallyin developing countries like Kenya, many issues regarding its adoption, diffusion,infusion and use have not been fully addressed. This study was therefore conductedto provide a better understanding of how ICTs particularly the Internet are adopted,diffused, infused and used in institutions of higher learning in Kenya from a student\'sperspective.This paper focuses on the influence of environmental factors to the adaption anddiffusion of the Internet by a selected sample of university students. The researchframework is based on the Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We usea survey conducted among university students to explore these environmental factorissues that have been neglected by previous studies. The research establishes thatCompetition Pressure, Government Support, ICT Vendors Support, and PerceivedSocio Economic factors influence the adoption and diffusion of the Internet. Thesefindings provide some useful insights for governments, university administrators,educators and policy makers. Keywords : ICTs, Internet, technology acceptance, diffusion of technology. Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa Vol. 1 (2) 2009: pp. 6-23