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Gender and ICT Barriers to Learner Engagement and Educational Advancement in Open Education: A Study of Kenyan Universities
Abstract
The Innovative Open Education (IOE) method leverages open-access content and integrates information communication technology (ICT) to promote accessible, flexible and equitable learning that encourages learner interaction. IOE aims to make educational advancement accessible to all in higher education (HE) by overcoming barriers such as location, socioeconomic status, and societal expectations. This in turn is expected to foster a skilled workforce for sustainable economic growth. Despite its benefits, full IOE adoption is hindered by numerous factors including inadequate pedagogical skills, poor ICT-literacy, gender biases, and insufficient investment. This study seeks to evaluate the role of gender and ICT-related factors in influencing learner engagement in IOE and their impact on education advancement. The study has two main objectives: analysis of ICT-related factors influencing male and female learners’ participation in IOE and secondly, suggest strategies that mitigate the unveiled challenges and propose recommendations that stimulate and enhance gender inclusivity. This descriptive study is guided by Gender Schema and Feminist Theories. The research tools used in the study included questionnaires, key informant interviews, and document analysis. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed. The study findings provide baseline data that will inform the development and review of guidelines and policies that will enhance student admission, progression, retention and completion rates in Kenyan universities. This will improve the learning outcomes of IOE for sustainable education advancement.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Skills Development Through Lifelong Open Education
Paper ID: 8673
Subject
Country
Kenya
Region
Africa
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Adobe PDF, 353.56 KB
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Date
2025-09
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Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)