ICT competence

This study examined teacher candidates' technostress levels and information and communication technology (ICT) competencies, the association between these constructs, and differences according to selected variables. A quantitative correlational survey design was used with 427 third- and fourth-year teacher candidates from nine programs at the Faculty of Education, Akdeniz University, in the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected with the Teachers' Technostress Levels Defining Scale, adapted for teacher candidates, and the ICT Competencies Scale for Teacher Candidates and were analyzed with simple linear regression, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis H tests; group comparisons were treated as exploratory and adjusted with the Holm procedure. Mean technostress scores fell within the upper third of the possible range, and mean ICT competence scores fell within the lower third. ICT competence was negatively associated with technostress and accounted for 36.5% of its variance. Female candidates reported higher technostress than males, with small effect sizes. Technostress was higher and ICT competence was lower in the Science and Guidance and Psychological Counseling programs. Because the design is cross-sectional, these findings indicate associations rather than causal effects.

Access to functional digital infrastructure is a prerequisite for teachers to convert information and communication Technology (ICT) competence into classroom practice, yet the quality and distribution of infrastructure remain uneven in many developing education systems. This paper examined the effect of the status of institutional ICT infrastructure and digital tools on teacher use of digital technologies in public junior schools (JS) in Kakamega County, Kenya. Relying on the Theory of Organizational Information Processing, the study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design involving 332 responding JSS teachers, 11 Sub-County Directors of Education and observations from 78 schools. Factor analysis of 12 infrastructure indicators produced a factor-based index of 3.500, interpreted as good, although important differences were evident across infrastructure components. Electricity, computer rooms, broadband connectivity, and technical support were relatively strong, whereas specialized digital tools, suitable educational software and security mechanisms were weaker. Teachers most frequently identified inadequate computers/devices (26.8%) and unstable or absent internet connectivity (22.9%) as the leading infrastructure challenges. Pearson correlation showed a significant positive moderate relationship between infrastructure status and technology use (r = .417, p < .001). In Model 1, infrastructure significantly predicted technology use (B = .525, β approximately .417, p < .001; R² = .174). After adjustment for gender, age, education, teaching experience, subject and JSS enrolment, the detailed regression table reported B = .579, β = .465, t = 7.94, p < .001, R² = .473 and adjusted R² = .451. The null hypothesis was rejected. The paper concludes that functional infrastructure and appropriate digital tools are essential enabling conditions, but infrastructure development should address advanced tools, software, connectivity, maintenance and security rather than focusing only on basic provision. This study also recommends that the infrastructure budgets should move beyond hardware acquisition to include suitable educational software, specialized digital tools, maintenance, backups, antivirus protection and user-safety measures.