Moderating Influence of Personal Attributes on the Relationship between Institutional Factors and Use of Student Management Information System in Teacher Education Programme by Distance Learning in Selected Universities in Kenya

Student management information systems (SMIS) are used in educational institutions to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and quality by providing easy access to students' biodata, administrative and academic information. About 80 per cent of Universities in Kenya offering teacher education programmes by distance learning still perform manual administrative tasks, with student records stored in filing cabinets, causing dust accumulation and difficulty in retrieval. Numerous studies have been conducted, but there is insufficient scientific research on the issues and challenges faced by distance learning students using SMIS. This study investigated the influence of personal attributes of learners on the use of student management information system in teacher education programme by distance learning. The indicators of personal attributes were identified as age, gender and level of education. Universities in Kenya are among the leading users of information systems that value high quality SMIS to support teacher education programme. The objective of this study was to determine the moderating influence of personal attributes on the use of SMIS in teacher education programme by distance learning in selected universities in Kenya. The study was based on Adaptive Structuration Theory, and cross-sectional survey design was used to guide the processes. Data was collected from 445 participants from selected Universities in Kenya that use SMIS in the management of teacher education programs by distance learning. A mixed approach for data collection was used that comprised structured questionnaires, interview guides and personal observation. For data analysis, Chi-square technique, Pearson correlation and regression analyses were used to test the relationships between the moderating and dependent variables. Research hypothesis was tested at α=0.05 level of significance and the null hypothesis (H0) which stated that "There is no significant moderating influence of personal attributes on use of SMIS in teacher education programme by distance learning in selected Universities in Kenya" was rejected since p=0.000<0.05. The study concluded that personal attributes of learners have a significant moderating influence on the use of SMIS in teacher education programme by distance learning in selected Universities in Kenya. The finding will be useful to development planners and education policy makers by providing evidence-based information for interventions that promote ICT infrastructure in universities. The study recommended that all universities in Kenya should adopt SMIS to support their administrative and academic functions and that learners should be given continual training on the use of SMIS. The government should also fast track rural electrification and laying of high speed internet cables to support the use of SMIS