Universities Integrate EdTech Expansion into Teacher Training Programs
Kenya’s universities are fundamentally reshaping their teacher education programs to incorporate educational technology as a core component of professional preparation, responding to the growing demand for digitally competent educators in schools nationwide. Major institutions including the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Moi University have launched revised Bachelor of Education curricula that require all teacher trainees to demonstrate proficiency in integrating technology into teaching, learning, and assessment. This systematic integration represents a significant shift from treating educational technology as an optional specialization to recognizing it as an essential competency for all 21st-century educators.
The updated programs include courses on digital pedagogy, educational software evaluation, online learning platform management, and the ethical use of technology in education. Beyond theoretical knowledge, trainee teachers are gaining hands-on experience through practicums in digitally equipped smart classrooms and mandatory internships in schools that are actively implementing technology-enhanced learning. We’re preparing teachers for the classrooms of today and tomorrow, not the classrooms of the past, explained Professor Jane Wambui, Dean of the School of Education at the University of Nairobi. Every teacher graduating from our programs must now demonstrate not just subject mastery but also the ability to effectively leverage technology to enhance learning outcomes.
The curriculum transformation has been accelerated by partnerships between universities and educational technology companies, which are providing both software platforms for training and expert guest lecturers. These collaborations ensure that teacher preparation remains aligned with the technologies actually being used in Kenyan schools. The partnership between academia and industry is crucial, noted Dr. Michael Otieno, an educational technology specialist at Kenyatta University. Our students need to understand both the pedagogical principles of technology integration and the practical realities of implementing these solutions in diverse school environments across Kenya.
The long-term impact of this shift in teacher preparation could be transformative for Kenya’s education system. By ensuring that newly qualified teachers enter the profession with strong digital competencies, universities are addressing one of the key bottlenecks in educational technology adoption—teacher readiness and confidence. This is about building capacity from the ground up, emphasized Professor Wambui. Instead of trying to retrain practicing teachers who may be hesitant about technology, we’re preparing a new generation of educators for whom technology integration is second nature. As these digitally fluent teachers enter classrooms across Kenya, they are expected to accelerate the adoption of educational technology while modeling effective integration for their more experienced colleagues, potentially creating a ripple effect that transforms teaching practices throughout the education system.