Integration of ICT in the Teaching and Learning Processes in Afghan Public Universities: A Case Study of Kabul Polytechnic University

Information and communication technology (ICT) has influenced numerous parts of our lives and has become a need for the accomplishment of any organization, such as educational organizations. To provide quality education and to make students prepared for life in the 21st century, countries around the world have made tremendous efforts to integrate ICT into the teaching and learning processes. However, integration of ICT into teaching and learning with the aim to improve the quality of education is not an easy task. Successful integration of ICT requires higher education institutions to firstly assess the current state of ICT as well as the challenges that hamper the process of ICT integration into teaching and learning to determine how better to plan and integrate ICT into the teaching and learning processes. This paper aims to examine the current state of ICT integration in Afghan public universities. This involved determining the accessibility of ICT facilities for teachers and students, the level of ICT resources utilization for teaching and learning purposes, and the competency level of teachers and students regarding ICT. The challenges to the integration of ICT in Afghan public universities were also analyzed. The researchers selected Kabul Polytechnic University as a case study area. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used and the data was collected from administrators, teachers, and students using questionnaires and structured interviews. The result of the study shows that the accessibility to ICT resources for teachers was on an average level, but for the students the level was low. The findings also indicate that the usage of ICT resources for teaching and learning purposes was at a minimum level and their knowledge about ICT was at a fundamental or basic level. The result also indicates the challenges that hamper the process of ICT integration into teaching and learning interaction in the case study area, for example, lack of infrastructure, lack of stable power supply, lack of technical support, teachers ‘negative attitude towards ICT and faculty lack of time.