The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education has become a global priority, yet its success in the classroom largely depends on teachers’ proficiency in using digital tools. In Kenya, specifically, the relationship between teachers’ digital competence in utilizing instructional videos and learners’ subsequent achievement in critical language skills, such as composition writing, remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining how teacher competencies influence learner outcomes in English composition writing.
Objectives: To determine the teachers’ digital competencies in the use of instructional videos and learners’ achievement in English composition writing in secondary schools in Kitui County, Kenya.
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design involving 12 teachers of English and 320 Form Three learners from four selected extra-county schools in Kitui central Sub-County. Data were collected using teachers’ questionnaires to assess their training, experience, and competence in using instructional videos. A standardized composition writing test was administered to learners. Pearson’s Chi-square and independent t-test were used to analyze the correlation and difference in mean scores between the experimental and control groups.
Results: Teachers exhibited moderate levels of digital competencies, with a majority having attended at least one professional development workshop on ICT integration. The findings revealed a significant positive correlation between learners’ academic achievement in composition writing and their frequency of exposure to instructional videos. Learners in the experimental group, who were taught using instructional videos, achieved a substantially higher mean score (M=84.96, SD=12.346) compared to the control group (M=59.7, SD=19.592). The difference was statistically significant, with a p-value of less than 0.001.
Conclusion: The study concludes that teaches’ digital competence, particularly their skill in integrating instructional videos, is a crucial determinant of learners’ success in composition writing. The findings underscore the necessity for targeted professional development programs and enhanced infrastructural support to bridge the digital skills gap and improve educational outcomes in Kenya secondary schools.