Technological Factors Associated with Faculty Development in Health Professions Education Across Kenya Medical Training College Campuses in Coastal Kenya.
Main Article Content
Abstract
Faculty development is vital for quality health professions education. Yet in resource-constrained settings, weak technological capacity limits professional growth. This study sought to establish the technological factors associated with faculty development in health professions education across KMTC Coastal Region campuses, alongside environmental and cultural factors measured for comparison. A cross-sectional correlational design was used, targeting 300 staff from eight campuses. Using Fisher’s formula with a finite population correction, a sample of 169 respondents was selected. Data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire with validated Likert-scale items. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression with SPSS version 30; qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The questionnaire return rate was 100% (n=169); item-level analytical samples ranged from 162 to 168. Cronbach’s alpha exceeded 0.70 for all three predictor scales. A three-item Faculty Development Index was operationalized from behavioral outcomes structurally independent of the predictor scales: receipt of research funding, external institutional collaboration, and attendance of cultural competence training. Technological factors were rated moderate-to-low (M=2.60, SD=0.61); environmental factors were rated moderate (M=2.89, SD=0.65); and cultural factors were rated moderate (M=2.83, SD=0.55). All three factors showed statistically significant positive correlations with the Faculty Development Index. In multiple regression, only technological factors retained a statistically significant independent association with the Faculty Development Index (β=.335, p<.001). Perceptions of technological adequacy differed significantly by designation (F (3,162) = 5.342, p=.002, η²=.090). Qualitative themes confirmed three barriers: inadequate institutional policy frameworks, inequitable research funding, and weak digital infrastructure and training capacity. The study concludes that technological capacity showed the strongest adjusted association with faculty development at KMTC Coastal Region campuses. It is recommended that KMTC management and development partners invest in ICT infrastructure and structured digital literacy training across all campuses and second, that research funding allocation criteria be made transparent and equitable.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
I/We agree to transfer the copyright of this manuscript to the International Journal of Professional Practice (The IJPP) in the event that the manuscript is published in the Journal.
I/We give the undersigned authors of the manuscript have made the following declaration:
(a) That I/We have made substantial contribution during the conception and design, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of the data,
(b) That I/We have participated in drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content,
(c) That I/We have read and confirm the content of the manuscript and have agreed to it,
(d) That I/We have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content of the paper,
(e) That I/We give guarantee that the content of the manuscript is original, and has not beenvpublished elsewhere and is not currently being considered for publication by another journal.
References
Al-Worafi, Y. M. (2024). Technology in public health education in developing countries. In Handbook of medical and health sciences in developing countries: Education, practice, and research (pp. 1-20). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74786-2_181-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74786-2_181-1
Bandura, A. (2014). Social-cognitive theory. In An introduction to theories of personality (pp. 341-360). Psychology Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315793177-21/social-cognitive-theory-albert-bandura
Barasa, P. L. (2021). Digitalization in teaching and education in Kenya: Digitalization, the future of work and the teaching profession project. International Labour Organization. http://erepository.au.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/123456789/
Chimbunde, P., & Jakachira, G. (2025). Threading through the needle of digital education in Sub-Saharan Africa: understanding the concerns of university lecturers. Interactive Learning Environments, 33(1), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2335479 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2024.2335479
Chipamaunga, S. R., Prozesky, D., Kafumukache, E., Katowa-Mukwato, P., Dithole, K., van der Merwe, L., ... & Gwini, R. (2025). Technology enhanced health professions education (TEHPE) in Eastern and Southern Africa: a Needs Assessment. Research Square, rs-3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11844649/ DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5890423/v1
Devi, B., Lepcha, N., & Basnet, S. (2022). Application of correlational research design in nursing and medical research. Journal of Xi'an Shiyou University, Natural Sciences Edition, 65(11), 60-69. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YRZ68
Frantz, J., Rhoda, A., Sandars, J., Murdoch-Eaton, D. B., Marshall, M., & Burch, V. C. (2019). Understanding faculty development as capacity development: A case study from South Africa. African Journal of Health Professions Education, 11(2), 53-56. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-17196d8def DOI: https://doi.org/10.7196/AJHPE.2019.v11i2.1120
Jeffries, P. R., Bushardt, R. L., DuBose-Morris, R., Hood, C., Kardong-Edgren, S., Pintz, C., … Sikka, N. (2022). The Role of Technology in Health Professions Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Academic Medicine, 97(3S), S104. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004523 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000004523
Kabakus, A. K., Bahcekapili, E., & Ayaz, A. (2025). The effect of digital literacy on technology acceptance: An evaluation on administrative staff in higher education. Journal of Information Science, 51(4), 930-941. https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515231166570 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515231160028
Keiller, L., Nyoni, C., & Van Wyk, C. (2022). Online faculty development in low-and middle-income countries for health professions educators: a rapid realist review. Human Resources for Health, 20(1), 12. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12960-022-00711-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-022-00711-6
KMTC. (2018). Strategic Plan 2018–2023. https://kmtc.ac.ke/.../06/KMTC-Strategic-Plan-2018-2023.pdf
Lewis, L. D., & Steinert, Y. (2020). How culture is understood in faculty development in the health professions: a scoping review. Academic Medicine, 95(2), 310-319. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003599 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003024
Moro, C., Stromberga, Z., & Birt, J. R. (2020). Technology considerations in health professions and clinical education. In D. Nestel, G. Reedy, L. McKenna, & S. Gough (Eds.), Clinical Education for the Health Professions: Theory and Practice (pp. 1-25). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_118-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6106-7_118-1
Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Acts Press.
Ndibalema, P. (2025). Digital literacy gaps in promoting 21st century skills among students in higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2452085. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2452085 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2452085
Sathian, B., Sreedharan, J., Baboo, S. N., Sharan, K., Abhilash, E. S., & Rajesh, E. (2010). Relevance of sample size determination in medical research. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology, 1(1), 4-10. https://doi.org/10.3126/nje.v1i1.4100 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/nje.v1i1.4100
Steinert, Y., Mann, K., Anderson, B., Barnett, B. M., Centeno, A., Naismith, L., ... & Dolmans, D. (2016). A systematic review of faculty development initiatives designed to enhance teaching effectiveness: A 10-year update: BEME Guide No. 40. Medical teacher, 38(8), 769-786. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2016.1181851 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2016.1181851
Taherdoost, H. (2016). Validity and reliability of the research instrument: How to test the validation of a questionnaire/survey in a research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management, 5(3), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205040 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205040
Van Staden, D. B. (2021). Investing in health professions education: A national development imperative for South Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 35(1), 231-245. https://doi.org/10.20853/35-1-2916 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20853/35-1-2916
Wangai, M. M. (2022). The influence of quality assurance practices on quality of academic programmes in higher education institutions in Kenya: A case of the Faculty of Education, University of Nairobi [Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi]. University of Nairobi Repository. https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/server/api/core/bitstreams/73020bba-5943-4393-a382-5296a00569f5/
Yilmaz, Y., Lal, S., Tong, X. C., Howard, M., Bal, S., Bayer, I., … Chan, T. M. (2020). Technology-Enhanced Faculty Development: Future Trends and Possibilities for Health Sciences Education. Medical Science Educator, 30(4), 1787–1796. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-01100-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-01100-1