Investigating the Usefulness of Interactive Tablets in Facilitating Teaching and Learning Activities: The case of Mwabu Tablet

In recent years, pupils and educators alike have utilised new technologies such as interactive tablets as a means of enhancing the learning process and teaching. The use of interactive tablets in the classroom has enriched pupils' interactive and collaborative activities by enhancing classroom engagement and assisting pupils in a variety of instructional content and applications for learning and teaching. The purpose of the study was to investigate the usefulness of Mwabu interactive tablets in facilitating teaching and learning activities in eight selected private primary schools of Lusaka District. The study employed Technology Acceptance Model-2 (TAM2) theoretical framework to establish the usefulness of the Mwabu interactive tablet in facilitating teaching and learning activities. A survey research design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 208 participants who included 64 teachers and 144 pupils. Simple random sampling was used in the study to select pupils while purposive sampling was adopted for teachers. Data collection tools included structured questionnaires and observation methods. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and content analysis was done on qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that 27 (47.4%) teachers were using the Mwabu interactive tablets often for reading and listening to books and 47 (18.0%) pupils were using the Mwabu interactive tablets for taking quizzes. The study also established that the Mwabu interactive tablet had integrated teaching and learning materials for teachers and pupils. The majority of the respondents whose mean was 4.3158 agreed that they had the intention to use the Mwabu interactive tablet. The study established that 23 (40%) teachers agreed that the Mwabu interactive tablet was useful in facilitating learning activities and 49 pupils representing (44%) strongly agreed that the Mwabu interactive tablet was useful in facilitating learning activities. Therefore, the study recommended that schools should ensure that teachers and pupils should make use of the Mwabu interactive tablet in schools and this can be done through awareness activities and training. School managers should encourage parents/guardians to buy Mwabu interactive tablets for their children so that pupils can even use them at home.