TUK Institutional Repository
The TUK IR is the home for the intellectual output of TUK University's academic communities, that includes digital dissertations, faculty publications, digital special collections, open access publications, open educational resources and much more.
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Recent Submissions
Evaluating ICT Staff Technical Readiness for Online Learning Transformation in Public Universities in Kenya
(INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS), 2025-12-22) Agnes M. Gachau
This study evaluated ICT staff technical readiness for online learning transformation in public universities in
Kenya. Despite increased adoption of digital learning, many institutions continue to experience challenges
related to inadequate technical skills among ICT personnel, limiting the effective implementation and
sustainability of online learning systems. The study aimed to determine the technical competencies possessed
by ICT staff and examine how these skills influence online learning delivery. It focused on selected public
universities and specifically assessed competencies in LMS management, software installation, digital
applications, and system maintenance. The study was anchored on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use
of Technology (UTAUT2) as the primary theoretical lens and supported by the Technology–Organization–
Environment (TOE) framework. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed. The target population
comprised students, registrars, and ICT staff, from which 537 respondents were sampled using stratified and
simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS through
descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that ICT staff possess essential technical skills but
demonstrated uncertainty in advanced competencies such as LMS development. The study concludes that ICT
staff readiness significantly affects online learning transformation. It recommends enhanced training programs,
investment in ICT infrastructure, and strengthened institutional support systems to improve digital learning
outcomes in Kenyan public universities
Keywords: ICT readiness, online learning, LMS management, technical skills, digital transformation.
EFFECTS OF LECTURERS’ ICT SKILLS FOR ONLINE LEARNING TRANSFORMATION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
(African Journal of Emerging Issues (AJOEI)., 2025-12) Agnes M. Gachau
Purpose of Study: This study examined the effect of lecturers’ ICT skills on online learning
transformation in public universities in Kenya. The objectives were to assess lecturers’ ICT skills
and determine how these competencies influence online learning delivery.
Problem Statement: Although institutions have invested in digital infrastructure, limited lecturer
competence in developing and administering e-content still poses a challenge, thereby slowing full
e-learning integration.
Methodology: The study focused on seven purposively selected public universities and targeted
lecturers, ICT staff, registrars and students. A total population of 537 respondents (153 staff and
384 students) participated, selected using stratified and simple random sampling procedures.
Grounded on the Technology Acceptance Model and Diffusion of Innovation Theory, the study
applied a descriptive quantitative research design. Data were collected using structured
questionnaires and interviews, validated through expert review and pilot testing. Reliability was
confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from 0.762 to 0.778. Data were analyzed using
SPSS through descriptive and inferential statistics.
Result: Findings revealed that 68.6% of respondents were male, while 56.3% of ICT staff were
aged 31–40 years. Students agreed that lecturers could deliver e-content (M=1.890) and use LMS
platforms (M=2.000), while ICT staff were uncertain about lecturers’ capacity to develop online
materials (M=2.743).
Conclusion and Recommendation: The study concludes that online learning transformation
depends heavily on ICT skills, and recommends continuous ICT training, enhanced digital support
systems and structured e-learning policies.
Keywords: Capacity building, E-learning, ICT skills, Online learning, Public universities,
Technology adoption.
Evaluating the Impact of Online Learning Systems on Institutional Performance in Kenya’s Public Universities
(International Journal of Professional Practice, 2025) Agnes M. Gachau
The study examined how online learning affects the performance of public universities in Kenya, focusing
on how Learning Management Systems (LMS), institutional readiness, and implementation efficiency
influence academic and institutional outcomes. Although online learning has been globally recognized for
expanding access and flexibility, evidence from developing countries, including Kenya, shows
inconsistent adoption and limited effectiveness due to infrastructural and pedagogical challenges. The
study addressed this gap by analyzing the relationship between online learning systems and university
performance. Specifically, it sought to: (i) examine the effect of online learning systems on academic
performance, and (ii) assess institutional readiness and efficiency in implementing online learning. The
study covered seven purposively selected public universities, involving 537 respondents (384 students and
153 staff). Using a descriptive quantitative research design, guided by pragmatism and deductive
reasoning, data were collected through structured questionnaires and interviews, supported by secondary
documents. Stratified and simple random sampling ensured representativeness. Reliability testing using
Cronbach’s alpha yielded values between 0.762 and 0.778, confirming strong internal consistency, while
expert review and factor analysis validated the instruments. Data were analyzed using SPSS, employing
descriptive and inferential techniques, including correlation, ANOVA, and logistic regression. The
research was anchored in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovations
(DOI) theories, which explain user adoption behavior and the institutional diffusion of educational
technologies. Findings revealed that LMS improved openness, communication, and institutional visibility,
though efficiency and resource sharing remained inconsistent. The study concludes that online learning
has positively influenced university performance but recommends greater investment in ICT
infrastructure, staff training, and innovation-driven learning environments
LINKING HUMAN CAPACITY, DIGITAL SYSTEMS, AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXTS FOR ONLINE LEARNING TRANSFORMATION IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
(International Journal of Development Research, 2026-01-30) Agnes M. Gachau
This book chapter provides a comprehensive conceptual synthesis of online learning transformation in
public universities, framed through the integrated lenses of human capacity, digital systems, and
institutional contexts. Rather than treating digital transformation as a purely technological shift, the
chapter advances the argument that sustainable online learning is a systemic and multi-dimensional
process shaped by the interaction of people, technologies, organisational structures, and policy
environments. Drawing exclusively on established scholarly literature and theoretical perspectives, the
chapter offers a coherent analytical narrative that situates public universitiesparticularly those in
developing contextswithin global higher education digital transformation trends.The chapter begins by
positioning online learning transformation as a response to global pressures such as technological
advancement, changing learner expectations, and disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic. It then
introduces a Human Capacity–Digital Systems–Institutional Context framework to organise the
discussion. Through this framework, the chapter examines the roles of students, lecturers, and ICT staff
as central agents of transformation; the importance of ICT infrastructure, Learning Management
Systems, and system integration; and the influence of leadership, policy frameworks, and organisational
culture in shaping digital change.Theoretical perspectivesincluding the Technology Acceptance Model,
UTAUT2, Diffusion of Innovation, the TOE framework, and the Technology Readiness and
Acceptance Modelare applied analytically to explain patterns of adoption, resistance, and sustainability.
An integrative discussion highlights why fragmented, technology-only approaches often fail and
underscores the need for coordinated readiness across human, technological, and institutional
dimensions. The chapter concludes by outlining policy, institutional, pedagogical, and research
implications, offering guidance for building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable online learning
ecosystems in public universities
THEORETICAL EVALUATION OF PYRAZOLYL-BASED IRON, COBALT, NICKEL AND PALLADIUM COMPLEXES AS ETHYLENE OLIGOMERIZATION CATALYSTS
(TUK, 2025-11) KIDIGASAMSON GUREMA
encouragement.
iv
ABSTRACT
Transition metal complexes in catalysis have gained a lot of interest for a decade now.
Because of the widespread importance and applications of transition metal complexes in
catalytic reactions of industrial importance, it is desirable to theoretically design and evaluate
their catalytic activities. This dissertation involves a series of modeling investigations that
have been designed to probe the influence of the electronic structure of the metal cation, the
nature of the ligand, as well as the effect of chelation and steric interactions on the activity of
the catalysts for ethylene oligomerization reactions. A series of transition metal cations, Fe2+,
Co2+, Ni2+, and Pd2+ chelated by 2-(3, 5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethanol and
1-(2-chloro-ethyl)-3, 5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole ligands have been investigated as ethylene
oligomerization catalysts. Six chelates in total were studied: Fe1, Co1, Ni1, Pd1, Co2, and
Ni2. Electronic structure calculations were employed to determine stable low-energy
structures, energetics, and chemical reactivity’s of the transition metal complexes. Density
Functional Theory (DFT) was employed to gain a conceptual understanding of the structures
of the initial metal complexes in solution that are likely to be pre-catalysts in the ethylene
oligomerization reaction. A further goal was to analyze the electronic factors and ligand
effects that impact on the chemical reactivity order of the six metal complexes within the
context of DFT simulations. Theoretical studies used B3LYP and B3PW91 DFT methods and
LanL2DZ basis set for metal atoms and 6-311+G (2d, p) basis set for all the remaining atoms.
Theoretical studies of the Ni1 and Ni2 metal complexes were compared to the previous
experimental studies of analogous complexes. The ground-state structures of all the six metal
complexes show that the ligands bind in a fashion consistent with the simple valence shell
electron pair repulsion model, where minor distortions from the idealized geometries are
correlated with the structure of the ligands and more significant distortions with the valence
electron configuration of the metal cation. The nature of the metal cation and ligand moiety
had a discernible impact on the global chemical reactivity’s parameters of the six metal
complexes. The chemical potential, the electrophilicity indices, the charge, and the
electronegativity values suggest that Ni1 is the best catalyst in the series. Comparison
between theory and experiment further confirm that Ni1 is indeed the best catalyst of the six
catalysts studied for ethylene oligomerization reaction. Both electronic and steric factors
correlate with the metal-ligand distances, and appear to be significant factors underpinning
the reactivity of the six metal complexes. Thus, the results showcase the importance of using
theoretical simulations to design catalysts rapidly and the ability to develop potentially active
catalysts for ethylene oligomerization reaction through a thorough analysis of the global
chemical reactivity parameters.