International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies ISSN(print): 2770-2782, ISSN(online): 2770-2790 Volume 05 Issue 09 September 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.55677/ijssers/V05I09Y2025-04, Impact Factor: 7.573 Page No : 889-895 889 Available at: www.ijssers.org Assessing Teacher Characteristics and ICT Adoption in Selected Lusaka Secondary Schools of Zambia Farrelli Hambulo 1 , Kalisto Kalimaposo 2 , Kaiko Mubita 3 , Peggy Nsama 4 , Inonge Milupi 5 , Francis Musonda 6 1,2,3,4,5 University of Zambia, School of Education 6 St Mary’s College of Education, Mbala. ABSTRACT Published Online: September 03, 2025 This study assesses how specific teacher characteristics influence ICT adoption in selected Lusaka District secondary schools in Zambia. Despite ICT’s potential to transform pedagogy, its uptake in secondary schools generally remains uneven. It has been observed that technology alone cannot guarantee improved learning outcomes without underscoring the need to understand teacher-level drivers of adoption (Kalimaposo, et al., 2025; Selwyn,2012). A mixed-methods design was employed in the study, 210 teachers from ten government schools completed a survey grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Perceived usefulness was defined as “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance” (Davis, 1989:320). In-depth interviews with 20 purposively sampled teachers explored attitudes, self-efficacy, and prior ICT training. In terms of study results/findings, regression analyses indicated that digital self-efficacy— understood as “people’s beliefs in their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance” (Bandura, 1997:3) - was the strongest predictor of ICT use (β = .42, p < .001). Facilitating conditions, or “the degree to which an individual believes that organizational and technical infrastructure exists to support use of the system” (Venkatesh et al., 2003:453), also significantly predicted adoption (β = .29, p < .01). Qualitative themes highlighted that targeted professional development and access to functional hardware were critical enablers. The study concludes that, teacher self-efficacy and infrastructural support jointly shape ICT integration in Lusaka’s secondary schools. The study recommends that, policymakers should prioritize ongoing hands-on training and strengthen school-level support structures to foster sustainable technology adoption. KEYWORDS: ICT adoption; Teacher self-efficacy; Perceived usefulness; Facilitating conditions; Mixed- methods study. 1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Information and communication technologies (ICT) hold promise for enhancing teaching and learning, yet their classroom integration remains inconsistent worldwide. UNESCO (2013) reports that while 80 percent of countries have national ICT‐in‐education policies, actual implementation often falls short of improving pedagogical practices. As Selwyn (2012:47) cautions, “technology alone cannot guarantee improved learning outcomes”, emphasizing the importance of human factors in adoption. Corresponding Author: Farrelli Hambulo *Cite this Article: Farrelli Hambulo, Kalisto Kalimaposo, Kaiko Mubita, Peggy Nsama, Inonge Milupi, Francis Musonda (2025). Assessing Teacher Characteristics and ICT Adoption in Selected Lusaka Secondary Schools of Zambia. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies, 5(9), 889-895 In Sub-Saharan Africa, infrastructural and policy constraints exacerbate this implementation gap. Despite Zambia’s Education Sector National ICT Policy mandating digital skills development (Ministry of Education of Zambia, 2016), only 45 percent of urban secondary schools seem to have reliable internet connectivity and up‐to‐date hardware (UNESCO, 2015). Moreover, the World Bank (2019) highlights that teacher readiness - rather than mere access - drives meaningful ICT use, with enabling conditions varying significantly between schools. In Zambia, the Ministry of Education (MoE) reviewed the national school curriculum introducing ICT as an examinable subject at the Junior secondary school level. This development was, however, received with mixed feelings among different stakeholders across the nation (Kalimaposo, et al., 2023); Mphande, et al., 2024).