Students’ Perceptions and Readiness towards Cloud-based Academic Record Information System in Tanzania Secondary Schools

Abstract

Digital transformation is impacting educational systems across the globe. Schools have started utilizing information systems to handle student records, track attendance, evaluate assessment results, and streamline administrative functions. Cloud-Based Academic Record Information Systems (CARIS) is a system designed to store, process, and allow access to academic records for authorized users (students, teachers, school administrators, and policymakers) through the cloud. There is less empirical research on the perspective of the students and their readiness for cloud-based academic record systems in Tanzanian secondary schools. The Unified Technology Theory of Acceptance and Use, formulated by Venkatesh, Morris, Davis, and Davis, and detailed in their 2003 publication, was utilized to address the gap. The research adopted a cross-sectional survey to obtain information on secondary school students at one instance. The stratified random sampling method was employed to sample 128 secondary school students. Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in analyzing descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, and standard deviations) to summarize demographic data and item responses. The research found that the implementation of the cloud-based Academic Records Information System (CARIS) by the students is mostly favorable. The vast majority of the students 84.4% which are females frequently use the system, like it better than the keeping the records manually, and are ready to recommend it to other people. The system has had the advantage of improving the accuracy of the academic records and the storage and accessibility of the records, records, as well as strengthening privacy, which when combined, helps in the management of the academic processes being more efficient. The most significant challenge was internet- or data-related, followed by knowledge/education and the last challenge was device-related issues. Therefore this study recommends that Schools are supposed to facilitate frequent training and awareness activities in order to make students have the information and expertise that they need to utilize CARIS appropriately.