Developing a model for mobile phone adoption and usage to catechize the catholic youths in Uganda

Abstract

The study developed a model for mobile phone adoption and usage for catechizing the Catholic youths in Uganda, using Kampala Archdiocese as a case study. Specifically, the study sought to; identify the existing modes of catechizing the youths and the issues/challenges associated with them so as to identify the requirements for addressing the identified issues/challenges; review the existing models for mobile phone adoption and usage so as to identify the existing gaps that may be a hindrance in addressing those challenges above; design a model for mobile phone adoption and use that would address the requirements identified in objective one and validate the model for mobile phone adoption and usage to catechize the Catholic youths using selected experts. The study employed a case study design incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods to data collection with the actual sample size of 259 derived using Yamane (1967) sample size formula from a target population of 288 Catechists/Catechizers and youths/youth leaders from randomly selected parishes of Kampala Catholic Archdiocess and 9 key informants that included Youth Chaplains and Parish Priests of the selected Vicariates in which Parishes fall. Quantitative data collected was exported to SPSS version 24.0 for editing, coding to facilitate informative and relevant computation. The objectives of the study were analyzed using the Factor Analysis. For objective one, it was established that traditional modes of catechism were still prodominant and slowly the catechists and the catechized are embracing use of mobile phones. For objective two, reviewed literature had mostly constructs on Observability, Compatibility, Social influence, Facilitating Conditions, performance expectance, Effort expectance, Behavioral Intention and use behavior. For objective three, Correlation and a regression analysis was performed to establish the relationship between Behavioural intentions and perceived ease of use (PEOU) (r=0.701, p=0.001), perceived usefulness (PU) (r=0.640, p=0.014), facilitating conditions (FC) (r=0.605, p=0.007), social influences (SI) (r=0.730, p=0.004), perceived mobility value (PMV) (r=0.691, p=0.009), Spiritual relevance (SR) (r=0.515, p=0.023)and top leadership support (TLS) (r=0.565, p=0.017). For objective four, the outcome of the regression analysis was used to test the significance of the constructs that were used to develop the model hence the verification. The model was availed to youth chaplains, catechists and youth leaders in Kampala Catholic Archdiocese, who responded to survey questionnaires and key informant interviews. The study concluded that; the catholic leadership should embrace and promote the use of technology based tools (mobile phones) in the catechism in Kampala catholic Archidocese, added new constructs such as spiritual relevance, top leadership support and perceived mobility value as its contribution to develop a Model for Mobile Phone Adoption and Usage to Catechize the Catholic Youths in Uganda, behavioral intention (BI) to adopt and use mobile phones can be explained by perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), facilitating conditions (FC), social influences (SI), perceived mobility value (PMV), Spiritual relevance (SR) and top leadership support (TLS). The study recommends that the leadership of the Catholic church in Uganda should sensitize, enforce and encourage the laity to embrace the use and application of mobile phone technology to provide catechism in Uganda.