Smart Education in Practice: ICT Usage Confidence, Frequency, and Teaching Efficiency among MARA Lecturers

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has reshaped higher education, requiring lecturers to adapt to new modes of teaching and learning. This study investigates ICT usage among lecturers at Kolej Profesional MARA Seri Iskandar (KPMSI), with a focus on their confidence levels, frequency of ICT use, and the impact of these factors on teaching efficiency. Guided by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, Constructivist Learning Theory, and Social Cognitive Theory, the study adopted a quantitative survey design. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 54 lecturers across four departments, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression testing. Findings reveal that while lecturers display strong confidence in basic ICT applications such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, email, and internet browsing, their confidence and frequency of use with more advanced tools such as database systems, plagiarism detection software, and multimedia design applications remains low. Statistical results show a significant positive relationship between lecturers’ ICT usage confidence, their frequency of ICT use, and their efficiency in teaching. These findings suggest that enhancing both the depth and breadth of ICT adoption is essential for improving teaching performance. The study contributes to ongoing efforts by MARA and other higher education institutions in Malaysia to strengthen Smart Education initiatives. By highlighting the need for targeted professional development and continuous institutional support, the research underscores that ICT integration is not only a matter of access to technology but also of cultivating confidence, pedagogical alignment, and sustainable teaching practices.