Experiences of school management teams towards implementing information and communication technology in high schools

Abstract

School Management Teams (SMTs) are crucial for the effective implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) in schools. The involvement of SMTs in the implementation of ICTs in schools brings with it both positive and negative experiences. The study investigates SMT experiences concerning the use of ICTs during the teaching and learning process and in school administration activities. This study investigated the experiences and involvement of SMTs in the implementation of ICT in high schools. Furthermore, the study sought to identify the important variables that may impede SMTs' leadership responsibilities in successfully building suitable ICT infrastructures in their schools. The study was based on the diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory, which examined how educators and SMT used ICT innovations in schools. In addition, the study adopted the interpretive paradigm, the qualitative research approach and the phenomenology research design. The research participants consisted of ten SMT members from two high schools in the Mangaung Municipality in the Free State province. The study utilised the following research instruments for data collection, namely: ? Individual semi-structured interviews? Document analysisSMT members at the two schools availed themselves on specific dates scheduled for discussions and interviews. All SMT members participated in the interviews to gain a collective view of their experiences with ICT implementation at their schools. Qualitative methods were employed in this study to analyse the data and explore the experiences of SMT members towards ICT implementation.The analysis of the data disclosed that SMT members who participated in this study have derived experiences about ICT, both positive and negative, due to individual experiences when implementing ICT at their schools. A majority of the SMT members who participated in the study felt that the complex task of implementing the ICT infrastructure in the schools should be distributed among themselves and/or outsourced completely for those members lacking technological proficiency. In addition, most SMT members had positive experiences and made positive remarks about the endless benefits ICT has had on the teaching and learning processes and how it made administrative tasks easier and more manageable. SMT members from both schools reported that the younger generation of SMTs and teachers seemed to be more knowledgeable about ICT than their older counterparts. With relevance to ICT implementation, the SMT members seemed to demonstrate a better understanding of the importance of exposing learners to technology, thus labelling ICT as an educational “tool.”However, based on the data collected, it was found that differences amongst the SMT members were only significant in terms of implementation, teaching practices, and ICT skills. This study also offers several recommendations for the SMT members to consider as well as suggest ways that could be used to implement ICT infrastructures in high schools. The study deduced the following recommendations to enhance the implementation of ICT in schools: • The need for better teacher training and professional development. • The importance of strong leadership in driving ICT adoption.• The necessity of adequate funding and resources for infrastructure development. • The value of collaborative approaches to ICT implementation, including the involvement of teachers, learners, and the wider community.