Exploring principals’ leadership roles in supporting information communication technology (ICT) integration in teaching and learning in secondary schools.

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution (IR4.0) is fast-paced, complex and global, which then demands every human to have the capacity to face its uncertainty. During such unprecedented and fastpaced change, school principals, are grappling to find solutions to the challenges of leading teaching and learning in this era. The purpose of this study was to explore principals’ leadership roles in supporting ICT integration in teaching and learning in secondary schools. The study explored these roles in the perspective of secondary school principals as instructional leaders, examining how their experiences regarding ICT integration in schools could be explained, and how their leadership strategies and practices enhance ICT integration in the process of teaching and learning. The relevant literature provides evidence that, because of the 4th Industrial Revolution, new technologies for teaching and learning emerge and that principals should play key roles in supporting ICT integration in teaching and learning. Thus, there is an intertwined relationship between ICT integration and principal leadership. This qualitative research study was located in the interpretive paradigm. Its participants were five secondary school principals in the Ugu district, and the study used face-to-face semistructured interviews as a data generation method. Complexity leadership theory was used as the theoretical framework. The findings revealed that some principals had a clear understanding of ICT integration and its importance in the teaching and learning process. Above that, principals appeared to be cognisant of their integral roles as instructional leaders in schools. Furthermore, principals’ leadership roles, practices and strategies were key to supporting ICT integration to teaching and learning. It also became apparent that, while there may be challenges facing principals in leading ICT integration, all seem to be benefiting from it. The findings indicate further that other stakeholders play a pivotal role in giving support to their schools. As the world changes drastically, schools, as institutions of learning, are becoming change agents in preparing learners for survival in the competitive world of the information age. Finally, findings revealed some challenges principals face in leading ICT integration. This study conclude that there is a need for the professional development of principals as instructional leaders, which would include the leadership capacity to lead ICT integration in teaching and learning, especially in township and rural secondary schools.