Hugo, Wayne.Zungu, Zolile Nicholas.2026-06-292026-06-2920252025https://hdl.handle.net/10413/24474Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges is widely recognised as a means of enhancing teaching and learning. However, existing research on ICT integration in tertiary education has primarily focused on universities, with limited attention to the TVET sector. This study addresses this gap by examining the patterns of ICT adoption in TVET colleges in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. The study investigates how institutional factors influence ICT adoption and explores how lecturers utilise ICTs in their pedagogical practices. The study is situated within the interpretivist paradigm and employs a multi-phase, mixed-method case study approach. Data were collected in two phases: an initial survey of ICT distribution across all nine TVET colleges in KZN, followed by in-depth case studies of three selected institutions. Methods included institutional surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. The study is theoretically grounded in the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory, Affordance Theory, and Institutional Design Theory (IDT), which provide a framework for analysing the institutional and individual factors shaping ICT adoption. Findings reveal that ICT distribution across KZN’s TVET colleges is highly uneven, with urban institutions benefiting from superior infrastructure, stable internet connectivity, and access to service providers, while rural colleges face persistent infrastructural challenges. Institutional decision-making, financial constraints, and policy directives significantly shape ICT adoption strategies, with colleges employing varied approaches such as enhancing wireless capabilities, outsourcing ICT services, and implementing blended learning initiatives. At the individual level, lecturers’ adoption of ICTs is influenced by digital literacy levels, workload demands, and institutional support structures, with many educators relying on applications like WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, and Moodle for instructional delivery. The study contributes to existing scholarship by demonstrating how the interplay between environmental conditions, institutional structures, and user perceptions shapes ICT adoption in TVET colleges. The findings have implications for policy and practice, underscoring the need for a nationally coordinated ICT strategy, targeted funding for under-resourced institutions, and sustained lecturer professional development initiatives. Future research should explore longterm ICT adoption trends and assess the effectiveness of policy interventions aimed at bridging the digital divide in the TVET sector.enCC0 1.0 Universalhttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/TVET colleges.Diffusion of innovation (DOI).Digital technologies--TVET colleges.Thesis