Abstract
The rapid transition to digital and blended learning, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), has shaped higher education globally. In South Africa this shift has been particularly significant as higher education institutions are under pressure to enhance competitiveness, respond to evolving labour market needs and ensure inclusivity in the face of persistent inequalities. Central to this transformation are performance drivers that guide and influence the quality, sustainability and effectiveness of online teaching practices, yet despite the widespread integration of digital platforms, gaps remain in understanding how these drivers function within institutional contexts and how they shape teaching and learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the performance drivers applied for online teaching practices in a college at a South African higher education institution, with a specific focus on their role in shaping teaching strategies and institutional competitiveness in the context of 4IR. A qualitative research design was employed within an interpretivist paradigm allowing for in-depth exploration of the perceptions and lived experiences of academic staff. Data was collected through 19 semi-structured interviews with lecturers, module coordinators and heads of department and analysed thematically with the help of Atlas.ti software.
The findings revealed five core performance drivers that underpin online teaching practices: technology integration, innovation, teaching quality, service excellence, sustainability and research output. Practical applications included the use of learning management systems, blended and flipped learning models, recorded lectures and interactive digital tools that enhanced flexibility, accessibility and student engagement. However, the study also highlighted barriers to the effective application of these drivers, including unequal access to devices and internet connectivity, limited digital literacy among students and some academic staff, outdated infrastructure and inconsistent departmental adoption of online practices. The study concludes that while academic staff and the institution exhibit strong conceptual awareness of performance drivers, systematic constraints limit their full and consistent application. To embed online teaching as a sustainable and competitive component of higher education, the study recommends
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targeted investment in digital infrastructure, expansion of training and professional development for academic staff, incentivisation of innovative pedagogical approaches, and enhanced support for students. These measures are critical for transforming online teaching from a reactive response to global disruption into a long-term strategy for advancing teaching, learning and competitiveness in the digital era.