Abstract
Like most developing countries, the rural schools of South Africa are still challenged by many intersecting infrastructural, economic, social and political problems, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters as those experienced at schools in KwaZulu Natal (KZN). In the search for locally relevant models for rural schools in South Africa, the information communication technologies for rural education and development (ICT4RED) model ranked among the most concerted attempt to develop a blueprint for rural schooling that was piloted in the Eastern Cape rural area, Cofimvaba between 2014 and 2018. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of the ICT4RED model for rural schools in KZN which has similar and different attributes of rurality and marginalization. The study chose the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a conceptual framework, adapting the concept of ‘acceptance’ to develop the concept of ‘applicability’. It drew on the TAM concepts of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to analyse applicability of the ICT4RED model for a KZN rural schooling context.
The study employed a constructivist research paradigm and a qualitative methodology to engage with policy decision makers in KZN Department of Education (KZNDOE), district directors and educators from one of the rural area, the eMondlo circuit. A purposive stratified sampling strategy was employed, to establish a sample of stakeholders who served as respondents. Data collection for the study involved semi structured interviews with a purposeful sample of KZN DOE officials (Provincial and District) and focus groups interviewees with a sample of Senior Management Team (SMT) and post level 1 educators within eMondlo circuit in KZN. This study showed that the participating schools via their educators in the eMondlo circuit, lack adequate ICT and connectivity infrastructure though educators have an understanding of perceived usefulness of an ICT4RED for their contexts. The policy makers perceived the usefulness of ICT4RED partnership model but that these needed further reinforcement by leveraging the political capital of education and ICT government ministers. It also found that the ICT4RED educator development model was one of its strengths that can be applied in a KZN context. The study concluded that the iCT4RED model is partially applicable to the eMondlo cluster context and recommended further research on how it can be tailored to a KZN rural school context.