The e-Education policy in South Africa highlights the importance of information and communication technology literacy and
demanded that every schoolgoing learner be ICT-savvy by 2013. However, the policy does not present implementation strategies;
the challenge is that most schools still lack technology equipment for teaching and learning, and teachers are not yet fully
equipped with the knowledge and skills to integrate technology into the curriculum. Using qualitative case study design, this
study explores the challenges facing and successes relating to technology education with respect to the conditions essential to a
technology integration framework. The findings revealed the availability of infrastructure as well teachers who lack relevant
computer technology knowledge and skills. The study recommends capacity building as of major priority.
© 2013 The Authors Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Selection and peer review under the responsibility of Prof. Dr. Servet Bayram
Keywords: Infrastructure, technology-savvy, hardware, software, technology literacy
1. Introduction
The increasing popularity and accessibility of the internet and internet-based technologies, along with the need
for a diverse group of students to have alternative means to learn effectively, pose a formidable challenge for
schools to teach and learn using technology. This challenge also applies to developing countries like South Africa.
One of the policies in South Africa, “the e-Education policy”, poses some remarkable challenges with regard to
teaching and learning using technologies. The policy highlights the importance of information and communication
technology literacy and therefore demanded that every learner in the General Education Training (GET) and Further
Education Training (FET) bands be information and communication technology-savvy by 2013. However, the
policy made a demand — but it failed to arrive at the implementation strategies that will drive this demand. Despite
the availability of the ICT policy in South Africa, it is assumed that the majority of educators in South African
schools have not been sufficiently prepared during their college years to integrate technology into their teaching.
Therefore, buying computers and software for schools and connecting them to the internet does not automatically
imply effective uses for technology. Based on the current situation at school levels, many students lack sufficient
information and communication technology knowledge to work on their own, to surf the web and to gain valuable
information.
The challenges to technology integration in teaching and learning in South Africa are well documented (Assan &
Thomas, 2012; Ramorola, 2010; Wilson-Strydom & Thomson, 2005). However, limited research has been
conducted on the successes of integrating technology into teaching and learning. This study attempted to explore
both the challenges facing and successes relating to integrating technology into the curriculum as perceived by a
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© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.