Reconceptualising ICT Policy Implementation in Secondary School Education in Zimbabwe: A Theoretical Criticism
Reconceptualising ICT Policy Implementation
Keywords:
Reconceptualisation, ICT, Integration, Policy implementation, PedagogyAbstract
Most countries in the Global South struggle to meaningfully integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) for pedagogy in education. While there are policies in place and, in some cases, implementing ICT tools remains challenging. This theoretical paper joins the ongoing narrative and debate on the state of ICTs in the Zimbabwe secondary school education context. It suggests a novel innovation that makes the teacher the critical element in policy implementation. By combining key elements of the social cognitive theory (SCT) and those of the Spillane, Raiser and Reimer model of the integrative cognitive framework of policy implementation (ICF), this paper advocates a reconceptualisation of policy implementation to address meaningful ICT integration in resource-strapped pedagogical environments of the Global South. We argue for adopting available resources to mitigate the absence of technology integration in education for poor economies. Our proposed model for embracing the smartphone as an ICT tool for teaching and learning in secondary school classrooms addresses the challenges of ICT integration by leveraging the ubiquity and affordability of smartphones in the Global South, thereby making ICT tools more accessible to students and teachers.
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