Digitalising Higher Education: ICT skills and teacher capacitation for sustainability in Zimbabwean universities
Keywords:
Higher Education, Teacher training, ICT competencies, digital transformation.Abstract
In today’s digital age, the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education is becoming increasingly important. The incorporation of ICT in education has the potential to change teaching and learning processes, increase access to education, and provide learners with skills needed to flourish in a digital world (UNICEF, 2020). However, for ICT to have a real impact on education, teachers must be trained in how to utilize ICT successfully as there has not been much capacity building programs to empower teachers in this area. Teacher capacitation is the process of preparing and assisting teachers to utilize ICT in education effectively and it is critical for the long-term integration of ICT in education (Jansen, 2023; Thulo,2024). To effectively integrate technology into their teaching and learning activities, teachers must have a variety of ICT abilities. These ICT abilities are divided into two categories: basic and advanced ICT skills. Basic ICT skills are essential for instructors to perform administrative chores, develop digital content, and access digital resources. Advanced ICT skills, on the other hand, are more complicated skills needed by instructors to create engaging and dynamic learning experiences (UNESCO, 2019). Teachers must be trained in curriculum integration, pedagogical practices, technical skills, and digital citizenship in order to accomplish long-term integration. The incorporation of ICT into education provides an opportunity to decolonize education in Africa by promoting fairness, peace, innovation, industrialization, and sustainability (Mazrui, 2003). Using a qualitative method and a case study approach incorporating semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations, this paper examined in depth the importance of ICT skills and teacher capacity for educational sustainability. A random sampling technique was adopted, with lecturers and students from the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. The study included ten lecturers and twenty University students. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.
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