The digital revolution has transformed how children and people play, access

information,
communicate and learn (Caena & Redecker, 2019) with Information and
Communications
Technology (ICT) offering extensive pedagogical affordances and great
potential for
transforming the teaching and learning environment. Integrating information,
communication
and technology (ICT) in education refers to computer-based communication
incorporated into
daily classroom instruction (Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015). ICT advancements
have fundamentally
altered how learners are taught and how they learn, opening up new avenues
for learning and
granting access to previously unattainable resources. ICT has become
integral to the teaching-
learning process.

The aim of technology integration is to improve and increase the quality,

accessibility
and cost-efficiency of the delivery of instruction to learners, ensure meaningful
learner
interaction of with information and advance cognitive skills such as
comprehension, reasoning,
problem-solving and creative thinking (DoE, 2004). Teachers are important
role players in
integrating technology into classrooms (Erduran & Ince, 2018) and as a result,
teachers should
possess a thorough knowledge of ICT and use it in their teaching practice.
Akram et al. (2022)
argue that teachers' attitudes, knowledge, technological competencies and
skills are crucial to
successfully integrating ICT in their practice and as such, they need to
appreciate the
affordances of ICT in helping learners reach their educational goals (Mailizar
& Fan, 2020).
Therefore, the issue is not whether to integrate technology but the current
situation makes
technology integration in the classroom vital.
However, for technology integration to be successful, literature suggests that
teachers
need to be competent in integrating technology in their teaching (Akram et al.,
2022; Erduran
& Ince, 2018; Khlaif, 2018) but in many cases, they seem to struggle to keep
up with
technological developments particularly with its rapid growth and
development. Although
technology forms part of our everyday lives, educational changes with the use
of technology,
have yet to be aligned in teaching and learning practices (Caena & Redecker,
2019). This occurs
with the teaching of multigrade classes, which refers to the teaching of
children of different
grade levels at the same time, where teachers are challenged in integrating
ICT in the teaching
and learning process.

This study explored teachers' experiences in ICT integration in multigrade

classrooms.

Two research questions formed the basis of the study:

1. What are the experiences of primary school teachers in integrating ICT in

their multigrade
classrooms in selected primary schools?
2. How can teachers’ ICT skills be enhanced to improve teaching and learning
in multigrade
classrooms in selected primary schools?

LITERATURE REVIEW
Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of ICT influences how they integrate
it and adapt it to
suit their unique, complex multigrade context (Kelly, 2010). Therefore,
teachers’ experiences of
technology integration in their specific context (Kulaksız & Karaca, 2022) have
implications for
practice which could support teachers in their ICT integration endeavours.
Multigrade teaching
In the broad sense, multigrade teaching has been defined as a teaching
strategy that
accommodates learners of different grades in one classroom (Taole, 2014;
Joubert, 2010).
Multigrade teaching is seen as a vehicle for providing primary education to
learners (Novelia,
2021), particularly in schools with a shortage of teachers. Globally, multigrade
teaching has a
role to play in helping countries reach their internationally mandated
education, such as the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UNESCO, 2016). Many countries
practise multigrade
teaching to overcome educational problems such as low learner enrolment
and a shortage of
teachers (Novelia, 2021; Kivunja & Kuyini, 2015). Multigrade teaching
provides learners in rural
and farm schools with opportunities to access education and improve their
economic, physical
and social opportunities (Makena & Mpahla, 2022). Although multigrade
teaching promotes
access to education for disadvantaged learners, especially in rural areas,
access without
resources, both teaching and learning materials and technological resources,
is not beneficial.

Multigrade schools are prevalent in developing and developed countries for a

variety of
reasons (Cornish, 2014). In the South African context, many primary schools
(27% of the total
number of schools nationally) have implemented and practised a multigrade
pedagogy (DBE,
2015) as a necessity to ensure access to schooling for learners in remote and
sparsely populated
areas (Taole, 2019; Joubert, 2010). Poverty and underdevelopment are two
critical features of
multigrade education and they reflect the inequalities and socio-economic
issues in South Africa
(DBE, 2015). Of concern is that multigrade schools are the most neglected
part of the education
system and are particularly under-resourced. Research has revealed that
teachers are not
trained to teach in a multigrade context and as a result, use an inflexible
monograde curriculum,
which leaves no room for them to adapt their teaching to the unique context
(Cornish, 2014).

Teaching in multigrade classrooms is regarded as difficult (Naparan & Alinsug

(2021). The
difficulties in a multigrade teaching context include, amongst others, lack of
teacher training in
multigrade pedagogies (Doğan et al., 2020), a lack of parental interest in their
children’s
education (Du Plessis & Mestry, 2019) and geographical location of schools
(Naparan & Alinsug,
2021). Imasiku et al. (2022) assert that multigrade schools face the challenge
of delivering
quality education with budget constraints, isolation and a limited number of
teachers. As a
result, technological innovation is needed to ensure that learners in this
context receive quality
education. The value of ICT integration in multigrade classrooms has been
documented in the
literature. Naparan and Alinsug's (2021) study found that technology can
enhance teaching and
learning in multigrade classrooms. Research has been conducted on
teachers’ perceptions of
integrating technology into the classroom (Abel et al., 2022; Hartman, 2019;
Hana et al., 2019)
Page 4
235
RESSAT 2023, 9(1): 232-252
and it seems that teachers from poor communities and rural areas tend to
have more challenges
incorporating technology in their teaching (Zinger et al., 2017). Similarly,
learners from lower
socio-economic backgrounds tend to be digitally illiterate despite being born in
the digital era,
where they should have been exposed to various technologies (Tsakani &
Jita, 2019)
Context tends to influence how teachers and learners use technology;
however, ICT
integration research tends to disregard the context in which teaching occurs
(Wilson et al.,
2017). This then would relate to ICT integration in multigrade schools which
are predominantly
located in rural areas where the socio-economic levels of community
members are low, and the
majority of the community members lack access to basic amenities such as
sanitation and roads.
Access to technology would thus be considered a luxury (Mathrani et al.,
2022).
Use of ICT in South African classrooms

The South African Department of Education (DoE, 2004) believes that

developments in ICT
create access to learning opportunities, redress inequalities, improve the
quality of learning and
teaching and deliver lifelong learning. ICT policies such as the e-Education
policy (DoE, 2004),
the Guidelines for Professional Development and Teacher Training in ICT
(DoE, 2007), and the
Professional Development Framework for Digital Learning (DBE, 2018), were
developed to
ensure that ICT is used to enhance the teaching and learning process.
However, according to
Vandeyar (2021), these policies have not been implemented. In addition, the
role of ICT in rural
education is not described in detail as an enabler of teaching and learning.
Research on ICT
school readiness conducted in twenty-four rural schools in South Africa has
indicated that
although teachers seem ready to implement ICT in teaching and learning,
they need to acquire
and develop more technical and digital skills (Mwapwele et al., 2019).
Mwapwele et al., (2019)
further add that in some instances, policies that prohibit learners from using
cell phones on the
school premises defeat the goal of policies such as the Professional
Development Framework
for Digital Learning (DBE, 2018).

ICT integration in classrooms

Embracing technology in the classroom requires teachers, as agents of

educational change, to
understand the pedagogical value of technology integration in teaching and
learning
(Kalimullina et al., 2021; Kilinc et al., 2018). Teachers play a pivotal role in
technology integration
in the classroom where gadgets such as laptops, tablets and smartphones are
used in teaching
and learning. Therefore, the teaching approach changes from being teacher-
centred to learner-
centred where teachers act as facilitators in a teaching environment where
technology is
integrated (Masdoki & Din, 2023).

There a need for a clear definition of ICT integration in teaching and learning
(Summak et al., 2010). ICT is not about technology but content and effective
instructional practices in
teaching and learning where the focus is on curriculum and learning
(Holznogel, 2005).
Integration is defined not by the amount or type of technology used but by
how and why it is
used (Holznogel, 2005). ICT has changed the way people do things and their
way of life, and
teachers need to capitalise on the use of emerging technologies that can
benefit the teaching
Page 5
236Taole, M. J
RESSAT 2024, 9(1): 232-252
and learning process (Soomro et al., 2020; Tadeu et al. 2019). Technology is
a viable tool to
ensure achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
(UNESCO, 2015), especially Goal 4, the provision of quality education.
Therefore, ICT in
education should be part of the Department’s strategic plan (Wardhni et al.,
2018). However,
Soomro et al. (2020) caution that it does not mean access to ICT is a panacea
to a nations'
development, challenges or guaranteeing development in societies.
Important lessons can be learned from global transition to technology
integration in
teaching and learning. Literature has shown that ICT can improve the quality
of life of learners
(Soomro et al., 2020) and play an essential role in developing countries
(Wardhani et al., 2018).
Some benefits include broadening opportunities for learners to collaborate
(Bengsen, 2016),
enhancing lesson presentation (Greene & Jones,2020) and helping teachers
design lesson plans
in a practical, innovative and exciting manner that would result in active
learning (Ghavifekr &
Rosdy, 2015). Success of the integration of ICT into teaching and learning
ensures that all
learners are equipped for full participation in the knowledge society when they
enter the
workforce.
Teachers must find ways to use technology to transform their teaching
practice and
create new learning opportunities. However, factors such as a lack of
resources (Porter &
Graham, 2016), access to computers and appropriate software (Habibu et al.,
2012), a lack of
training (Erduran & Ince, 2018), lack of time (Koh et al., 2015) and
connectivity issues (Brenes-
Monge et al., 2020), as well as lack of motivation from teachers and learners
to use ICT (Habibu
et al., 2012) hamper teachers' integration of technology in their classrooms.
Of concern to
teachers is that integrating ICT in the teaching and learning process could
create extra workload,
challenges and stress for teachers (Dong, 2020).
Support plays a crucial role in teachers’ use of technology. Thannimalai et al.
(2018)
indicated that principal and colleague support could improve teachers'
technological skills and
confidence in its use and Kulaksis and Karaca (2022) revealed that principal
support can act as a
motivation factor in ensuring that teachers use technology. If principals are
supportive and have
school policies in place that guide the integration of ICT in the classrooms,
teachers will be
encouraged to use ICT in their teaching.