Intermediate phase teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in english first additional language classes at selected schools in low-income communities in the Western Cape.

Abstract

Persistent inequalities within South Africa’s school system extend into the information and communication technologies (ICT) integration , where barriers are shaped not only by access to resources but also by teachers’ attitudes towards adoption. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the impact of such attitudinal resistance, deepening educational inequalities during the shift to digital platforms. While schools in low-income communities are often under-resourced, the sites selected for this study were moderately equipped with ICT, offering an opportunity to explore the extent to which teacher attitudes influence the effective use of technology in English First Additional Language (EFAL) classrooms. The central research question that guided the study was: What are Intermediate Phase teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in EFAL classrooms in selected low-income schools in the Western Cape? The study utilised the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), highlighting perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as key factors influencing technology adoption. A qualitative case study design was utilized, involving 15 EFAL teachers from Grades 4 to 6 across three primary schools in lower-quintile communities. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, questionnaires, and field notes, collected in two phases between April 2023 and March 2024. Thematic analysis, supported by Atlas.ti, enabled an inductive exploration of teachers’ dispositions and practices. The findings demonstrate that while many teachers expressed positive attitudes towards ICT, the integration within classrooms was uneven and often conditional on perceptions of ease of use and usefulness. Leadership support, collaboration with peers, and targeted professional development were identified as key enablers of ICT adoption. In contrast, infrastructural challenges, misalignment between available technologies and pedagogical objectives, and uncertainty about instructional relevance acted as inhibitors. The study also revealed that teachers’ stated enthusiasm for technology did not always translate into practice, highlighting a discrepancy between professed attitudes and actual implementation. This research extends the Technology Acceptance Model by illustrating how perceptions of usefulness are shaped by both subject-specific demands and the contextual realities of under-resourced schools. It contributes new knowledge by foregrounding the role of teacher attitudes as both a driver and a constraint in ICT integration. The findings carry significant implications for practice and policy: professional development must be ongoing and context-responsive; ICT initiatives should be aligned with curriculum and language learning objectives; and policy frameworks should move beyond infrastructure provision to explicitly address