THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ENHANCING HIGHER EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

The objectives of this study are to explore the lived experiences of faculty members, administrators, and students and how digital transformation in higher education in Bangladesh was negotiated. This study was anchored on transformational change theory and the technology acceptance model (TAM) and relies on a phenomenological method to explore stakeholders’ perceptions and emotional responses to digital integration and, therefore, the systemic barriers. The findings are based on in-depth interviews with 50 participants from public and private universities who navigated institutional expectations, (dis)power by technology, reconceptualized pedagogical roles, negotiated equity and access, and imagined a digitizing inclusive future. Findings more broadly demonstrate the complex interactions between being personally prepared and institutionally ready to innovate and how they will either enable or impede innovative opportunities and equity of innovation outcomes. Participants expressed hope for digital reform despite infrastructural inadequacies, provided it is inclusive, incorporates strategic training, and invests concurrently. Theoretically, this study describes sociotechnical change and, practically and policy-wise, makes recommendations for more equitable digital transformation of Bangladesh’s higher education. Article visualizations: