Reconceptualising ICT Policy Implementation in Secondary School Education in Zimbabwe: A Theoretical Criticism

Abstract

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, ICT tools, implementation 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 reconceptualization of policy implementation to address meaningful ICT integration in resource-strapped pedagogical environments of the Global South. We argue for the adoption of available resources in mitigating the dearth of technology integration in education for poor economies. We conclude by proposing a model for the adoption of the smart phone as an ICT tool for teaching and learning for secondary school classrooms.