Committed but Constrained: School Administrative Support for ICT Integration in Public Secondary Schools in Mkuranga District, Tanzania

Salehe Shomvi; Prospery M.  Mwila

doi:10.61227/et1acb67

Authors

Salehe Shomvi School Quality Assurance Officer : Mukuranga District
Prospery M. Mwila Saint Augustine University of Tanzania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61227/et1acb67

Keywords:

administrative support, digital leadership, ICT integration, public secondary schools, Tanzania, Technology Acceptance Model

Abstract

Digital education has become a priority, yet school-level implementation remains uneven because devices, maintenance, technical support, and teacher development are not consistently available. This study examined how school administrative support facilitates or constrains ICT integration in secondary-school teaching and learning in Mkuranga District. Its objective was to explain the leadership, professional-support, and institutional conditions shaping implementation. A qualitative approach and multiple-case-study design were used in three ICT-equipped public secondary schools. The sample comprised 33 participants: three heads of schools, three ICT teachers, three subject teachers, and 24 Form Three and Form Four students. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, six focus-group discussions, and three 40-minute classroom observations. After institutional and administrative clearance, participants were recruited purposively, with subject teachers identified through snowball sampling; interviews and discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and supported by field notes. Data were coded manually and analysed inductively using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic procedure, while the Technology Acceptance Model informed interpretation. Credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability were strengthened through triangulation, member checking, thick description, reflexive journaling, and an audit trail. Participation was voluntary, informed consent was obtained, identities were protected, and data were stored. Findings show that leaders encouraged ICT use, mobilised resources, enabled peer learning, and organised technical assistance, but shortages of equipment, maintenance finance, and specialist personnel restricted consistent classroom use. The study concludes that leadership cannot substitute for institutional capacity. It recommends ring-fenced maintenance funding, digital plans, job-embedded professional learning, reliable technical support, and utilisation-focused monitoring aligned with Tanzania’s digital education strategy.

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