Towards Inclusive Learning Management Systems Integration in South African Universities of Technology

Abstract

There is increasing pressure on South African Universities of Technology (UoTs) to incorporate cutting-edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance teaching and learning. Adopting Learning Management Systems (LMSs), which offer adaptable, easily accessible, and data-driven education, is essential to this change. Nevertheless, many UoT lecturers still struggle to successfully adopt and use LMS platforms, even with investments in digital infrastructure and policy development. This study presents the equity-sensitive Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework as a conceptual addition to inclusive digital pedagogy and investigates lecturers’ experiences with LMS integration at South African UoTs. This study aimed to explore how lecturers at South African UoT experience the adoption and integration of LMSs and to examine how institutional support, digital literacy, and infrastructural factors shape inclusive digital pedagogy. The results of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of six interviews with academic staff were structured into three thematic subsections (i.e., (1) lecturers’ experiences of LMS adoption, (2) institutional, infrastructural and personal factors and (3) institutional support, training and inclusivity) that directly align with the three study’s research questions. Rethinking TPACK from an equity-sensitive perspective advances theory by establishing access and equity as central mediating conditions of technology integration, especially in Global South higher education contexts with limited resources. In practical terms, the findings show that to promote inclusive and sustainable LMS adoption, specific capacity building, policy alignment, and institutional investment are required. The paper is relevant to policymakers, academic developers, and institutional leaders because of these implications, which align with the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, the National Research Foundation (NRF) priorities, and the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) White Paper on Post-School Education.