PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AVAILABLE IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST DIGITAL SKILLS OF TEACHERS IN SELECTED RURAL SCHOOLS IN SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa, policies indicate that teachers should continue to integrate Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in their teaching in classrooms. The present study aimed to explore professional development programmes available in ICT to boost digital skills of rural teachers in selected rural schools in South Africa. In this study, an exploratory case study research design was adopted. In this research, the study sample was ten participants, which comprised of two deputy principals, two principals, two deputy principals, two head of grades, two senior phase head of department and finally two foundation phase heads of department. The schools that were selected for the study were sampled using purposive sampling method. In this research, data was collected using semi-structure interviews. In this study, the interview data was analyzed using thematic approach. The findings of the study revealed that ICTs are yet to have a significant impact on education practices on what and how people, teachers and pupils in rural schools learn and use ICT in their schools. School managers declared that professional development in ICT is an important skill especially for teachers because as administrators, they may use computer packages to lessen their administrative work and enhance their teaching. the study recommends that School Management Teams in South Africa should familiarize themselves with the technology adoption policies and the training programs available.