An Examination of Social Influence and ICT Use Among Grade 10 Learners in South African Secondary Schools

An Examination of Social Influence and ICT Use Among Grade 10 Learners in South African Secondary Schools

Thilangiwi Edward Thikhathali & Christo Van der Westhuizen

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 10 2026 Article 2 pp. 1182- 1194
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267102 Published online 12th November 2026.

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ABSTRACT

Despite the significant investments in information and communication technology (ICT) within South African schools, Grade 10 students persist in underutilising digital learning tools, hence constraining engagement and the cultivation of digital competences. This quantitative study investigates the influence of social factors, specifically peers and authority figures, on ICT usage among 1,483 Grade 10 students from nine purposively sampled secondary schools. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire and processed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results indicate that authoritative people have a greater perceived impact on the use of ICT (M = 4.42) compared to peers (M= 2.89). The Pearson correlation analysis indicated a statistically significant, moderately positive association between social impact and learners’ propensity to utilise ICT (r = .308, p < .001). The study advocates for improving teacher and family support, promoting structured peer modelling, and integrating guided digital learning methodologies into classroom instruction to facilitate ICT adoption. These findings inform educational policy and practice to improve significant ICT integration among Grade 10 students in underdeveloped countries. The study addresses a gap in the literature by presenting learner-level evidence about the influence of significant others on ICT utilisation in South African secondary schools. It broadens the scope of technology acceptance research beyond its conventional emphasis on higher education and organisational contexts. The findings improve our understanding of the social aspects that affect the adoption of ICTs in educational systems in developing countries.

Keywords: Information and Communication Technology Adoption, Learners’ Intentions, Significant Others, Secondary Schools, Social Influence.

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AUTHOR(S)

Dr Thilangiwi Edward Thikhathali serves as a Senior Lecturer in Academic and Computer Literacy within the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. He possesses a Doctorate in ICT in Education from the University of Johannesburg. His scholarly pursuits encompass educational technology, digital learning, ICT integration in pedagogy, technology adoption, and the utilization of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), with a focus on social influence on ICT integration.

Christo Van der Westhuizen, PhD, is currently a Professor in Learning Technologies in the Department of Sciences and Technology Education at the Faculty of Education of the University of Johannesburg. He was employed by the North-West University Faculty of Education Sciences at the Potchefstroom Campus for 21 years, also the sub-area leader for blended learning in the research unit for self-directed learning, and subject chair for Geography Education for several years. He has been working in the field of teacher education for the past 20 years, and his research focus is the effective integration of ICT’s (including geospatial technologies) in blended learning environments to foster self-directed learning. He is an Editorial Board member of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education (JGHE).

TO CITE ARTICLE

Thikhathali, Thilangiwi Edward, and Christo Van der Westhuizen. “An Examination of Social Influence and ICT Use Among Grade 10 Learners in South African Secondary Schools.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.10(2026): 1182 – 1194. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.20267102