The Challenges that hinder the Integration of Pedagogical Content Knowledge with Technology to support ICT Teachers – A Case Study of a South African Secondary School
Lehlohonolo Mofana 
& Matsolo Mokhampanyane
Issue: Vol.6 No.9 Article 18 pp.2003 – 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256918 | Published online 28th August, 2025
© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This empirical paper discusses the challenges that hinder the integration of technological pedagogical content knowledge in education. The study employed Critical Emancipation Research (CER) as a theory that advocates empowerment, social justice, and social inclusion for teachers who lack digital skills to integrate technology into the classroom. Data was generated using focus group discussions through participatory action research. A focus group discussion was conducted with 6 participants, who are teachers in a particular secondary school where the research was conducted. This focus group comprised six teachers, including the two grade 9 Technology teachers, two English grade 10 to 12 teachers and two Mathematics and Geography grade 10 to 12 teachers. The study findings indicated that teachers lack digital skills, educational resources, and computer labs and libraries. Based on the findings, the study recommends that teachers have digital skills through continuous professional development. Additionally, schools must be equipped with educational digital resources through sponsorships and the Department of Basic Education to advance schools by building computer laboratories and libraries to improve the integration of technology as a strategy. This study contributed to changing teachers ‘perceptions on technology integration and agreed to transform the classroom from traditional to digital for the benefit of our learners. Furthermore, this study has shown that the existing gap between traditional and modern teaching methods can be closed through technology integration. Therefore, the researchers have opened the door for other scholars to continue researching this related topic in search of possible solutions in the future.
Keywords: Digital Skills, Digital Resources, Technology Integration, Infrastructure
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Lehlohonolo Mofana is a master’s student (education) at Central University of Technology in the Faculty of Humanities, Free State (Welkom Campus), South Africa. His research study explored challenges impeding the integration of technology in secondary schools. He is a teacher by profession at a secondary school in Welkom.
Prof. Matsolo Mokhampanyane is an Accounting Education Professor in the Faculty of Humanities within the Department of Language and Social Science Education at Central University of Technology, Free State (Welkom Campus), South Africa. Her research focused more on Pedagogical content knowledge of Accounting, Transformative pedagogy, and accounting knowledge.
Mofana, Lehlohonolo, and Matsolo Mokhampanyane. “The Challenges that hinder the Integration of Pedagogical Content Knowledge with Technology to support ICT Teachers – A Case Study of a South African Secondary School,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 6, no. 9 (2025): 2003 – 2014, https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20256918.
© 2025 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
