As the Fourth Industrial Revolution progresses, the effects of transformation in information and communication technology (ICT) have influenced all spheres of life. These changes have necessitated pedagogical transformation in the modern classroom. Many countries have, therefore, moved from traditional approaches in education to a 21st century learning (21CL) framework with ICT being a necessary and critical facet thereof. In the research reported on here I aimed to determine how South African private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal use ICT in their pedagogy. The research purpose juxtaposes the findings of this research with global methods used in ICT and education. This research is underpinned by the positivist and interpretivist paradigms, and the conceptual framework of 21st century skills. A mixed methods research approach was adopted and the research strategy was a case study. This study reveals that South African private secondary schools are in the initial stages of ICT implementation. Some of their ICT practices are aligned with global trends, while others differ. ICT lessons were more formalised in the junior grades but were found lacking in the senior grades. Schools’ ICT teams were understaffed and not adequately trained, and school leaders were not actively using ICT.

https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v46n1a2550

ORCiD iD of author:
Michael Dean Edmund Naidoo - https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4773-9239