School principals' implementation of Information and Communication Technology Policy in Lagos state secondary schools, Nigeria

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate how the secondary school principals in Lagos State implements the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy. The study provided an understanding of how the policy is implemented while making recommendations regarding the implementation processes. The policy implementation theory from the bottom-up approach viewpoint developed by Lipsky in 1980 was adopted as the theoretical framework for this study. This was considered applicable to this study because it provides a more feasible and dependable alternative to the top-down approach, which sees the government as the solitary player in policymaking. The study used a qualitative approach, while interpretivism was employed as a research paradigm. Eight school principals from Surulere and Mushin local governments in Lagos State were interviewed. This study used a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) called Atlas ti version 9 to identify and code quotations which were further analysed and synthesised to form higher themes, some of which emerged to address the research questions. The findings indicate that secondary school principals have a positive attitude towards ICT despite the odds involved in managing the implementation of ICT in their school environments. Results also revealed that they could not act as instructional leaders in implementing ICT in teaching and learning because of the unclarity of their roles in the policy guidebook. Lack of ICT equipment, poor internet network, limited financial support, poor maintenance, and poor implementation of government policies on ICT appeared as potential factors affecting the implementation of ICT in Lagos State secondary schools. Lastly, findings highlight possible strategies for addressing ICT policy implementation challenges in schools, such as shared vision, motivation of teachers and students, and consistent education and training. Key words: Information and Communication Technology; ICT policy; policy development; policy implementation; school management, administration and leadership.