Digital Technology Enabled Education for Sustainable Development in South Africa: A Case Study of a University of Technology

SouthAfrica is confronted with various social development challenges, and the higher education sector is well-positioned to address these challenges by developing and implementing appropriate solutions. Furthermore, as technology becomes more prominent in the global development agenda, its adoption in higher education holds great promise for advancing education by overcoming some traditional barriers and transforming pedagogical practices and learning outcomes. This study seeks to understand how the integration digital technologies with teaching and learning activities can facilitate education for sustainable development (ESD) in the context of a university of technology to enhance students' learning outcomes and competencies needed in today's job market. The research design adopted is a qualitative case study approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively selected participants at a university of technology. The data analysis was guided by the Unified theory of acceptance and use technology (UTAUT) as a theoretical lens to identify patterns and interpretations of digital technology enabled ESD. Data analysis suggests that facilitating conditions such as educator training, adequate policies and strategies, and reliable digital infrastructure are important determinants of the behavioral intentions to use digital technology to facilitate ESD. Furthermore, social factors such as digital divide can impede adequate use of technology in ESD. The study contributes towards understanding factors that enable effective integration of digital technologies to facilitate ESD in higher education.