The perceptions of school management team members and teachers regarding the management teams’ role as change agent in the integration of Information and Communication Technology for effective whole school management in Johannesburg North

M.Ed.Abstract: In 2004 the Department of Education implemented the White Paper on e-Education. The White Paper emphasized the role of educators and school managers (i.e. school management teams) in offering learners unlimited opportunities for life-long learning by enhancing teaching and learning through the use of ICT’s in the classroom. This placed a growing demand on educational institutions to use ICT as an integral part of teaching skills and knowledge to students through ICT integration. Research states however that effective ICT integration, depends on the perceptions and vision of school leaders. The purpose of this study was thus to explore the perceptions of School Management Team members and teachers regarding the SMT’s role as change agents throughout the integration of ICT’s for effective whole school management in a selected Johannesburg North primary school. This study is formulated within the theoretical context of Change Management. A qualitative research approach was applied in this study. Data in this research study were collected by means of semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. The data collected was analysed using a thematic data analysis approach. In total, eight (8) participants were selected to partake in this study from the selected primary school. Five themes were identified from the thematic analysis. These themes were briefly discussed and linked to literature in order to address the research aim and objectives. The findings in this research study revealed that the principal and SMT members perceive their role as change agents as imperative in the integration of ICT in their school and thus accept the responsibility to ensure that they not only become excellent managers of change and school leaders but ultimately draw on their professional competencies to effectively manage their school in its entirety