Abstract:

Digital technologies have become a vital lever for reforming school systems and have been recognized as strategic enabling tools in teaching and learning. Schools have been heavily paper-based and shaped by the industrial age imperatives. Through the ‘Triple Convergence’ (Friedman, 2006) lens this research attempts to open new lines of inquiry on how digital technologies are strategic enablers, facilitating school management innovation and improvement. The proposition is that digital tools are core to the operation of interwoven administrative activities in schools. The primary objective of this paper is to conduct a meta-synthesis of a systematically retrieved sample of empirical academic literature to establish how digital tools can be used to enhance and minimise various human limitations on the facilitation of delivery of services in school administration and management. The PRISMA statement is adopted to ensure transparent and complete synthesis of the literature reviewed to maintain the integrity of individual studies. Thereafter, document insights and best practices on how digital tools can be used as a strategic administrative tool in schools to accelerate cross-organisation collaboration, interaction with constituencies more efficiently, and teaching innovations to improve personalized support. In addition, this research presents an argument on harnessing digital tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the operations of schools.

Keywords:

Digital Technologies in Schools, Reforming School Systems, Strategic Enabling Tools in Teaching and Learning, ICT in Education, Management of Schools.