Leadership practices and support structures enabling teachers’ informal learning for educational technology use: an appreciative inquiry approach

ABSTRACT

Teachers increasingly turn to informal learning but often encounter challenges in their agency to improve technology integration practices. Through a qualitative paradigm and partly adopting the strength-based Appreciative Inquiry (AI) method, this study explored best leadership practices and considered how teachers’ self-directed learning might be enabled to better support technology use in pedagogy. Applying the discovery and dream phases of AI, the study engaged Ghana’s teachers, headteachers and education officials in constructive phone dialogues to identify practices that foster teachers’ informal learning. Different shared themes emerged through thematic analysis, revealing enabling leadership and support mechanisms contributing to teachers’ self-directed learning. Leadership support from key individuals at home, the district, and the school ecosystem surfaced as enablers for engagement in informal learning during the discovery phase. At the dream stage, teacher motivation, access to computers, headteachers’ leadership for collaborative learning, and dedicated time for independent and informal collaboration were envisioned to nurture teachers’ cointinuing self-directed learning. Findings have implications for education researchers and leaders to transition from deficits towards a strength-based inquiry as a promising tool to uncover inspiring leadership practices, actors, and support structures that cultivate and reinforce teachers’ self-directed learning to supplement formal professional development for technology integration.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher
• informal learning
• appreciative inquiry
• professional development
• technology integration
• leadership practice

Introduction

Teachers, including those in Ghana, face growing pressure to incorporate technology constructively into their teaching practices and prepare students for the demands of the contemporary knowledge economy and information society (Abedi 2023). Teachers, like professionals in other fields, are influenced by the continuous and rapid changes in society, particularly the use of digital technology in pedagogy (Sprott 2019, Barton and Dexter 2020). While teachers regularly receive traditional forms of formal professional development, which is critical, these one-size-fits-all, structured, formalised, and purposefully directed approaches usually suffer from fragmentation, lack of cohesion, and ineffectiveness in advancing teachers’ learning for technology use (Tondeur, Forkosh-Baruch, Prestridge, Albion, and Edirisinghe Tondeur et al. 2016). These limitations of formal professional development are evident in Ghana, resulting in such programs rarely meeting teachers’ learning and classroom needs (Abakah et al. 2022, Abakah 2023, Abedi and Ackah-Jnr 2023; Tsapali et al 2021.).

In tandem with the rapid advancements in technology, the challenges associated with formal technology professional development (Abedi et al. 2021; Jones and Dexter 2018), and the emergence and widespread popularity of digital media and web-based technologies, informal learning – used interchangeably with self-directed learning in this study – has gradually become prevalent among teachers. This mode of professional learning offers individuals the opportunity to independently and flexibly choose what, when, and where to study to supplement formal professional development (Tan et al. 2022, Abedi et al. 2023). Social media, in particular, provides self-generating and on-demand learning platforms that enable teachers to access a wide range of resources, connect with peers for informal mentoring, and engage in collaborative learning and sharing of ideas for continuing professional learning (Prestridge 2019, Sharimova and Wilson 2022, Mercado and Shin 2023, Staudt Willet 2023). Informal learning, characterised as self-initiated, directed and driven by personal agency, hence, emerges as a key facet of teachers’ professional development, with the potential to promote skills development (Evans 2019, Lecat et al. 2020, Abedi et al. 2023). Kyndt et al. (2016) refer to such learning as learner-initiated and continuous activities that occur outside the formal context of training and professional courses, with no scheduled learning content. Jacobs and Park (2009) note that individuals often engage in such learning to acquire the needed skills and knowledge to meet job requirements. Teachers engage in self-directed learning through various activities, including trialling, reflecting on their teaching practice, learning from peers, and acquiring new knowledge during daily classroom activities (Abedi et al. 2023, Copur-Gencturk and Li 2023). Lecat, Raemdonck, Beausaert, and März (Lecat et al. 2019) categorise informal learning as embracing social and individual learning and learning from non-interpersonal sources.

Independent of formal professional development programmes, Barton and Dexter (2020) report that a significant proportion of teachers acknowledge as important and engage in informal and self-directed learning to improve skills and knowledge for technology integration. The appreciation of informal learning as integral to teachers’ professional development and daily lives emphasises the need for educational institutions and policymakers to recognise and support these self-directed learning activities with relevant structures. Although informal learning is widespread and its benefits acknowledged, it has received relatively limited attention in research (Lecat et al. 2020). To Schugurensky (2015), the popularity of informal learning has only surged since the late 20th century. Despite its mounting significance in recent years, there are concerns about external and individual factors that impede teachers’ active participation in such self-directed learning activities (Opfer and Pedder 2011, Kaulēns 2019). Additionally, research into the conditions that support and encourage teachers to fully engage in informal learning remains scarce. Giust (2013, p. 69) stated ‘the research lacks a comprehensive description of how informal learning could be facilitated in schools’.

Scholars underline the need for further research on the conditions that can enhance informal learning among teachers (Lohman 2006, Kyndt et al. 2016, Gairín Sallán et al. 2022). Lecat et al. (2019) argued that teachers’ informal learning should be strategically supported by gaining a better insight into their motivations and enablers. There are some desk review studies on the antecedents and inhibitors of teacher informal learning (e.g. Jeong et al. 2018, Kyndt et al. 2016, Kaulens 2019, Kyndt et al. 2018). Similarly, other empirical studies (e.g. Lohman 2000, 2006, Sprott 2019) have sought to support teacher engagement by examining and highlighting factors that both promote and inhibit informal learning. Presently, there is a dearth of studies that employ a strength-based inquiry and specifically ask about what has helped or could advance teachers’ learning.

This study provides complementary understandings to the extant literature by incorporating elements of Appreciative Inquiry (A1), a positive psychology and strengths-based method (Cooperrider and Srivastava 1987), to investigate multiple educational stakeholders’ views, enabling practices and new ways to support teachers’ participation in informal learning for technology use. The study takes a different approach by shifting from a traditional problem-solving method to a positive examination of what is already working well and what could work best for teachers’ informal learning to use technology. Scott and Armstrong (2019) support the need to disrupt deficit discourses and apply strengths-based methods to understand the professional learning needs of teachers and enact positive change. Summarily, this study aims to explore from AI inquiry, a strengths-based outlook, current enablers, and support mechanisms envisioned to further advance teachers’ active engagement in informal learning for technology use in classrooms. The study is grounded in the belief that by identifying and developing what is functioning well and how these can be enhanced; future transformative change in teachers’ professional learning and practices can be reached.

In the following section, we operationalise the application of AI in this study. We then explain the methodological design, present, and discuss the study findings. In the conclusion segment, we interpret the findings and discuss implications for shifting attention to strength-based approaches to capturing enabling practices that enhance teachers’ informal learning.

Appreciative inquiry

According to Cooperrider and Srivastava (1987), AI is a philosophy and organisational change model, which is associated with positive inquiry and strength-based thinking. Cooperrider and Srivastava described AI as the art and practice of inquiry that through multiple perspectives, explores ‘unconditional positive questions’ about what works and strengthens systems or peoples’ capacity to achieve desired potential. AI, also a method of research, is adopted in this study as an analytical lens to facilitate positive interactions about current practices and support mechanisms that can foster teachers’ informal learning for educational technology use. AI, which has received scholarly attention, assumes that positive-thinking individuals can advance change in organisations when engaged in constructive dialogues that capture and amplify positive practices and strengths in their immediate environment than those that centre on identifying deficits (Whitney and Trosten-Bloom 2010).

Best known for its applications in organisational contexts, where it originated, educational researchers, such as Buchanan (2014), Sargent and Casey (2021), Flavell (2023), Shuayb et al. (2009) and Tschannen-Moran and Hofer (2018) believe AI is a promising and suitable approach to facilitate change in education, including issues surrounding teachers’ use of technology in classrooms. AI has demonstrated its adaptability in varied educational fields and settings, indicating its potential suitability for facilitating teacher learning in the context of technology integration. Appreciative Inquiry is typically actioned in four phases (Whitney and Trosten-Bloom 2010). The first step – the discovery stage – is concerned with people’s reflections on best experiences and practices that ‘work’ or ‘give life’ to organisations. The second, the dream stage, requires people to envisage themselves, their practices, and institutions at their best and to think creatively about the future based on past experiences. It investigates what might be and how we want to be in the future. The design stage entails designing and co-constructing provocative plans for future change. Destiny, the final step, invites people to review proposals for change about new insights and objectives that could lead to the development of action plans.

The use of AI in this study is limited to the discovery and dream phases of the AI cycle as the present study is not a full participatory or action research. The partial adoption of AI in this study is grounded in previous research. For instance, Robinson, Priede, Farrall, Shapland, and McNeill (2013) conducted a study in the UK titled ‘Doing “strengths-based” research: Appreciative Inquiry in a probation setting.’ In their study, they applied the first two phases of AI – discovery and dream – to explore the concept of ‘quality’ in probation practice. Their findings supported the fruitfulness of incorporating some elements of AI into research studies. In educational research, Shuayb et al. (2009, p. 1) stated that ‘it is possible to borrow some elements from AI and integrate them into the traditional [research] process’. Other researchers in education have recently incorporated discrete elements of AI into their small-scale studies. Ankomah (2022) utilised the first phase (discovery) of the AI 4-D cycle to examine the conditions that contributed to the happiness and engagement of international master’s students in their studies at a Canadian University during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher deemed this approach crucial as it allowed for the identification of positive experiences and conditions that notably enhanced students’ engagement in their studies. Shuayb et al. (2009), however, underscored the need for researchers to acknowledge the partial adoption of AI and the borrowed elements in their research. The present study imbued the discovery and dream phases of AI to achieve two main objectives: (1) to capture existing leadership and best practices that facilitate informal learning (discovery), and (2) to identify support practices envisioned to enhance teachers’ learning for technology use (dream).

Methodological approach

This study employed an exploratory qualitative research approach within an AI methodological frame. The research drew on the first two stages of the 4-D cycle of AI, namely discovery and dream, for data collection and analysis. The study covered two main questions, centred on what already works and the anticipated conditions for enabling informal learning for technology use, drawing on multiple perspectives to build a thorough picture. These research objectives led to the selection of an AI-based methodology. Scott and Armstrong (2019) argue that AI methodology is one of the applicable qualitative approaches that can generate in-depth and strength-based data on teacher professional learning.

Participants, sampling, and data collection instrument

The research was conducted in Ghana’s Eastern region, specifically in two educational districts. Twenty public school teachers, five headteachers, and five district education officers from these districts participated. The participants whose perspectives and experiences were pertinent to the study’s objectives were selected using purposeful sampling (Bryman 2016). The selection criteria centred on district education officials and school heads responsible for teacher professional development and technology integration, as well as teachers who engaged in self-directed and informal learning for technology integration.

The majority of the teachers were in the age range of 30–34 and had teaching experience ranging from 2 to 12 years. All teachers had professional training and at least a Bachelor of Education degree. The headteachers were all males, primarily aged between 35–39, with the eldest falling between 50–54. The majority of headteachers held a bachelor’s degree in education, with the most qualified holding a master’s in educational leadership. Their experience as headteachers ranged from two to six years. All five education officials were males and held various positions such as Circuit supervisors, Municipal Training Officers, and Municipal ICT coordinators. Three of them held bachelor’s degrees, while the other two had master’s degrees. Their professional experience ranged from 2 to 20 years. To ensure anonymity, participants’ names were replaced with pseudonyms. Male teachers were designated with the prefix ‘MT’, female teachers with ‘FT’, headteachers with ‘HT’, and education officials with ‘EO’.

Data for this study were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted over the phone and via the Internet. Researchers are increasingly using technology-mediated research tools, such as phones and the Internet, for qualitative research and remote data collection, whereas traditional in-person interviews remain prevalent. This shift is due to the widespread use of smartphones and internet connectivity in daily life activities (Saarijärvi and Bratt 2021). Telephone interviews enabled the inclusion of geographically dispersed participants across the participating districts in a constrained amount of time.

Given the importance of the nature of interview questions in AI (Whitney and Trosten-Bloom 2010), this study’s semi-structured phone interviews were designed to be appreciative. The questions posed to teachers, headteachers, and education officials reflected the framing of questions in the discovery and dream stages of the AI process. During the discovery phase, for example, a question was posed to elicit positive aspects of teachers’ informal learning, such as ‘What factors have contributed to creating a supportive environment for informal learning for technology integration?’ During the dream phase, participants were encouraged to imagine ideal future practices that can enable informal learning by responding to questions such as, ‘What innovative practices and strategies can you imagine that would further enhance teachers’ informal learning for technology use?’ Participants were contacted multiple times prior to interviews, with their consent, to establish rapport and potentially reduce attrition. Creating a positive rapport was essential for eliciting positive recollections and uplifting stories from participants via conversational interviewing (Bushe 2013). The interview data were recorded and transcribed for subsequent analysis.

Data analysis

The interview transcripts were thematically analysed using Miles and Huberman’s (1994) Three-Phase Thematic Analysis method for qualitative data analysis. Data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing comprised the analysis process. After familiarising with the interview transcripts and organising them, the data were reduced by breaking it down into smaller units of meaning, labelling, and clustering it by similarities and relationships. In the second stage, data patterns and themes were identified, mapped, and compared for meaning. In the final stage, themes and patterns were generated to draw conclusions and gain deeper insights into leading teachers’ informal learning best practices.

The data analysis occurred in two main stages. First, an inductive bottom-up approach was used to open-code and categorise initial themes based on data and participant words. In the second stage, a deductive approach was used to shape and broadly categorise the themes, which were informed by the discovery and dream phases of AI. This procedure ensured that themes aligned with the study’s objectives and reflected both existing best practices (discovery) and envisioned support mechanisms (dream) for informal learning. Several methods, including data triangulation, participant quotations to support themes, and returning summaries of interview transcripts and initial findings to some participants for feedback on the accuracy of data interpretations and conclusions drawn (Stahl and King 2020) were commissioned to ensure the trustworthiness of the study and findings.

Findings and discussion

Discovery phase: leadership practices and actors that support teacher informal and self-directed learning for technology integration

This section presents findings on teachers, headteachers and education officials’ constructive views of existing leadership practices and actors at the home, school and district levels that support teachers’ self-directed learning for technology use. Findings were informed by the discovery facet of AI, which aims to capture examples of current successes for future change.

District-level (education officials) leadership support for self-directed learning

District leaders were found to play a crucial role in leading and facilitating teachers’ self-directed learning for technology use. The actions of district education officials, such as ICT coordinators and district training officers, were particularly significant in providing technical support, instructional guidance, and networked learning platforms to assist teachers. It was reported that the ICT coordinator, in addition to fulfilling formal duties such as assisting teachers and addressing ICT issues in schools, actively shared learning resources with teachers on a social media platform. This online community served as a platform where teachers could access ICT learning materials, and collaborate with peers. Online communities offer teachers flexible opportunities for self-learning and collaboration, supporting their professional growth (Dille and Røkenes 2021, Eradze et al. 2023).

In the municipality, I think the teachers, especially the ICT teachers, are doing something informally to learn about ICT. They have an informal group led by the district ICT coordinator where they meet once in a while to share ideas. They usually organise it through the WhatsApp group platform. So, teachers are learning to use technology on their own.

(EO-Albert)

The ICT coordinator’s support was further exhibited in his monitoring and provision of exemplary technology lessons in classrooms, which teachers observe and learn from.

I move from school to school to observe and assist teachers with technology use. During one of those visits, a teacher told me that he was great at the theory part of teaching but not so good at the practical part with technology, so I did the practical part for him to observe and learn from.

(EO-Boahene)

Teacher Kingso, along with other teachers asserted that the ICT coordinator often visits schools to offer the needed support for teachers’ learning and teaching with ICT.

When a problem arises, I contact the [ICT] coordinator. I first consult with peers who can assist, and if that fails, I refer it to the district ICT coordinator, who comes to provide technical and teaching assistance. This promotes the use of technology in the classroom.

(MT-Kingso)

The comments from both the education official and the teacher shed light on the supportive role of district education officials in leading and assisting teachers to learn self-directedly for technology integration. The district ICT coordinator’s support for school and off-school informal learning activities is indicative that such leaders, including other formal structures and resources can impact teachers’ independent learning and development to use technology in the classroom. This finding highlights the essentialness of district leadership practices and their contributions to enabling teachers to engage in self-directed learning and be motivated to incorporate technology into teaching practices.

School-level leadership support for teacher informal learning

Support from headteachers and teacher leaders, such as curriculum leaders, ICT teachers, and other teachers who possess knowledge about technology and are considered ‘experts’, was shared as crucial for enabling teachers’ informal learning for technology integration at the school level. These school-based leaders and their distributed contributions are discussed.

Headteachers’ support for informal learning

Headteachers played a crucial role in leading and supporting teachers’ informal and self-directed learning for technology use in schools through various actions. One of these actions involved fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration, where teachers could freely share ideas and learn from each other. Headteachers recognised the need to create an inclusive school culture that encouraged teamwork and facilitated teachers’ participation in community learning. Additionally, they provided essential technological resources to assist teachers in their learning journey for technology integration. Headteacher Mensah specifically highlighted the enactment of a system in his school that promoted a team learning culture.

I implemented a collaborative system in which any teacher facing a challenge can rely on other colleagues who are skilled in that area, and it is working very well. Teachers can use this system to collaborate and share ideas for improving their technology-supported teaching practices. This is something I strongly encourage among teachers at my school.

(HT-Mensah)

Some school heads actively supported informal learning by motivating teachers to engage in self-education to integrate technology. Joseph indicated the importance of self-upgrading and encouraged teachers to enhance their knowledge and teaching skills by reading and conducting internet research with available resources, such as their mobile phones.

Headteachers show enough concern about integrating ICT in teaching. Personally, I encourage my teachers to do their best to learn how to integrate technology into their teaching, even if it means using their mobile phones to access the internet for up-to-date information and content.

(HT-Joseph)

Teachers also praised their headteachers for their leadership in fostering informal learning through the promotion of team learning and knowledge sharing. Teacher Morris shared an experience of how his headteacher constantly encouraged collegial interactions and mentorship among teachers and provided the necessary conditions for teacher ‘experts’ and leaders to act as role models and offer technical and instructional support to their colleagues.

My headmaster always tells us to ‘model the model teacher’. He advises us to approach colleagues who are better in specific areas than us, and make them our mentors and become better like them. He encourages us to collaborate and model ourselves to develop together.

(MT-Morris)

Some teachers noted that headteachers facilitate informal learning by offering ICT resources and arranging for external ICT experts to conduct workshops for teachers in schools.

My headmaster occasionally brings resource persons or facilitators to our school to lead professional learning communities, which encourages use to learn. He usually consults with other ICT experts to assist teachers in learning. He also brings well-explained notes or textbooks on ICT, which we use to teach the students.

(MT-Lexy)

The remarks from the teachers and headteachers suggest the critical role of school heads in nurturing teachers’ informal learning for technology use. The inspiration and urge headteachers offer create an environment that builds trust, and fosters teacher interactions and informal collaboration. Transformative teacher learning requires openness and collaboration cultures, which school leaders can foster (Admiraal et al. 2021, López-Crespo and Gairín Sallán 2023). These headteacher leadership practices, embedded in a formal structure, are seen as strategies that promote teacher technology development (Christensen et al. 2018).

Teacher ‘experts’ leadership support for informal learning

A crucial practice identified in supporting teachers’ informal learning for technology integration at the school level was the leadership and contribution of teacher ‘experts’ and leaders who were recognised for their experience, knowledge, and expertise in technology. These ‘expert’ teachers and curriculum leaders, possessing further ICT education credentials and taught ICT as a subject, played a significant role as internal resource persons, providing valuable leadership, and informal mentorship to other colleague teachers in schools.

Many teachers and school leaders expressed positive attitudes towards the support and leadership provided by these local ‘expert’ teachers, who willingly allowed their colleagues to observe at firsthand and emulate their successful classroom practices related to technology integration. A Municipal training officer, Samuel, indicated that ‘informally, teachers learn from their colleagues who serve as experts and leaders in their various schools to integrate technology’. Teacher Nana also posited that she learns from other teachers who teach ICT courses in her school. She stated, ‘I usually consult the ICT teacher in my school if I don’t understand something when teaching’. She sometimes ‘observed and listened to the ICT teacher when he is teaching with technology’. Christensen et al. (2018) found that observing classes and engaging in mutual interactions with technology-savvy teachers as learning leaders is essential for enhancing teachers’ development in technology integration. Teacher Luke reiterated the value of teachers proactively initiating conversations with ICT-savvy teachers when they encounter specific challenges in integrating technology.

If I am having a problem with integration, what I do most of the time is to consult with some of my colleagues who are very ICT-oriented to figure or find out how some lessons could be delivered using ICT.

(MT-Luke)

Some teachers expressed the valuable opportunity to learn from curriculum leaders who take on the role of peer trainers within schools. Teacher Kal shared his experience of benefiting from a technology trainer or ‘train the trainer’ teacher who had previously attended a national training programme. Albert, an education official, further stressed the significance of curriculum leaders in fostering teachers’ learning and growth in technology use.

Curriculum leaders in schools identify teacher needs and initiate training. They are teachers who are often chosen to attend ICT training workshops and return to their respective schools to teach their colleagues. They are the first responders, serving as resource persons whenever teachers encounter difficulties while teaching with technology.

(EO-Albert)

These findings show that the informal mentorship and leadership provided by ‘expert’ teachers, specifically ICT teachers and curriculum leaders, play a vital role in enabling informal learning practices for technology use among both new and experienced teachers in schools. This finding holds significance and aligns with previous research that evidences the continuous learning and development of teachers for technology use through peer and collaborative learning in schools (Prestridge and Main 2018). Findings suggest that teacher leadership may be a potent means of enhancing teachers’ informal learning in schools.

Home-level (friends and families) support for teacher informal learning

The study findings reveal that support from friends and family members at home plays a critical role in facilitating teachers’ informal learning for technology integration. Close friends and family, including partners who possess knowledge and understanding of technology-related matters, have a significant influence on teachers and provide valuable assistance in their learning journey outside of the school setting. For many teacher participants, relying on and learning from knowledgeable individuals within their personal and close circles presents fundamental opportunities to supplement their pre-service training and formal professional development and enhance their competencies in technology use.

Teacher Richard found it beneficial to acquire knowledge and skills in technology integration from friends who possess expertise in this area. He stated, ‘I visit [at home] friends that use ICT and are more skilled in integration to learn from [them] and apply it in my teaching’. Teacher Kingso similarly echoed that he acquires additional knowledge in technology integration by seeking guidance and advice from close friends outside of the school. ‘Most of the ideas that I have [integrating ICT] come from friends that are closer to me and not only from the school’. Other teachers also highlighted the appreciated opportunity of learning from close family members as an alternative and reliable resource when seeking additional assistance in technology integration. Teacher Esi shared that she learns to acquire knowledge and skills to integrate technology by tapping into the expertise of family affiliates who are competent in ICT. The primary school teachers posted, ‘I learn at home from my husband, who is an ICT teacher to use technology in my teaching’.

The experiences shared by these teachers highlight the significant role of friends and family outside the school context in providing additional learning opportunities for teachers to integrate technology. Previous research (Kyndt et al. 2016) has also found the value of interacting with non-colleagues and learning from friends at home as a beneficial means for teachers to acquire knowledge and skills from relevant individuals. These findings suggest that learning from friends and family members is increasingly becoming a prominent avenue for teachers to gain insights into technology integration. As Van den Beemt and Diepstraten (2016) argued, learning from relevant individuals outside of the school milieu can ignite teachers’ interest and create new learning avenues to support their use of technology.

Dream phase: envisioned best practices that could advance teachers’ informal learning for technology integration

The data not only captured current supportive leadership practices but also four key practices envisioned by the teachers, headteachers, and education officials as ideal support conditions and structures that could enhance teachers’ informal and self-directed learning for technology integration. Finding the ideal future state is an integral part of AI’s dream phase, which inspires forward-thinking and allows individuals to generate creative ideas for future change.

Teacher motivation

The majority of teachers, education officials, and headteachers identified the need for teachers to be motivated to learn and implement new practices of technology use in the classroom. Two motivational sources were identified: external and internal. At the extrinsic level, participants expressed that incentives and resources from district leaders and the government were essential to motivate teachers to engage in informal learning for technology use. The availability of technological tools, financial incentives, and recognition of efforts were specifically highlighted as important motivators. The need for external motivation arises from some teachers’ lack of interest in learning ICT, which can be attributed to the perceived high costs of private training and limited access to technological tools. Headteacher Ayeh reiterated the significance of technological resources as a catalyst for teachers’ self-learning.

Due to inadequate ICT tools in schools, some teachers show no interest in learning to integrate technology into their teaching. So, they need to be motivated to learn about it by providing them with the necessary technological resources.

(HT-Ayeh)

Teacher Richard’s excerpt below demonstrates that teachers’ recognition and rewards from school and district leaders are motivators for teachers to learn and teach with technology. His comments imply the importance of acknowledging and commending teachers who are already engaged in informal learning, as this motivates and inspires other teachers.

Teachers trying to learn to integrate ICT should be commended or awarded with some incentives to boost their morale to continue. Teachers who are doing well in research to integrate ICT, maybe once in a term or a year, can be awarded by the district. Even if nothing is given, mentioning their names in public can be encouraging. When this is done, other colleagues will join in to learn how to integrate technology.

(MT-Richard)

The need for teachers to be intrinsically motivated to learn was highlighted prominently in participants’ aspired dialogues. Echoing the assertion by Keller and Suzuki (2004) that learners who are intrinsically motivated to learn will acquire new knowledge with the available resources, some school and district leaders urged teachers to have the desire and interest to self-learn using the resources available to them. When advocating for the need for motivation to come from teachers themselves, Adam, an education official, expressed that ‘teachers must have the inherent motivation to learn on their own to support their teaching with the little resources they have at their disposal [rather] than to wait for external assistance from leaders. They can innovate in their teaching through the will to learn’. Education official Albert similarly backed the importance of teachers being internally motivated for informal learning, but he underscored the central role of external factors in triggering and nurturing such intrinsic desire for self-learning. He stated:

Motivation plays an important role in teachers’ preparedness for learning. If teachers are not self-motivated in the first place, they cannot desire to learn informally to use technology. Motivation should first come from the teachers themselves. All they need is a little bit of incentives to trigger the right attitude for them to learn. If the conducive classrooms and the ICT labs are there and well-furnished, teachers will even be excited to learn.

(EO-Albert)

These study findings indicate that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation are desired as essential factors that could enhance teachers’ engagement in self-directed learning for technology use. The presence of external motivation is seen as a catalyst for teachers’ inherent motivation to learn independently. Findings highlight the need to address teachers’ motivation, as it can impact their attitudes towards learning and technology integration.

Technology resources and learning materials availability

Access to technological resources was identified as a crucial requirement for supporting teachers in their informal learning endeavours for technology integration. Multiple education officials, headteachers, and teachers shared the need for teachers to have access to personal laptops, computer labs, and reliable Internet connectivity to conduct research and engage in collaborative learning with peers. Teacher Lexy specifically painted the essentialness of teachers having access to technologies for their ongoing learning. ‘It will be better if teachers are given ICT materials, specifically laptops and ICT textbooks, for our collaborative and personal learning.’ Sly underlined that teachers must have computers, and a stable and affordable Internet connection to support informal learning.

Communities should have reliable Internet connection, and teachers should be provided with Internet access to help with personal research and learning at home and school. To improve informal learning methods, teachers must have personal computers and access to a stable internet connection.

(MT-Sly)

In addition to enhancing teachers’ capabilities to learn and teach with technology, the availability of technology learning resources was considered essential in motivating teachers to engage in informal learning. Teacher Kal stated, ‘providing personal computers and Internet resources to teachers will encourage research and independent learning.’ The findings support the view that teachers require technology learning resources and materials to foster and support their learning for technology use. A lack of technology resources can hinder teachers’ capacity and motivation to engage in learning activities to use technology.

School leadership support for collaborative learning

A common theme that emerged from the participants ‘dream’ responses was the criticality of trust and collaborative learning within the school environment for teachers’ self-directed learning. Teachers expressed the desire for school leaders, particularly headteachers, to foster a sense of trust among colleagues and promote a culture of collaboration, as these could create an atmosphere where teachers feel confident in exchanging ideas and learning together. Desmond highlighted the impact of headteachers establishing a positive collectivist culture that encourages teachers to collaborate for successful technology integration.

Headteachers should ensure that the school environment is conducive and encourages every teacher to share ideas. I expect headteachers to bring all teachers together and create an environment conducive to collaboration in teaching and learning. I believe that headteachers have an important role to play in teachers collaborating with one another.

(MT-Desmond)

Desmond’s comments suggest that headteachers are critical in creating a school culture that can reduce teachers’ hesitancy to openly communicate and exchange ideas with peers to learn. According to Teacher Nana, a collaborative learning and non-judgemental environment established by school leaders can be particularly helpful for teachers who may initially lack interest or feel uncomfortable with using technology in the classroom.

While I cannot speak for every school, my headteacher does not provide opportunities for us [teachers] to meet and collaborate to learn. But this is something that must be done to assist those who are not inclined and enthusiastic about using ICT in lesson delivery.

(FT-Nana)

The study findings indicate that, as an alternative to individualistic school culture, teachers, headteachers and education officials expect school heads to play a key role in promoting a culture of teamwork, collegial inquiry, and mentoring among teachers to de-privatise learning and facilitate mutual knowledge exchanges on technology use in schools. Collaborative learning is desired as essential in enhancing teachers’ learning, and school leaders are viewed as indispensable in scaffolding these learning practices in schools for effective technology integration (Howard et al. 2018).

Dedicated time for independent and collaborative learning

Several teachers, naming time availability and adequate learning space as critical resources for learning in schools, advocated for the inclusion of planned and scheduled formal time within school timetables to free and enable teachers to engage in independent and collaborative learning with their peers. Teacher Doroth shared the importance of school leaders creating a planned time for teachers to informally collaborate and share ideas to enhance their learning for technology use. She posited ‘headteachers should take a day off and set it aside for in-service training so teachers can meet and share ideas on ICT teaching practices.’ Teacher Nana resounded the need for school leaders to accelerate collective learning by setting aside dedicated meeting times for learning amid teachers’ busy schoolwork tasks. She asserted, ‘for teachers to make time for learning despite heavy workloads, headteachers should create something like a timetable or schedule for teachers to meet, share, and learn new ideas from one another.’

The teachers’ commentaries reflect their recognition of the significance of peer-to-peer collaboration. However, they specifically emphasise the need for planned non-teaching time as a crucial factor in facilitating and nurturing such collaborative learning opportunities for technology use. Formal support in the form of scheduled non-teaching time can increase teacher agency to engage in collaborative learning, considered critical for technology use in schools (Jones and Dexter 2018). As Nana and Doroth desired, school leaders must create ‘professional development time’, just as Daly et al. (2009) defined it, for teachers to regularly learn with and from colleagues while performing required school tasks. Instituting and safeguarding planned time for teachers to learn with peers is expected to assist them in meeting their diverse learning needs for educational technology use in classrooms.

Conclusion and implications

The importance of teachers’ self-directed learning through informal collaborations and independent inquiry to integrate technology is becoming more widely recognised, given the difficulties associated with most formal professional development programmes, and the proliferation and increased access to online resources. Thus, there is a growing need to provide ongoing support and encourage participation in this evolving mode of learning through ‘good’ practices that enhance teachers’ learning and competence to use technology. Previous research has attempted to unearth these best practices and strategies, but such studies have mostly used deficit approaches to identify challenges and propose solutions. While such a research approach has its merits, it may not fully capture positive practices and the strength-based aspects of informal and self-directed learning. This study offered an alternative approach to these conventional problem-solving techniques by shifting focus to a more constructive and positive approach, identifying, and building upon what is already working, and suggesting ways forward for the future. This qualitative study, employing the strengths-based AI methodology, investigated good practices, and identified desirable mechanisms that can facilitate teachers’ informal learning for classroom technology use.

The research engaged multiple educational stakeholders in Ghana, including teachers, headteachers, and education officials in constructive dialogues, drawing partially on the AI elements of discovery and dream. This study identified during the discovery phase, the importance of key leaders and distributed leadership practices at various levels, including the home, school, and district education, which support teachers’ informal learning for technology use. In addition, the study found at the dream phase, the need to increase teacher motivation, ensure access to adequate technological resources, promote school leadership support, and allocate dedicated time for informal collaboration in schools as desired conditions to further enhance informal learning. AI underscores the capturing and amplifying of what works well. This study sheds light on these efforts, particularly, the positive leadership practices of teachers, headteachers, and education officials who actively support, lead, and create a conducive setting for teachers’ continuous learning to thrive. The study’s findings suggest that by fostering a robust leadership ecosystem at varying levels, educational institutions, districts, and schools can cultivate a culture of self-directed learning, empower, and ensure that teachers receive the needed continuing support to develop knowledge and skills in effective technology use. The emergence of formal and structured support from key actors such as headteachers and district education officials was identified as integral in facilitating teachers’ self-directed learning. This finding implies that formal structures and resources are essential elements that can nurture teachers’ agency and promote self-directed learning. Education stakeholders can draw lessons from these uplifting leadership practices and pre-conditions, and collaborate towards a future in which teachers’ self-directed learning and ongoing development are fostered by the leadership ecosystem, particularly at the school and district levels, for digital technology to be effectively integrated into pedagogy.

The implications of the study findings extend to educational researchers, leaders, and policymakers to leverage on the strength-based AI approach as a valuable tool to identify best practices to inform change in teachers’ learning and development. This study contributes to the discourse on the utility of partially applying elements of AI and their applicability to traditional education research. The limited application of AI in this study and its success in highlighting positive practices in teachers’ informal learning is consistent with previous research (Shuayb et al. 2009, Robinson et al. 2013, Ankomah 2022) that suggests the possibility and merit in integrating discrete AI elements into traditional education research, so long as the partial use and adapted elements are clearly acknowledged. Future research may, however, employ a full-scale action and participatory research methodology, building on the exploratory approach used in this study, and entirely apply all four iterative phases of AI to thoroughly discover, dream, design, and deliver strategies and leadership mechanisms that passably address the needs and aspirations of teachers and facilitate informal learning for technology integration. While the use of AI in research does not guarantee transformative action in practice (Flavell 2023), it remains a worthwhile endeavour to pursue due to its prospects and capacity to constructively engage relevant stakeholders and foster the collaborative sharing of innovative ideas that can inspire desired changes in the future.

Overall, this study underpins the need for educational institutions and policymakers, predominantly in developing countries, to recognise and appreciate teachers’ informal and self-directed learning activities as an integral facet of their professional growth, given the challenges that most formal professional development programmes tend to face. Also, this study presents a notable contribution to the literature, policy, and practice by introducing AI as a framework in the domain of professional development. Professional development and learning policies anchored in AI’s strength-based and participatory inquiry method could create a more encouraging, innovative, and empowering milieu for teachers to actively engage in Germane professional development programmes and agentic activities that meet their specific preferences while also responding to the evolving educational landscape of technology integration. AI-informed professional development policies are thus more likely to produce sustainable improvements in teaching practices and student learning outcomes worldwide.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship.