Practice as policy in ICT for education: Catalysing communities of practice in education in South Africa

• The lack of systemic support to teachers acted as the catalyst for the emergence of communities of practice between schools.
• Though the national e-Education did not exist in schools, teachers' classroom practice mirrored national policy mandates.
• The socio-cultural approach to policy revealed teachers' practice as policy, rather than the e-Education policy in practice.
• Teachers' beliefs, attitudes, professional identity and agency are the mainstays of policy implementation.
• Evidence based practice may provide a window of opportunity to inform policy on how ICT might be used in classroom practice.

The e-Education policy was introduced into schools with the intention of “transforming learning and teaching” ([14], p. 1). The policy places an obligation on education to use educational technology to deliver on expectations of quality education for economic growth and social development. Utilising a case study approach and backward mapping principles to policy implementation, this study sets out to explore how teachers appropriate1 information and communication technology (ICT) policy to influence teaching and learning in South African schools. Qualitative methods were employed to capture data through classroom observations, interviews and document analysis. Data was analysed using grounded theory methods. Findings that are unique to the South African context were fivefold. First, the national e-Education policy existed as an invisible policy within the school context. Second, there was a lack of policy support and district presence in schools. Third, districts and schools had conflicting ideas of establishing collaborative support. Fourth, teachers' beliefs, attitudes and agency promoted ICT practice as policy. And fifth, the absence of district support catalysed the emergence of communities of practice. This study asserts the notion that for policy to be implemented teachers should be instrumental partners in the formulation of policy. Teachers should be encouraged to form ICT communities of practice to support their teaching practice and foster policy implementation.