International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management

Volume 13, Issue 1, 16th January 2024, Pages 41 – 66

Creative Commons Logo The Author(s) 2025

http://dx.doi.org/10.17583/ijelm.15516

 

The Role of Education Leaders in Implementing and Sustaining ICT in Compulsory Education in Morocco

Sana Lamtara & Abdelmajid Bouziane

 

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a profound shift in education, underscoring the urgent need for the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in learning environments. This study investigates the teachers’ perspectives about the role of educational leaders in introducing and sustaining the use of technologies almost three years after the pandemic lockdown. 130 teachers from primary and secondary levels throughout Morocco, who do not anymore use technology, filled a questionnaire enquiring about their challenges and barriers of introducing and sustaining the use of technologies after the pandemic. Findings report that despite the important institutional initiatives in ICT integration in education and the accelerated digital connectivity during Covid-19, Moroccan education still faces major challenges hindering the development of long-term educational technology learning goals. Findings also report that the assets emanating from the efforts deployed during COVID-19 have not been capitalized. This implies that the education leaders need to play a more major role in sustaining technology integration.

 

Keywords

ICT, COVID-19, education leaders, sustainability

 

Morocco underwent many challenges attempting to overcome the disrupted classes when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. The abrupt shutdown and the unprepared teachers and students for distance learning / teaching created a confusing situation in which teachers strived to keep in touch with their respective students. These challenges and different ways of overcoming them have been documented in various papers and reports (Abioui et al., 2020; Higher Council, 2021). Similarly, other studies report the use of technologies during the pandemic (Ouahabi et al., 2021; Benlaghrissi, 2023) to make for the disrupted classes. However, the introduction and sustainability of the use of technologies after resuming normal classes in the primary and secondary public schools have not been adequately investigated.

The Ministry of Education’s official discourse claims that across different policies, it is capitalizing on the assets of technology uses developed during the pandemic (Higher Council of Education and Training, and Scientific Research (HCETSR), 2021; EL Ouesdadi & Rochdi, 2021). To do so, it puts many resources and platforms at the teachers’ disposal. For example, hundreds of videotaped lessons were broadcasted on TV channels at different times. Platforms such as TelmidTice, Collab, and e-Takwine that include a diversity of contents have been created and revived. Now that brick-and-mortar teaching is resumed, it is worth investigating whether these resources are being used and sustained. It is the intent of this study to investigate the role of education leaders in ICT integration in primary, middle and high schools in Morocco as seen from the teachers’ perspectives. Similarly, the study identifies the main barriers towards such an integration. It does so through these research questions:

 

1) What are the barriers that hinder the sustainability of ICT implementation in the post-COVID-19 era in Moroccan primary and secondary schools?

2) What role does education leadership play in sustaining ICT use in Morocco’s compulsory education?

 

 

Review of Literature

 

Boosting the Digitalization process in Moroccan Education System During COVID-19 

 

COVID-19 has propelled the acceleration of the digitalization process in Moroccan education. In March 2020 amidst the outbreak of the pandemic, the Ministry of National Education (MoE) announced a complete shutdown of schools all over the country to abruptly shift from face-to-face classes to distance learning. The HCETSR refers to a number of measures which were introduced to reach students and save the academic year. For instance, lessons were recorded and broadcasted on Moroccan public TV channels. Guidelines and digital content were also produced and made available on TelmidTice platform (HCETSR, 2021). In order to ensure synchronous communication between teachers and students, the MoE integrated online sessions on Massar online platform. In disadvantaged rural areas, school booklets were distributed along with free technological devices like computers, tablets, smart phones, pre-paid cards, and solar chargers. Training sessions for teachers and educators were also ensured on e-Takwine platform. Despite these resources and investments, however, only 35.4% of teachers involved in distance learning during the pandemic are satisfied with their experience as opposed to 62% who are either not satisfied or not satisfied at all (HCETSR, 2021). Draissi & ZhanYong (2020) have listed and praised the quick and diversity of measures taken by the Moroccan education authorities.

It is true that distance learning experience during the pandemic varies according to factors like access to technology, geographic location, socio-economic conditions and other considerations. In the case of teachers of English, for instance, Bachiri and Sahli (2020) refer to the use of various devices and applications by teachers to reach their students. This results in a fruitful distance learning experience, wherein teachers demonstrate their readiness to teach online, leading positive and promising outcomes as reported by teachers. On the other hand, Naimi and Aelhamal (2021) highlight indicators related to families’ socio-economic status, educational level, poverty (Guma & Rhazal, 2021), vulnerability and others to classify different districts in Morocco in terms of their readiness to adopt distance learning. This study shows that some regions in Morocco are better served than others. More specifically, Haut Commissariat au Plan (2020) emphasizes the discrepancy between the public sector and rural areas, as opposed to the private sector and urban areas where distance education occurred more. Consequently, distance learning exacerbated the already existing digital divide. The Policy Center for the New South report also refers to the digital divide with an emphasis on the risk of inequality among students leading to the decline in learning and school dropout (Ibourk & Ghazi, 2020; Badoui, 2021). The situation is no better for learners with disabilities (Arattai, 2021).

The literature on distance learning during the pandemic of Covid-19 in Morocco refers to more or less similar challenges related to limited access to infrastructure, lack of teacher training, lack of technical assistance and support, lack of communication, parents’ illiteracy, poor conditions of home schooling, and resistance to ICT (Mounjid et al., 2021; Bouziani, 2021; Berdi et al., 2021). A popular alternative to both learners and teachers is heavy reliance on smart phones and social media networks which are favored over institutional digital platforms made available by the MoE (Haut Commissariat au Plan, 2020; Badoui, 2021; HCETSR, 2021; Mouaziz & El Biadi, 2021; Razkane et al., 2022).

Despite the efforts by the MoE, the challenges faced by both teachers and learners in distance education during the pandemic reveal issues related to discrepancies in implementation.  More than that, the challenges point to a deeper problem related to lack of effective leadership capable of identifying and addressing critical issues, such as engaging different stakeholders like teachers, students, parents, and technology experts in decision making and problem-solving.

 

Leadership in Educational Technology 

 

Educational leadership plays a crucial role in facilitating the integration of ICT into education systems. The adoption of ICT is not solely about technology but involves change management, professional development, and creating an enabling environment (Schleicher, 2018). The literature reports different layers of ICT integration. Visionary leadership fosters an ICT-supportive culture in educational institutions. According to Afshari et al. (2009), leaders who possess a clear vision and strategic goals for ICT implementation are more likely to succeed in integrating technology into teaching and learning processes. They emphasize the importance of aligning ICT initiatives with the institution's overall mission and educational goals. Leadership must also focus on continuous professional development for teachers to ensure effective ICT integration. Research by Hsu and Kuan (2013) highlights those principals who invest in training programs and workshops help teachers to acquire the necessary skills and confidence to integrate ICT into their pedagogy. This professional development is linked to greater ICT adoption and improved student learning outcomes. Another fundamental aspect of effective educational leadership is to create a supportive environment for the ICT integration process. Leithwood and Jantzi (2006) argue that transformational leadership, which includes providing resources and fostering a collaborative culture, is essential for overcoming barriers to ICT use. This approach helps in addressing teachers' concerns and resistance towards new technologies, making the transition smoother. Educational leaders also play a crucial role in addressing challenges associated with ICT integration, such as budget constraints, resistance to change, and infrastructure limitations. A study by Macharia and Pelser (2014) in Kenyan schools revealed that proactive leadership that actively seeks partnerships and external funding can mitigate financial barriers to ICT adoption. Therefore, supporting institutional efforts of technology integration in education requires key leadership practices for potential opportunities in strategic planning and educators’ empowerment.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE, n.d) has developed standards for all the stakeholders; students, educators, education leaders and coaches, for effective technology use and innovative learning. For the standards of education leaders, they cover various aspects as shown below.

 

Figure 1

Standards of Technology Leadership for Education Leaders (ISTE, n.d.) 

 

The education leaders play a crucial role in integrating technologies in education. They support the other stakeholders by “targeting the knowledge and behaviors required for leaders to empower teachers and coaches, and boost student learning.” (ISTE, n.d). Their major standards are summarized as follows:

 

·       Equity and citizenship advocate: Education leaders leverage technology to enhance equity, foster inclusion, and promote digital citizenship practices. Baydar (2022) highlights the crucial role of educational leaders; school principals, assistant principals, and teachers in Istanbul, in fostering ethics and responsibility in students, particularly in the context of creating a safe digital learning environment. US department of education, (2021) published the school leader digital learning guide offering guiding strategies for the promotion of digital citizenship in schools. Examples include appropriate device use, a digital citizenship pledge, teacher professional development on digital citizenship, the provision of resource materials, and the support of students’ emotional and mental health.

·       Visionary planner: Education leaders involve stakeholders in creating a vision, strategic plan, and ongoing evaluation cycle to transform learning through technology. Therefore, the required planning vision emerges from effective leadership practices and strategies that encompass communication competences, technology skills, positive school culture, robust support for technology leaders, the cultivation of a networking vision, the enhancement of lifelong learning, the utilization of e-learning platforms, etc. (Chua & Chua, 2017). Similarly, Neyişci & Sari (2023) emphasize the significance of continuous development in school management processes in their study on digital leadership in educational institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its crucial role in fostering a sustainable culture of change.

·       Empowering Leader: Education leaders cultivate a culture that empowers teachers and students to use technology innovatively, enriching the teaching and learning experience. In Malaysia, a study about the impact of technology leadership identifies specific leadership dimensions, including visionary leadership, digital learning culture, professional practice excellence, comprehensive enhancement and digital citizenship. The study further investigates the relationship between these dimensions, particularly in connection with principals’ technology leadership, revealing a significant correlation with teachers’ mobile technology integration in teaching (Omar & Ismail, 2020). Indeed, the integration of technology by teachers is the result of empowerment which is manifested through various factors such as effective teacher training, access to infrastructure and digital resources. This empowers teachers to enhance the learning experience. Yet, principals may not be able to assume their roles as technology leaders as it is highlighted in a qualitative study about challenges school principals face in the context of technology leadership. The examples provided, including bureaucracy, lack of resources, resistance to innovation, lack of in-service training, and poverty help illustrate the obstacles confronted by principals in fulfilling their roles in technology leadership (Sincar, 2013).

·       Systems Designer: Education leaders build teams and develop systems to implement, sustain, and continuously improve technology integration in education. In Austria, Schley & Schratz (2011) designed a system that can make education leaders agents of change. For this, they suggested three loops. First, Leadership Academy which influences how leaders think and approach change through harnessing conceptual change as a catalyst for leadership development. Second, New Middle School that revamps teaching and learning for 10- to 14-year-olds with the aim of dissolving tracking structures and creating homogenous groups. Third, Hierarchy meets Network which forges sustainable leadership by bridging ministry and classroom hierarchies. This model is relevant in integrating ICT in education.

·       Connected Learner: Education leaders exemplify and advocate for continuous professional learning, both for themselves and their colleagues, in the realm of technology. In relation to the fifth ISTE standard, connected learner, a robust infrastructure system is essential for its success. It facilitates the use of technology by both teachers and students allowing them to connect and collaborate with others for learning. A study about principals’ transformational leadership for technology integration in schools highlights its positive impact on digital school infrastructure, teachers’ perceptions of technology, and their technical and pedagogical skills. This research study underscores the important role of principals’ transformational role in supporting teachers’ technology use (Schmitz et al., 2023). Furthermore, transformational leadership extends beyond infrastructure access and teachers’ skills, influencing other aspects like professional development and continuous improvement in technology use. For instance, a systematic review of the literature on educational technology leadership by Dexter and Richardson (2019) highlights leadership practices like providing learning opportunities, creating communities of practice, catering to individual needs, enabling access, and offering support. These practices impact teachers’ professional development, leading to an impactful online educational experience.

 

Education and Technology Leadership in Morocco  

 

It seems that the institutional challenges related to education leadership in Morocco are complex and sometimes inherent in the system. After stating the failures in the Moroccan system of education and the attempts of remedies in different reforms, Ezzaki (2011) raises some challenges related to leadership for learning in Morocco. He has attributed some characteristics to this type of leadership: it is multilateral and multidimensional, it addresses quality in both the goal and the process, it is made up of many complex actions, and its success is related to many factors that are both inherent in and extrinsic to the system of education itself. He calls for a model where such a leadership “is largely dependent on how much it is promoted by the different stakeholders.” (p. 141). Elmeski et al (2023) study the systems of support for English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher professional development and leadership. Their survey shows that almost three quarters of teachers are involved in collaboration and, as a result, they move to leadership positions. However, they report that the lack of an institutional framework for collaboration is the most problematic obstacle. Idelcadi et al. (2023) report that some teacher leaders still hesitate to label themselves as leaders and that they need more opportunities to grow professionally and get more recognition for their leadership. Teacher leaders hope to participate in decision-making “so that they can ‘own’ the reforms instead of being mere implementers of top-down innovation.” (p. 294).

Particularly, in technological leadership, Laouni (2021) investigates the Moroccan high school principals’ technological competencies (n=167) and reports that “principals are not appropriately skilled and well trained for school management, leadership, communication, inter-personal relations and technology usage.” (p. 19). He claims that these skills contribute to technology integration in schools. He also claims that their self-efficacy and attitudes play the same roles of facilitators (Laouni, 2023a; 2023b, respectively). Charyate et al. (2020) believe that the ICT module provided in teacher training college for the admin staff is not enough to prepare them for integrating ICT in their schools. Instead, they suggest a model they label Pyramid of Motivation to Integration of ICT based on adequate infrastructure, stakeholders’ training, shared vision among the concerned actors, ICT leadership distribution among the actors, and innovation in ICT practices. They conclude that the “leadership of school principals in the processes of technology integration and educational change is often constrained by the inexperience and lack of preparation of principals in planning and directing work in digital schools.” (p. 3). Prior to the pandemic, a study demonstrated that there is a crucial need for collaboration within and across the hierarchy (Lamtara, 2018). Contrary to these practices, Hayar et al. (2022) describe successful leadership practices that helped Hassan II University in solving the issue of inclusiveness during the pandemic. In one institution of this university, Bouziane (2022) describes a model of ICT good governance. Both experiences show that the lecturers were able to reach their students but there was very little evidence about the effectiveness of the input provided.

The above studies report the limited pre-service training in technological leadership in secondary school management from the principals’ or management’s perspectives. However, this study looks into this matter from the teachers’ perspectives after resuming face-to-face teaching almost two years after the pandemic.  

 

 

Methodology

 

Research Design 

 

This study employs a survey-based research design, using a questionnaire targeted at teachers of primary and secondary schools in Morocco. The questionnaire, translated into Arabic and distributed as a Google Form through various social media platforms, relied on a self-administered technique applied to an unknown population of teachers in October 2023, one academic year after the COVID-19 lockdown in Morocco. Multiple reminders were sent to maximize participation. The survey questionnaire includes a consent form and gathers demographic information.  

Initially, this study aimed to investigate the sustainability of ICT use after resuming face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey questionnaire includes a consent form and gathers demographic information.  Then, it is filled out by 297 respondents contains a yes-no inquiry regarding teachers’ ICT usage after resuming face-to-face classes. Surprisingly, a subset of 43.8% of the initial sample (n =130) reported their abandon of technologies. These teachers then became the focus of this study, which primarily delves into the reasons behind their non-usage of technology following the return to face-to-face classes, while also exploring ICT training, institutional support and barriers hindering technological integration. These aspects are presented in figure 2 below.

 

Figure 2

The Components of the Survey Questionnaire 

Diagrama Descripción generada automáticamente

Note. The Cronbach’s alpha is .717.

 

The questionnaire consists of eight questions related to demographics. The reasons for not using ICT include seven Likert scale questions. The training questions consist of three questions with different options. The institutional support contains five Yes / No questions. Finally, the questions on hindering technology use include nine Likert scale questions.

 

Demographic Profile of Participants 

 

The sample is distributed as follows:

 

Table 1

Distribution of Age, Gender and Experience 

 

The table indicates quite an inclusive distribution of gender across different age and experience levels. The age ranges of 31-41 and 41-51 tend to be high as they constitute 75.4% of the sample. Naturally, the experience follows this same distribution. Younger teachers (20-30 years) are fewer and likely correspond with the lower experience range (5-10 years), indicating early career development.

 

Table 2

Distribution of Schools across Moroccan Academies by Location and Type 

 

The table presents a breakdown of primary and secondary schools across different academies in various locations and school types in Morocco, without applying any specific selection criteria. The distribution shows significant variability across regions and types. Public schools dominate, with very few private schools, mainly in urban settings. Despite the disparity, the sample is still representative as it covers almost all areas across Morocco, indicating potential areas for educational development, particularly in underrepresented regions and rural areas.

 

Table 3

Distribution of Levels and Subjects 

The distribution of teaching levels and subjects indicates a strong emphasis on high school education, with the majority of teachers operating at this level. In terms of subjects, there is a notable focus on languages, particularly English and French, which together account for over 60% of the subjects taught. Arabic also holds a significant portion, but of a lesser extent.

 

Data Analysis

 

The data is analyzed quantitatively using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The data analyses are performed using descriptive and inferential statistics after coding the options constituting each question. The descriptive statistics include the calculations of the means of the set of questions in each of the four groups of the investigate areas (see Figure 2 above), followed by categorizing the means into features that show the contribution of leadership to sustaining ICT in the Moroccan schools. The numbers of these features and their frequencies are reported in tables (see below). Chi-square measures are used to compare the collected data with reference to the demographics.

 

 

Findings

 

Reasons for not Using Technology  

 

Table 4

Reasons for not using technology  

The data in Table 4 above strongly indicates that a significant majority of respondents do not have or have limited access to appropriate devices, fast connection, and relevant digital contents. Despite the limited access to technologies and the limited knowledge about technology and techno pedagogy, the surveyed teachers admit that teaching online is one of their attributions and that online provisions are effective. The findings also show the readiness of the respondents to integrate technologies in their teaching as they believe technology integration is one of their attributions. However, the need for adequate infrastructure makes some of them question its effectiveness.

 

CT training before or after the COVID-19 

 

Out of 130 of the teachers who do not use technologies any more after the pandemic, only 22.3% (n= 29) had training. The limited number of respondents allows to report their answers and frequencies. 

 

Table 5

Training Providers, Length, and Importance

The data in table 5 shows various sources of training, with the educational institutions contributing with almost two-thirds of the training. This indicates that while formal institutions are a significant source of ICT training for teachers, a notable number of teachers rely on self-directed learning and a mix of various other training types. The length of the training in the same table shows that the majority of respondents have undergone shorter training periods. Only a few of them have attended training of 21 hours or more. No matter how long the training is, a majority of respondents find it valuable, though with varying degrees of importance. In brief, the lack of training or short training sessions can be already considered a major reason why so many teachers say they do not use technologies after resuming teaching in physical classes.

 

Institutional Support  

 

Table 6

Institutional Support 

The data in table 6 reveals a significant lack of support in certain areas from schools. This lack of support concerns teacher training, devices, connection, digital resources, and online meetings during the pandemic. The majority of respondents report they do not receive enough support in factors that may encourage them to integrate technologies in their teaching.

 

Factors Hindering Technology Use 

 

Like the needs for adequate infrastructure (see table 4), the data in the following table reveals further needs:

 

Table 7

 Factors Hindering Technology Integration

Table 7 reveals a strong consensus in favor of increased training among the respondents. Almost everybody sees that more support is needed in providing devices, the connection, and the digital resources. Similarly, the overwhelming agreement on incentives indicates that their lack is perceived as a significant barrier, underscoring the need to implement motivational strategies to encourage and enhance the use of technology.

The students are not in a better position. The highest majority of the respondents believe in the strong need for providing the students with devices and internet connection, and user-friendly technologies. A similar number of the teachers think that the students should be trained in self-learning strategies to enable them to cope with the requirements of online education. Parents are also considered to be stakeholders but they seem to be overlooked. A significant number of respondents believe in the importance of the coordination with parents. Equally, the data indicates a strong consensus in favor of institutional support, with the majority of respondents claiming this support.

The chi-square calculations were performed on the gathered data but did not yield any significant differences. Thus, the decision to run the calculations using separate questions in the questionnaire seems appropriate.  

 

Table 8

Chi-Square Analysis of Variables Related to ICT Training and Usage

 

Out of 224 combinations of demographics and the questions in the questionnaire, only nineteen of them show significant differences as reported in table 8. This implies that the findings in the tables above make a consensus of almost the entire respondents. There is a significant association between experience and receiving ICT training, indicating that the level of experience impacts whether educators received training during the COVID period. Additionally, experience significantly influences perceptions regarding the necessity of students’ self-learning strategies, suggesting that experienced educators may view these strategies differently. Similarly, age plays a crucial role in shaping beliefs about students’ needs for self-learning strategies, online teaching responsibilities, and effectiveness, reflecting age-related differences in teaching practices and perceptions. Gender also impacts technology proficiency and techno-pedagogy knowledge, highlighting gender-specific disparities. Geographical location shows notable variations in device availability, internet connection speed, and the need for user-friendly technologies, with significant geographic disparities affecting both access to resources and students' ICT knowledge. Furthermore, the subject taught and the type of institution (private vs. public) reveal significant differences in techno-pedagogy knowledge and resource availability, suggesting that institutional context and subject matter influence technology integration. In addition, variations in organizing online meetings differ across education levels, whereas technological knowledge, school-provided training, and digital resources access differ across academies, suggesting that some academies in the country focus more on technology integration than others.

The correlation matrix reveals other findings (see Appendix A). The teachers’ assets do not correlate with the other items; however, their needs do so significantly. What they know or possess does not correlate as much as their desires and needs.

In light of the above findings, the barriers to sustaining ICT use are related to leadership factors rather than actors’ variables such as age or geographical location. Issues like internet accessibility, equity, equal opportunities, and the quality of online education are attributed to education leaders. In answering the research questions, the findings underscore that these barriers affect the sustainability of ICT implementation in Moroccan primary and secondary schools in the post-COVID-19 era. Therefore, it is evident that education leadership needs to make significant efforts to maintain the use of ICT.

 

 

Discussion

 

It was striking that almost half of the teachers in the initial sample of this study did not sustain ICT use after resorting to it as a sole way of getting in touch with their students during the pandemic. After displaying the findings and answering the research questions, the discussion follows the education leaders’ standards as set by the ISTE.

 

·       S1. Equity and Citizenship Advocate: This standard is far from becoming an achievement in the Moroccan primary and secondary school system. Although the Ministry of Education (MoE) has included equity and quality in its Strategic Vision 2015-2030 (HCETSR, 2015), there are still disparities in ICT. The digital divide still prevails as private schools are better-equipped with technologies and can afford digital contents; the urban areas have more accessibility to high-speed internet connection; the rich have more devices; and some teachers have more opportunities of training and guidance. Some Moroccan teachers still strive with basics let alone implementing digital practices in their teaching. Education leaders in their different levels need to reduce the disparities related to ICT in both teachers and students.

·       S2. Visionary Planner: The MoE has been trying to put in place a program for generalizing ICT in primary and secondary institutions throughout the country, called GENIE, for almost two decades; however, this program still faces some major challenges. Its main challenge is that it has never worked out a shared vision of how to integrate ICT in education. The GENIE evaluation has yielded conflicting outcomes varying between trends to failure (Ismaili, 2022), partial success (Lamtara, 2018), and moderate success (Messaoudi, 2013). During the pandemic, the MOE resorted to emergency plans other than the GENIE program. Although there is a variety of digital resources that have been developed during the pandemic, the teachers still show their needs to such resources. It seems that the challenge of effective communication raised some time ago (Lamtara, 2018) still persists. A national vision should include all the stakeholders especially the leaders who will advise teachers and students.

·       S3. Empowering Leader: The small number of teachers who received some training in integrating ICT in their teaching shows that their training was provided by different organizations at different lengths. This unstructured training may be far from following the country’s policies and serving the teachers’, nor the students’ needs. However, it should be brought that more than three quarters of the teachers in the sample have never received any training in ICT use. This quotation summarizes the whole story: “At the start of the crisis, the fast shift to online education was a lifesaver. It was not, however, as successful as educational institutions and governments had hoped. Moroccan teachers endured several challenges that interrupted the online teaching/ learning processes. The study uncovered the major challenges related to the scarcity of training and readiness to teach online and technological and technical issues.” (Mounjid et al., 2021, p. 50). Education leaders, as discussed above (see Review of literature), should be at various levels. Role distribution in education leadership requires a participatory approach, where both teachers and students are given leadership opportunities.  

·       S4. Systems Designer: Apart from the information systems for documenting the learners’ enrolments and their exam records that work well, the leaders tend to neglect the ICT infrastructure. Neither during nor after the pandemic have the decision makers at the central (Ministry) or regional (academies) levels chosen a national or local platform for online teaching and learning. In the absence of learning management systems, tracing learners’ progress through learning analytics remains unattainable. It seems that after resuming the face-to-face provisions, the decision makers have turned a blind eye to the benefits of online learning despite the evaluation of the experience that has been made by the HCETSR (2021). The hierarchy of technological leadership layers has been described by Lamtara (2018) but such a hierarchy needs an approach like Schley & Schratz’s (2011) Hierarchy Meets Network to bridge the ministry and the classroom hierarchies. Similarly, in a project evaluating a platform of teacher training online labelled e-Takwine, Porter et al. (2022) report that: "E-Takwine benefits from a small, dedicated team, however the current staff are inadequate to cover all needed roles and areas of expertise to execute the MOE [Ministry of Education] vision for DL [distance learning]." (Porter et al., 2022, p. 35). They suggest a short-term strategy including a hierarchy that involves regional leadership in running the platform and clarifies role distribution to reach the maximum of teachers. 

·       S5. Connected Learner: The Moroccan leaders and teachers have a few opportunities for professional development. The available platforms for empowering teachers to use ICT are TelmidTice and e-Takwine but they are both underused (Porter et al., 2022). Both the pre- and in-service training systems suffer from inadequately structured programs and scarcity of competent human resources. Priorities go to didactics and pedagogy in these types of training more than to integrating ICT. The absence of training makes reflection on practices either limited or inexistent. Again, this quotation reveals some barriers: “..., it is crystal clear that distance learning is still making ‘baby steps’, in Morocco, as it is faced with numerous structural problems ranging from infrastructure and pedagogy to content and evaluation.” (Bachiri & Sahli, 2020, p. 255).

 

 

Implications

 

The above findings suggest that Morocco should put more efforts in technology leadership to reach its

ICT aspirations. Here are a few implications:

 

·     Unifying the distance learning platforms across all the academies. This will enable regional academies to exchange SCORMs from the National center for the Development of the Digital Content and Teacher Training (CNIPE) or from other sources. The platforms should be interactive, allowing learners to receive immediate feedback on their performance. Additionally, a tracking system that allows learners to monitor their progress, ideally supported by artificial intelligence, will be a major asset. The data of this study confirms the necessity for equipping students with self-learning strategies to thrive in an online learning environment.

·     Creating more effective channels of coordination among stakeholders to ensure that centrally designed reforms reach regional and frontline areas, providing the necessary institutional support, as claimed by 96% of respondents in this study. Such channels will provide proximity services bridging the gaps between decision makers and teachers, and will also enhance communication across different layers of the hierarchy.

·     Developing the existing platform for teacher training, e-Takwine, and designing a national syllabus to train teachers in how to integrate technologies in their teaching and assessing. The respondents of this study strongly agree on the necessity for such training, noting that only 23% of them received training. Additionally, they acknowledge some level of limitation in their knowledge of technology and techno-pedagogy. The data also reveals that educational institutions contributed to nearly two-thirds of the training, in addition to self-directed learning and a mix of various other training types. The updated version of the online platform should be interactive to encourage collaborative learning. A separate platform is also needed for developers of digital content to share their innovative ideas.

·     Capitalizing on the digital content produced before and after COVID, evaluating it with reference to quality indicators, and sharing these indicators to encourage institutions and individuals to produce high-quality content. One way to design more innovative digital content is to launch tenders with incentives for selected content. It is advisable to establish a transparent system for accrediting online materials to ensure they meet both pedagogical requirements, national standards, and the needs of teachers, as expressed in this study.

·     Providing more devices and making them available to learners in their schools. The government should provide some individuals with tablets with basic learning functions and offer free access to learning platforms, especially since a significant majority of respondents lack appropriate devices for connectivity. There is a strong consensus on the necessity of providing students with devices, internet connection, and user-friendly technologies. Integrating digital literacy as part of the curriculum starting at the primary level. This type of literacy will make the learners more inquisitive and autonomous, and will also help them familiar with the platform in use. In line with this, a significant number of teachers believe that students should be equipped with self-learning strategies to enable them to cope with the requirements of online education.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a significant shift in education towards the use of technology. However, the sustainability of these technological advancements in Moroccan schools remains uncertain. Notably, nearly half of the teachers in the initial sample of this study did not continue using ICT after exclusively relying on it during the pandemic. Therefore, the study focuses on analyzing the experiences and perspectives of this specific group of teachers.

The findings highlight several barriers to the sustained use of technology, including lack of devices, internet connectivity, digital resources, and training, as well as limitations in technology and techno-pedagogical knowledge. Additionally, there is a significant need for institutional support. These barriers are attributed to leadership factors rather than respondents’ variables such as age, gender, or location. Although the sample of the study is small, it is still representative in terms of gender, age, experience, and geographical location.

Since the standards of technology leadership for education leaders are not being met, several recommendations are proposed. The pandemic's gains should be leveraged to build digital advancement and connectivity, creating a more resilient and adaptable educational system. These technological advancements should include resources such as infrastructure, digital resources, and technical support, which must be adequately allocated. Clear policies and frameworks should, therefore, support the continuous integration of ICT in education through collaborative efforts between governmental bodies, educational institutions, and the private sector. Professional development programs for educational leaders are also key to enhancing their skills to lead and sustain ICT initiatives.

By addressing these issues, educational leaders in Morocco can play a transformative role in embedding ICT into the education system, ultimately enhancing the learning experiences and outcomes for students. This will ensure that the technological advances made during the pandemic are not only sustained but also built upon, creating a robust and future-ready technological educational landscape.

 

 

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Appendix

 

Appendix A 

 

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).