Academics’ (Re) construction of teacher identities in the context of technology integration at a South African university

Abstract

Integrating technology into higher education teaching is reshaping pedagogical practices and prompting academics to (re)construct their professional identities. This qualitative case study explores how academics at a South African university respond to these changes, drawing on identity theory and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model to analyse the data. Data were collected from 12 purposively selected academics through semi-structured interviews and were analysed thematically. Findings indicate that academics are compelled to transition from traditional to interactive, student-centred teaching, requiring ongoing adaptation to emerging digital tools, multimedia integration, and data analytics for student monitoring. However, this shift also introduced identity tensions driven by increased workload, student disengagement, and recurring technical issues. Despite these challenges, the participants reported enhanced pedagogical effectiveness and renewed engagement through digital methods. The study highlights the dual nature of technology integration as both a disruptor and an enabler of professional growth and argues for comprehensive institutional support structures, including professional development and technical assistance. The findings contribute to the discourse on teacher identity in digitally evolving higher education environments and offer practical implications for policies and professional learning.