The Adoption of Learning Management Systems by Private Schools during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Limpopo Province of South Africa

Abstract

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are becoming essential to the educational process. The continuous adoption and usage of LMS addresses multiple flaws of the traditional education system. LMS became a crucial part of any educational process during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, as the circumstances made it unsafe to continue with the formal face-to-face educational process. The purpose of the study was to investigate the adoption of learning management systems by private schools during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to come up with an LMS framework that the schools could use to guide the adoption and usage of e-learning during abnormal times such as COVID-19 pandemic. This study adopted a mixed methods research methodology and utilized a cross-sectional survey and case study research designs. The study population included teachers and learners in Limpopo Province private schools. Probability and non-probability sampling methods were employed through cluster and purposive sampling techniques to arrive at the study sample. Survey questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data, while structured interviews were used to collect interview data. Quantitative data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics included frequency distributions, mean, and measures of dispersion, while the inferential statistics used the ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and F-test. This was computed with STATA version 16. Qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative results were converged to obtain a comprehensive assessment. The study found that ICT infrastructure availability and positive organizational and environmental factors are significantly related to LMS adoption. The challenges to LMS adoption include students’ lack of e-learning skills, negative attitudes, teacher unpreparedness, and inequalities among learners and educators. These results indicate that for schools to adopt LMS effectively, they should consider the needs of their institutions, choose user-friendly platforms, ensure that LMS are scalable, provide technical support, encourage engagement, and regularly monitor system usage and performance. The study's limitations were not addressing the long-term effects of LMS use on education or the comparative effectiveness of different LMS. This could also provide a valuable foundation for longitudinal studies tracking the effects of LMS adoption over time.