The Use of ICT in Knowledge Sharing in Collaborative School Partnerships in South Africa

The study seeks to understand how ICT is and can be used as an enabler of knowledge sharing in collaborative school partnerships. These partnerships can be inter-schools and with other entities outside the schooling system. The study follows a multiple case study approach, and qualitative data was collected via semi-structured interviews. The cases consisted of six schools from 2 provinces across different quintiles. Representatives from one external partner were also interviewed. A knowledge-sharing framework was developed and refined. The study shows that the availability of knowledge alone does not warrant a good sharing model. Knowledge sharing is still possible despite poor connectivity and limited resources. There must be identified knowledge areas which will determine how the knowledge is shared, the willingness of the participants to share the knowledge, at least basic tools used to share the knowledge (which includes ICT) and the continual support of the knowledge recipients by partners. Lastly, the knowledge sharing framework can be a useful tool for stakeholders to structure school collaborations.