Leaders’ Preparedness for Managing Technological Changes in Teaching and Learning in the Selected Tanzanian Public Universities

Abstract

Technological changes have seemingly become inexorable rather than the exception for academic institutions. It has been argued that an organisation's ability to adapt to a changing environment depends on its preparedness for change. This article delineates the extent of preparedness for managing technological changes in teaching and learning among mid-level academic leaders (MLALs) in higher education. The survey was administered to MLALs (n=76), undergoing changes relating to the use of innovative teaching and learning technologies (ITLTs). The rating method and Yeh Index of Perception (YIP) score were used to determine the extent of preparedness for technological changes among MLALs, and it was found to be on average. The results from the ANOVA test shows there was a significant difference in the mean scores for the dimensions of preparedness for changes (p<0.05). The results conclude that preparedness for changes is determined by multi-dimension indicators as suggested by diverse managerial competences and status of readiness for changes held by MLALs. The results suggest that MLALs have a relatively low competence level for motivating the adoption and implementation of technological changes in teaching and learning. Besides, the leaders had a low belief that proposed technological changes for innovative teaching and learning were beneficial to them. These results can be used further to design the training and strategies for managing technological changes in education. Therefore, the study proposes sensitisation prior to any implementation of technological changes in education.