Technology acceptance and social justice in rural higher education: a qualitative study of learning management systems and curriculum delivery

Abstract

Introduction This qualitative study investigated how undergraduate pre-service teachers at a rural, historically disadvantaged university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, experience and navigate the use of the institutional Learning Management System (LMS) for curriculum delivery. It specifically examined the extent to which structural and institutional conditions enable or constrain equitable LMS participation. Methods Using purposive sampling, 40 undergraduate students enrolled in a Bachelor of Education programme were selected to represent varying year groups, socio-economic backgrounds, and LMS engagement levels (determined via self-reports and lecturer interaction patterns). Data were collected over six weeks through semi-structured interviews (45-75 minutes) in private or neutral venues. Trustworthiness was ensured via a 14-week data engagement period, member checking with a subsample ($n = 4$), peer debriefing, and reflexive journaling. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, combining inductive coding with a deductive phase drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Social Justice Theory. Results The findings indicate that while pre-service teachers recognize the LMS as an essential tool for accessing learning materials, assessments, and communication, meaningful engagement is severely constrained by structural inequalities. These include limited device access, unreliable internet connectivity, prohibitive data costs, and inadequate institutional support. Viewed through a social justice lens, these challenges reflect systemic failures in redistribution, recognition, and representation. Discussion The study reveals a critical disconnect between technological acceptance and educational equity, demonstrating that positive perceptions of LMS functionality are insufficient without enabling material and institutional conditions. By utilizing an integrated TAM-Social Justice framework, this study advances existing scholarship by demonstrating how individual technology acceptance is deeply mediated by, and cannot be disentangled from, structural inequity.