Enhancing the effectiveness of teacher learning communities through WhatsApp group-chat technology: Accounting teachers’ voices

Abstract

Engagements in teacher learning communities (TLCs) in South African school settings have been predominantly face-toface. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, some rural teachers began resorting more to collaboration that prioritises the use of 21st- century communication technology. In this article we report the findings of a qualitative case study, located within an interpretive  paradigm in which we explored how a group of rural accounting teachers harnessed WhatsApp messaging technology to enhance the  effectiveness of TLCs. The study was underpinned by both the community of practice theory and the generative theory of rurality. Data  were sourced through semi-structured individual telephonic and WhatsApp-based focus-group discussions from 15 purposively and  conveniently sampled participants. Thematic analysis of the data revealed the teachers’ ability to engage in an undisrupted collaboration  in times of crisis and an improved culture of sharing and support for effective teaching and learning. The results reveal the existence of  inadequate communication infrastructure in the study context, which compromised the effective implementation of TLCs. These findings  also highlight the need to prioritise providing communication infrastructure to assist rural teachers in taking full advantage of modern   communication technologies for collaboration in virtual space.