Integrating a digital pedagogy approach into online teaching: are academic librarians at Universities of Technology in South Africa prepared?

Purpose This paper aims to explore whether academic librarians at the Universities of Technology (UoTs) in South Africa have the pedagogy and digital skills to implement a digital pedagogy approach for online teaching. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach in the form of a sequential explanatory design was selected to explore the topic in which the quantitative was followed by the qualitative phase. Instruments used included an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to explore the pedagogy and digital skills of academic librarians at UoTs in South Africa. Findings The quantitative results and findings revealed that academic librarians lacked the pedagogy and digital skills for online teaching. Similarly, results and findings in the qualitative phase also showed academic librarians lacking these skills for online teaching. Consequently, the results and findings derived from both phases were triangulated and the cohesive nature of the data was absolute. Research limitations/implications (i) Library schools include an elective module covering pedagogy and teaching with technology for librarians; (ii) library professional bodies create opportunities for academic librarians to develop pedagogy and digital skills; and (iii) higher education libraries need to create knowledge-sharing opportunities to improve the pedagogy and digital skills of academic librarians with teaching portfolios. Practical implications Higher education libraries and library schools must promote the teaching identity of academic librarians by helping them improve their pedagogical and digital skills for online teaching. Social implications This topic requires further exploration as academic librarians are fast becoming integrated into the teaching and learning agenda of institutions globally. Originality/value The current study is novel in that it explores the pedagogical and digital skills of academic librarians at UoTs in South Africa for online teaching.