School principals’ perceptions and institutional readiness for smartphone-supported mobile learning in rural South African secondary schools

The growing availability of smartphone technology presents considerable potential to reshape teaching and learning. However, its integration into secondary school pedagogy remains uneven, particularly within rural and otherwise resource-constrained educational settings. This qualitative study examined the perceptions, leadership roles, and institutional readiness of school principals regarding smartphone-supported mobile learning in rural secondary schools in South Africa, drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology as its theoretical lens. The study was conducted within an interpretivist paradigm, using semi-structured interviews with eight secondary school principals purposively selected from rural and peri-rural schools in the King Cetshwayo District of KwaZulu-Natal. Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and institutional dynamics shaping the adoption of mobile learning. The findings revealed that participants regard smartphones as valuable pedagogical tools that enhance learner engagement, broaden access to educational resources, and support flexible learning beyond the constraints of the conventional classroom. However, institutional limitations, including the absence of coherent national and provincial policy, inadequate digital infrastructure and connectivity, limited professional development opportunities, and pronounced socio-economic disparities among learners, constrained the sustainability of smartphone integration in these contexts. While school leadership played a meaningful role in legitimising and encouraging limited use of technology, the study found that genuine and sustainable integration required substantial systemic support beyond the capacity of individual school leaders. The findings presented are drawn predominantly from principals of rural schools; patterns specific to peri-rural schools are noted as an area requiring further study. The study concludes that understanding leadership perceptions and institutional conditions is central to advancing equitable adoption of mobile learning in rural secondary education, and underscores the importance of coordinated policy development, infrastructure investment, and leadership capacity-building to support sustainable digital transformation in rural and resource-constrained school settings.