Shaping Educational Futures: How Ict Influences Teaching Practices and Policy Agendas

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become central to debates about the future of education, shaping not only teaching practices but also national and institutional policy agendas. This study investigates how ICT influences classroom pedagogy and the extent to which policy frameworks align with teachers’ lived experiences. Employing a mixed-methods design , the research combined a survey of 320 teachers with in-depth interviews and a policy document analysis. Quantitative results demonstrated high levels of ICT adoption, particularly in urban contexts and among novice teachers, with teacher competence and institutional support emerging as the strongest predictors of ICT integration. Qualitative findings revealed that teachers viewed ICT as both a catalyst for engagement and a source of tension when technologies were misaligned with curricular goals. Policymakers, while endorsing ICT as a transformative tool, acknowledged challenges in implementation, particularly in relation to infrastructure and equity. The analysis identified three central themes: ICT as a pedagogical catalyst, teacher agency in technology appropriation, and persistent gaps between policy aspirations and classroom realities. The study argues that effective ICT integration requires more than technological investment; it demands context-sensitive policies that empower teachers as active agents rather than passive recipients of top-down directives. By highlighting the dynamic interplay between pedagogy and policy, this research contributes to critical debates on the role of ICT in shaping educational futures.