Perceptions of school management on cyber threats: The case of resource-constrained schools in South Africa

13 pages•Published: June 16, 2024

Abstract

Globally, most countries are realising the importance of cybersecurity in all aspects of life including education. Most African countries, however, have not prioritised cybersecurity especially in education despite the high levels of cyber-criminal activities on the continent. The integration of information communication technologies in curriculum delivery, data management and administrative tasks calls for cybersecurity diligence within a school system. School management, as custodians of various school stakeholders in their administrative and pastoral care responsibilities, have a responsibility towards cybersecurity in schools. Cyber-threats and risks can disrupt regular school operations, negatively affecting the security of learners, educators, administrative staff, parents, and the community at large. Resource-constrained schools can be particularly vulnerable as they generally operate under frugal conditions. There is, however, a paucity of cybersecurity for school leadership in literature. This study, therefore, attempts to answer the question: What are the perceptions of cyber threats among school management in resource-constrained schools? The study employed a qualitative exploratory case study methodology. We collected the data through semi-structured interviews from four schools in the Western Cape and Limpopo provinces. These represent an affluent and a rural province. The data was analysed using thematic analysis based on the Capability Approach. Findings suggest that school managers cybersecurity self-efficacy is low, and their limited cybersecurity knowledge deprives the cybersecurity capabilities of the various stakeholders under their leadership. Their environment does not provide cybersecurity capacity building to boost their confidence as they deal with and address various cybersecurity related matters in their context. The study contributes to cybersecurity in education by highlighting the cybersecurity perceptions of school managers in resource-constrained schools. These findings will pavethe way for initiatives that capacitate cybersecurity knowledge and skills among school managers and cultivate a culture of cyber safety in schools.

Keyphrases: Capability Approach, Cybersecurity capabilities, Cybersecurity in Education, cybersecurity perceptions, cybersecurity well-being

In: Hossana Twinomurinzi, Nkosikhona Msweli, Sibukele Gumbo, Tendani Mawela, Emmanuel Mtsweni, Peter Mkhize and Ernest Mnkandla (editors). Proceedings of the NEMISA Digital Skills Summit and Colloquium 2024, vol 6, pages 53--65

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/JwcT
	https://doi.org/10.29007/3542