In 2015 the Western Cape Government (WCG) in South Africa introduced the e-Learning Game Changer initiative to offer teachers in public schools information and communications technology (ICT) resources to improve their pedagogy. Despite the efforts by the WCG to improve ICT use for teaching in public schools, successful ICT integration hardly takes place in several historically disadvantaged (albeit affluent) schools, which constitute a minority of schools in the Western Cape. The primary aim of this study was to investigate those conversion factors allowing or impeding teachers in two public primary schools in the Western Cape from attaining the potential capabilities required for successful ICT integration. Amartya Sen’s capability approach was used as the study’s theoretical framework. The study employed a qualitative research method involving 10 educators observed during their lessons and interviewed. The findings confirmed that only a few conversion factors, such as the attainment of ICT skills through a community of practice and university training by the teachers, provided them with capabilities to use ICT to deliver curriculum content and perform basic ICT skills effectively. Several conversion factors, including teachers’ age, provincial and school policies, infrastructure and resources, prevented these teachers from realising their ICT potential. This study contends that the White Paper on e-Education (2004) policy might benefit from the results, which could help to build or rethink programmes that encourage continual teacher training.Transdisciplinarity Contribution: This research shows that policymakers need to take into consideration the conversion factors that may impact teachers’ capabilities to deliver curriculum utilising ICTs. This study’s findings provide new light on how these conversion factors limit or expand teachers’ ICT capabilities.

Despite significant capability deprivation existing among the teachers in historically disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape province of South Africa, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have had a significant positive effect on teaching and learning. In the case study reported on here we investigated the benefits of using ICTs by public primary school teachers in teaching and learning. Sen’s capability approach was used to frame this study. We employed a qualitative research method in which 8 teachers were involved in lesson observations and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that, to some extent, through the teachers’ use of ICTs (commodities) in smart classrooms, the influence of personal conversion factors (ICT skills obtained through a community of practice and university training), had created the capabilities for teachers to use ICTs for curriculum delivery, although to a limited extent. Through this process, teachers benefited with specific vital achievements. From the study we recommend that holistic and annual professional development training programmes should be made mandatory for both novice and seasoned teachers.