School Support Systems for Strengthening Technology Integration in Primary School Design and Technology Education: A Conceptual Paper

This conceptual paper examines the role of school support systems in strengthening technology integration in primary school Design and Technology (RBT) education in Malaysia. Although national education policies emphasise digital transformation, classroom implementation remains uneven, particularly when teachers face limited infrastructure, inconsistent administrative support, insufficient technical assistance, and unequal access to professional development. This issue is particularly significant in RBT because the subject requires teachers to connect technological knowledge with hands-on learning, design activities, problem-solving, and practical classroom application. Guided by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this paper positions technology integration as a school-supported process rather than an individual teacher responsibility alone. The proposed conceptual framework explains how school support systems function as an enabling and mediating mechanism that links teacher competency and teacher motivation with actual technology integration practices. This paper contributes to the literature by shifting the discussion from teacher readiness alone to the interaction between teacher capacity, teacher willingness, and school-level conditions in the specific context of primary school RBT education. The discussion offers practical implications for policymakers, school leaders, curriculum developers, and teacher education providers in strengthening sustainable technology integration in Malaysian primary schools.

school support systems, technology integration, primary school RBT education, teacher competency, teacher motivation, facilitating conditions

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