Digital Transformation in Coastal Educational Settings: A Case Study of Administrators and Teachers Readiness in Bachok, Kelantan

Digitalization is now an essential component of teaching and learning. The integration of digital technologies enhances accessibility, engagement, flexibility, efficiency, and collaboration among educational stakeholders. This study explores how digitalization in education is perceived and experienced by teachers and administrators of coastal schools in Bachok, Kelantan, one of the country’s districts with the highest poverty rates. The objective of the study is to explore how digitalization occurs in coastal schools. Using a case study design framed by Constructivist Grounded Theory and Gunnsberg Digital Transformation Model as the framework the research involved 13 participants who are school administrators and teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The data were analysed using open, axial, and selective coding. The findings of the study revealed that issues related to teachers’ pedagogical skills and structure are main obstacles to the process. Thus, not many changes take place in the process of teaching and learning. The study concludes with recommendations for future research on educational digitalization in similar socio-economic settings.