Pedagogical integration of technology as an enhancement to teaching and learning in Gauteng public schools

Abstract

The study explores how Information Communication Technology (ICT) can be integrated in the daily school activities of Gauteng public schools from views of educators, Heads of Departments (HODs) and subject advisors. The aim of the study was to explore the degree of the ICT integration within Gauteng public schools, the challenges impeding the optimum utilisation of ICT towards curriculum delivery and enabling conditions for ICT rollout in education transformation. Therefore, the study's objectives were to determine the degree to which individual qualities impact the educator’s preparedness in the usage of ICT for teaching, to ascertain the magnitude to which preceding ICT skills and computer training affects educator’s preparedness within their teaching environment; hence determine the degree to which ICT infrastructure affects the educators’ preparedness to integrate ICT technology during teaching. Using stratified random sampling method, two hundred and ten (210) educators were extracted from the identified population. The purposive sampling technique was applied to sample twelve (12) HODs and five (5) senior officials from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). Both educators and HODs were selected from public schools in three Gauteng regions namely: Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. A triangulation technique was employed using a survey (questionnaires and semi-structured interviews) as data collection instruments to collect data from respondents. The collected data was then scrutinised in-line with the predefined conceptual framework. The independent variables of the study were factors influencing educators’ readiness to use ICT in public schools. The dependent variable of the study was educators’ preparedness to use ICT. An analytical tool, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), was used to analyse quantitative data. This allowed the study to generate descriptive statistics from the collected data. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews was analysed using content analysis resulting in a systematic and replicable procedure of identifying themes by compressing many words of text into fewer categories. The main result of the study is that ICT training affects educators’ preparedness to use ICT resources for curriculum delivery. Training deepens educators’ ICT knowledge and prepares them to apply learned skills. The acquired set of knowledge and skills in turn give the educators more confidence in the classroom and competence in teaching the subject content. A major recommendation of the study is the need to have regular refresher courses in ICT as the findings revealed that not all educators have good computer skills. Further, there is a need to improve the pace of the rollout of the of ICT infrastructure as lack of it negatively affects educators’ preparedness. Above all, the study recommends that a multi-sectoral implementation model for ICT integration should be adopted by the Gauteng Department of Education. This can improve the integration and adoption of technology for teaching and learning in selected Gauteng public schools. The other element to consider is introducing change management early in the rollout so that educators can adapt to the changing work environment.

Educator’s perceptions and influences regarding ICT Integration into teaching and learning in Gauteng Public Schools

“…Also, the findings showed that female educators are not fully prepared to utilise ICT in teaching. The irony though was that the study found out that most ICT Champions in Gauteng schools were female (Ntsobi, 2021).…”

“…Gauteng Province has been at the forefront of digital transformation in schools, prioritising public schools in general and township schools in particular (Ntsobi, 2021). Therefore, as stated by Bladergroen, Chigona, Bytheway, Cox, Dumas, and van Zyl (2012:107), the implementation of educational innovation through the integration of ICT in teaching and learning is deemed as critical and pivotal in terms of economic advancement and people development in Gauteng Province.…”