The role of principals in supporting the use of ICT for teaching and learning in five primary schools in the Amathole West District, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Sazi, Ndileka Christina
- Date: 2022-06
- Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Internet in education
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27876 , vital:70237
- Description: While some South African policies such as E-Education Policy of 2004 advocate for use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning in schools as a strategy to meet the needs of the 21st Century and for improving the quality of educational outcomes. Principals as school leaders and managers ought to play a pivotal role in making links with different stakeholders to provide an enabling environment for learning as outlined in the South African Standards for Principal ship of 2015. This study sought how Principals are supporting the use of ICT for teaching and learning in five primary schools in the Amathole West District, Eastern Cape. The study was guided by Lee’s (2000) framework on technological leadership. The study was grounded in interpretive paradigm, employing qualitative approach to elicit Principals’ insights on ICT support approaches they employed in their respective workstations. Each of the five Principals was conveniently selected and participated in semi structured interviews, school plans and inventories corroborating findings from interviews. Principals heavily relied on the Department of Basic Education to provide ICT infrastructure and related tools. The study recommends that ICT leadership be a component of Principals’ continuous professional development plans. Approaches for supporting teachers and provision of workshops by the Department of basic education, but little encouragement on forming communities of practice within and outside the school as promoted by SASP. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-06
- Authors: Sazi, Ndileka Christina
- Date: 2022-06
- Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Internet in education
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27876 , vital:70237
- Description: While some South African policies such as E-Education Policy of 2004 advocate for use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning in schools as a strategy to meet the needs of the 21st Century and for improving the quality of educational outcomes. Principals as school leaders and managers ought to play a pivotal role in making links with different stakeholders to provide an enabling environment for learning as outlined in the South African Standards for Principal ship of 2015. This study sought how Principals are supporting the use of ICT for teaching and learning in five primary schools in the Amathole West District, Eastern Cape. The study was guided by Lee’s (2000) framework on technological leadership. The study was grounded in interpretive paradigm, employing qualitative approach to elicit Principals’ insights on ICT support approaches they employed in their respective workstations. Each of the five Principals was conveniently selected and participated in semi structured interviews, school plans and inventories corroborating findings from interviews. Principals heavily relied on the Department of Basic Education to provide ICT infrastructure and related tools. The study recommends that ICT leadership be a component of Principals’ continuous professional development plans. Approaches for supporting teachers and provision of workshops by the Department of basic education, but little encouragement on forming communities of practice within and outside the school as promoted by SASP. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-06
A study of the integration of technology in the school arts classroom
- Authors: Sauls, Maxwell Martin
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computer managed instruction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7364 , vital:21342
- Description: This study explores the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Educational Technology (ET) as an educational resource in the school Arts classroom. Many teachers lack the qualifications to teach the Performing Arts (PA) of the Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). Therefore, teachers rely on curriculum documentation and textbooks to help guide planning of lessons and the execution thereof. Technology as a resource tool can assist teachers as they incorporate an overwhelming amount of content/concepts in lessons. In this way they could improve classroom practice in the PA disciplines. With the emergence of Operation Phakisa: ICT in Education (Department of Education [DoE] 2015), the researcher acknowledges that the integration of ET is unavoidable. Moreover, the research highlights the importance of engaging with the rising hegemony of ICT as the defining characteristic of the information society. Literature supporting the inclusivity of media and media-related resources in education are discussed. In addition, the literature review focuses on a wide variety of ET and concludes with the implementation of ET in a South African context. Teachers from the Foundation Phase (FP), Intermediate Phase (IP) and Senior Phase (SP), namely grade R – 7, were invited to participate in the study where they were observed during contact time drawing on technology to aid teaching pedagogy. The research design involved a qualitative inquiry with aspects of crystallization where the data was collected through observations, interviews and teacher’s self-assessment. The findings suggest that teachers received little or no training in one or more PA disciplines. The integration of technology in the teaching pedagogy led to an enhanced learning environment where the teacher could actively engage learners in meaningful activities. The findings furthermore revealed that the use of technology was not uniform and did not lead to neat conclusion. Instead the researcher found that a great deal of divergence in the use of technology. This divergence was found across art disciplines and the use of technology also differed among teachers. Finally, individual teachers also differed in their use of technology across the art disciplines that they taught. The learners benefited from the use of technology insofar as they displayed a better understanding of the concepts in subsequent lessons. Furthermore, by the end of the study, teachers had begun to implement the new teaching style in learning areas other than the PA.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Sauls, Maxwell Martin
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computer managed instruction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/7364 , vital:21342
- Description: This study explores the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Educational Technology (ET) as an educational resource in the school Arts classroom. Many teachers lack the qualifications to teach the Performing Arts (PA) of the Curriculum and Policy Statement (CAPS). Therefore, teachers rely on curriculum documentation and textbooks to help guide planning of lessons and the execution thereof. Technology as a resource tool can assist teachers as they incorporate an overwhelming amount of content/concepts in lessons. In this way they could improve classroom practice in the PA disciplines. With the emergence of Operation Phakisa: ICT in Education (Department of Education [DoE] 2015), the researcher acknowledges that the integration of ET is unavoidable. Moreover, the research highlights the importance of engaging with the rising hegemony of ICT as the defining characteristic of the information society. Literature supporting the inclusivity of media and media-related resources in education are discussed. In addition, the literature review focuses on a wide variety of ET and concludes with the implementation of ET in a South African context. Teachers from the Foundation Phase (FP), Intermediate Phase (IP) and Senior Phase (SP), namely grade R – 7, were invited to participate in the study where they were observed during contact time drawing on technology to aid teaching pedagogy. The research design involved a qualitative inquiry with aspects of crystallization where the data was collected through observations, interviews and teacher’s self-assessment. The findings suggest that teachers received little or no training in one or more PA disciplines. The integration of technology in the teaching pedagogy led to an enhanced learning environment where the teacher could actively engage learners in meaningful activities. The findings furthermore revealed that the use of technology was not uniform and did not lead to neat conclusion. Instead the researcher found that a great deal of divergence in the use of technology. This divergence was found across art disciplines and the use of technology also differed among teachers. Finally, individual teachers also differed in their use of technology across the art disciplines that they taught. The learners benefited from the use of technology insofar as they displayed a better understanding of the concepts in subsequent lessons. Furthermore, by the end of the study, teachers had begun to implement the new teaching style in learning areas other than the PA.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
A platform for computer-assisted multilingual literacy development
- Authors: Mudimba, Bwini Chizabubi
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: FundaWethu , Language acquisition -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language arts (Elementary) -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language and education , Education, Bilingual , Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computers and literacy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4600 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004850 , FundaWethu , Language acquisition -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language arts (Elementary) -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language and education , Education, Bilingual , Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computers and literacy
- Description: FundaWethu is reading software that is designed to deliver reading lessons to Grade R-3 (foundation phase) children who are learning to read in a multilingual context. Starting from a premise that the system should be both educative and entertaining, the system allows literacy researchers or teachers to construct rich multimedia reading lessons, with text, pictures (possibly animated), and audio files. Using the design-based research methodology which is problem driven and iterative, we followed a user-centred design process in creating FundaWethu. To promote sustainability of the software, we chose to bring teachers on board as “co-designers” using the lesson authoring tool. We made the authoring tool simple enough for use by non computer specialists, but expressive enough to enable a wide range of beginners reading exercises to be constructed in a number of different languages (indigenous South African languages in particular). This project therefore centred on the use of designbased research to build FundaWethu, the design and construction of FundaWethu and the usability study carried out to determine the adequacy of FundaWethu.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Mudimba, Bwini Chizabubi
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: FundaWethu , Language acquisition -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language arts (Elementary) -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language and education , Education, Bilingual , Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computers and literacy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4600 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004850 , FundaWethu , Language acquisition -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language arts (Elementary) -- Computer-assisted instruction , Language and education , Education, Bilingual , Computer-assisted instruction , Educational technology , Computers and literacy
- Description: FundaWethu is reading software that is designed to deliver reading lessons to Grade R-3 (foundation phase) children who are learning to read in a multilingual context. Starting from a premise that the system should be both educative and entertaining, the system allows literacy researchers or teachers to construct rich multimedia reading lessons, with text, pictures (possibly animated), and audio files. Using the design-based research methodology which is problem driven and iterative, we followed a user-centred design process in creating FundaWethu. To promote sustainability of the software, we chose to bring teachers on board as “co-designers” using the lesson authoring tool. We made the authoring tool simple enough for use by non computer specialists, but expressive enough to enable a wide range of beginners reading exercises to be constructed in a number of different languages (indigenous South African languages in particular). This project therefore centred on the use of designbased research to build FundaWethu, the design and construction of FundaWethu and the usability study carried out to determine the adequacy of FundaWethu.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
The introduction of cyberhunts as a teaching and learning strategy to guide teachers towards the integration of computer technology in schools
- Authors: Du Plessis, André
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Educational technology , Computers -- Study and teaching , Computer-assisted instruction , Competency-based education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1210 , Educational technology , Computers -- Study and teaching , Computer-assisted instruction , Competency-based education
- Description: This study, which is based on a computer literacy teacher development programme that included introducing the teacher participants to the Internet, investigated whether the development of teacher ICT skills through the design of cyberhunts in a learning-as-design context, has the potential to promote the critical and developmental outcomes which form the basis of the South African National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and Draft White Paper on e-Education. The research was conducted within the post-positivist paradigm underpinned by a critical realist position and made use of qualitative and quantitative data1 gathering methods (mixed research) within an interpretative case study. Several different quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. Quantitative data gathering tools that had been used comprised of Likert scale questionnaires, a computer skills questionnaire, as well as certain sections within semi-closed-openended questionnaires. The qualitative data gathering tools that had been used were semi-closed-openended questionnaires, journal reflection sheets, observation and interviews. Ontologically the research was informed by a critical-realist perspective, epistemologically by a socio-cultural perspective; including situated learning within communities of practice; recognising the cognitive, social and situated learning dimension of teacher learning. Methodologically an interpretive case study approach was used, as the aim was to explore and investigate what the participants experienced, perceived and to understand the participants: what they felt, how they felt and why they felt and responded in certain ways. Initially the study focused on identifying how ready the participating schools and their participating teachers were in terms of the implementation and integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with reference to first- and second order barriers. The findings suggest that addressing the first- and second order barriers is a vital aspect when assisting schools to move towards ICT integration. The next phase of the research focused on whether the cyberhunt design approach is capable of developing the critical outcomes of the NCS, whether it promotes motivation and interest, and whether it promotes collaboration. Both the quantitative and qualitative data portrayed positive results regarding the perceptions of the participating teachers in the cyberhunt design approach related to the critical and 1PLEASE NOTE: All the data referred to as in the appendix and all appendices are attached to this thesis on a CD containing the portable document format (PDF) files. This can be found at the back. iv developmental outcomes with reference to search and research, reading attitude, decision making, planning skills - which include time management and goal setting, knowledge and skills related to composing questions on different cognitive levels, computer skills, reflection and design skills. Positive results were also found related to audience, confidence, mental effort, motivation, interest and collaboration. The probabilities (p values) and practical statistical significance in the form of Cohen's d, were highly significant. The teachers’ final cyberhunt products suggest that the majority of the participants had obtained basic cyberhunt design skills. However, in spite of the positive results, it was found that not all teachers are yet ready to implement this approach exactly as it is intended. When interpreted within an activity theory perspective; the positive results might be attributed to the unmediated functioning of the rules, division of labour and community aspects of the theory, while the conditions required by complexity theory for the development of a complex learning community appear to have been met by the implementation of cyberhunts as a strategy. The conditions for enabling the development of a complex learning community; namely internal diversity, redundancy, decentralised control, organised randomness and neighbour interaction; also appear to have interacted with the unmediated aspects of activity theory in developing consensual rules and through the negotiation of the division of labour located within the community. In a like manner, positive results related to search and research, decision making, questioning, computer skills, reflection, design skills and audience reported can most likely be attributed to the functioning of the mediational tools as described by activity theory such as the computer technology, the Internet, the software that had been used and language. The data thus suggest that the interaction between both the unmediated elements and higher order mediated elements of activity theory, have most likely been the defining factors which created high levels of motivation, interest, collaboration and a positive classroom culture through which the critical and developmental outcomes of the South Africa curriculum can possibly be achieved within a complex learning community. The study also investigated how the teacher development process regarding ICT implementation should be managed. This study found that the acronym CRAR3FS2 holds the key to teacher development and classroom implementation. This acronym represents the verbs or actions that the participating teachers highly valued during implementation and what they have indicated as being important, namely: Care, Relate, Assess, Reflect, Read, Re-Plan, Feedback, Share and Support.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Du Plessis, André
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Educational technology , Computers -- Study and teaching , Computer-assisted instruction , Competency-based education
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9555 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1210 , Educational technology , Computers -- Study and teaching , Computer-assisted instruction , Competency-based education
- Description: This study, which is based on a computer literacy teacher development programme that included introducing the teacher participants to the Internet, investigated whether the development of teacher ICT skills through the design of cyberhunts in a learning-as-design context, has the potential to promote the critical and developmental outcomes which form the basis of the South African National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and Draft White Paper on e-Education. The research was conducted within the post-positivist paradigm underpinned by a critical realist position and made use of qualitative and quantitative data1 gathering methods (mixed research) within an interpretative case study. Several different quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. Quantitative data gathering tools that had been used comprised of Likert scale questionnaires, a computer skills questionnaire, as well as certain sections within semi-closed-openended questionnaires. The qualitative data gathering tools that had been used were semi-closed-openended questionnaires, journal reflection sheets, observation and interviews. Ontologically the research was informed by a critical-realist perspective, epistemologically by a socio-cultural perspective; including situated learning within communities of practice; recognising the cognitive, social and situated learning dimension of teacher learning. Methodologically an interpretive case study approach was used, as the aim was to explore and investigate what the participants experienced, perceived and to understand the participants: what they felt, how they felt and why they felt and responded in certain ways. Initially the study focused on identifying how ready the participating schools and their participating teachers were in terms of the implementation and integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with reference to first- and second order barriers. The findings suggest that addressing the first- and second order barriers is a vital aspect when assisting schools to move towards ICT integration. The next phase of the research focused on whether the cyberhunt design approach is capable of developing the critical outcomes of the NCS, whether it promotes motivation and interest, and whether it promotes collaboration. Both the quantitative and qualitative data portrayed positive results regarding the perceptions of the participating teachers in the cyberhunt design approach related to the critical and 1PLEASE NOTE: All the data referred to as in the appendix and all appendices are attached to this thesis on a CD containing the portable document format (PDF) files. This can be found at the back. iv developmental outcomes with reference to search and research, reading attitude, decision making, planning skills - which include time management and goal setting, knowledge and skills related to composing questions on different cognitive levels, computer skills, reflection and design skills. Positive results were also found related to audience, confidence, mental effort, motivation, interest and collaboration. The probabilities (p values) and practical statistical significance in the form of Cohen's d, were highly significant. The teachers’ final cyberhunt products suggest that the majority of the participants had obtained basic cyberhunt design skills. However, in spite of the positive results, it was found that not all teachers are yet ready to implement this approach exactly as it is intended. When interpreted within an activity theory perspective; the positive results might be attributed to the unmediated functioning of the rules, division of labour and community aspects of the theory, while the conditions required by complexity theory for the development of a complex learning community appear to have been met by the implementation of cyberhunts as a strategy. The conditions for enabling the development of a complex learning community; namely internal diversity, redundancy, decentralised control, organised randomness and neighbour interaction; also appear to have interacted with the unmediated aspects of activity theory in developing consensual rules and through the negotiation of the division of labour located within the community. In a like manner, positive results related to search and research, decision making, questioning, computer skills, reflection, design skills and audience reported can most likely be attributed to the functioning of the mediational tools as described by activity theory such as the computer technology, the Internet, the software that had been used and language. The data thus suggest that the interaction between both the unmediated elements and higher order mediated elements of activity theory, have most likely been the defining factors which created high levels of motivation, interest, collaboration and a positive classroom culture through which the critical and developmental outcomes of the South Africa curriculum can possibly be achieved within a complex learning community. The study also investigated how the teacher development process regarding ICT implementation should be managed. This study found that the acronym CRAR3FS2 holds the key to teacher development and classroom implementation. This acronym represents the verbs or actions that the participating teachers highly valued during implementation and what they have indicated as being important, namely: Care, Relate, Assess, Reflect, Read, Re-Plan, Feedback, Share and Support.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
An investigation of the development and adoption of educational metadata standards for the widespread use of learning objects
- Authors: Krull, Greig Emil
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Metadata , Internet in education , Web databases , Education -- Standards , Educational technology , Computer-assisted instruction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1142 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002771 , Metadata , Internet in education , Web databases , Education -- Standards , Educational technology , Computer-assisted instruction
- Description: This research investigates the development and adoption of educational metadata standards for the widespread use of learning objects. Learning objects, metadata, the related IEEE standard and the various application profiles derived from the standard are discussed. A number of standards and specifications for educational metadata used to describe learning objects are explored, namely the Dublin Core, IMS, SCORM, ARIADNE, CanCore and the UK LOM Core. Three metadata editors and the experience with using one of them, RELOAD, is described. These educational metadata specifications are used in a practical metadata implementation scenario and the experiences are extrapolated to derive a localised instance of the generic IEEE standard. A new application profile is proposed, “RU LOM Core”, for the South African higher education context. Some existing results are confirmed about the complexity of using the IEEE standard and it is demonstrated that it is possible to instantiate the standard for South African conditions. The results are largely qualitative and based on practical experience. However, the results concur with results from related research. Although the development of an application profile is certainly not new, the development of RU LOM Core illustrates that the IEEE standard, developed largely within the northern hemisphere, can be adapted to work in the South African scenario. RU LOM Core has been developed for the South African higher education environment and takes linguistic and cultural diversity and the low rate of technological literacy into consideration. The lessons learned and the proposed LOM core can be built upon in further research and collaboration to use and support the use of such standards within South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Krull, Greig Emil
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Metadata , Internet in education , Web databases , Education -- Standards , Educational technology , Computer-assisted instruction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1142 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002771 , Metadata , Internet in education , Web databases , Education -- Standards , Educational technology , Computer-assisted instruction
- Description: This research investigates the development and adoption of educational metadata standards for the widespread use of learning objects. Learning objects, metadata, the related IEEE standard and the various application profiles derived from the standard are discussed. A number of standards and specifications for educational metadata used to describe learning objects are explored, namely the Dublin Core, IMS, SCORM, ARIADNE, CanCore and the UK LOM Core. Three metadata editors and the experience with using one of them, RELOAD, is described. These educational metadata specifications are used in a practical metadata implementation scenario and the experiences are extrapolated to derive a localised instance of the generic IEEE standard. A new application profile is proposed, “RU LOM Core”, for the South African higher education context. Some existing results are confirmed about the complexity of using the IEEE standard and it is demonstrated that it is possible to instantiate the standard for South African conditions. The results are largely qualitative and based on practical experience. However, the results concur with results from related research. Although the development of an application profile is certainly not new, the development of RU LOM Core illustrates that the IEEE standard, developed largely within the northern hemisphere, can be adapted to work in the South African scenario. RU LOM Core has been developed for the South African higher education environment and takes linguistic and cultural diversity and the low rate of technological literacy into consideration. The lessons learned and the proposed LOM core can be built upon in further research and collaboration to use and support the use of such standards within South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
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