The Development of Learner Network Society Skills by South African Technology Rich Schools: A Case of Four Grade 8 Technology Teachers

Introduction: The South African education policy, the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) envisions the utilisation of ICTs for teaching and learning in all subjects and yet, it is silent on the pedagogical approaches to be employed by teachers, to achieve their learning outcomes using ICTs. In this multiple case study, focus was on four Grade 8 Technology teachers teaching in technology rich (Full ICT) schools in one of the provinces, Gauteng.
Goal and Methods: It sought to understand how they created opportunities for learners to acquire the desired network society skills, to solve real-life/authentic problems and thus prepare them for meaningful participation in the global world. The Guided Blended Connectivist Learning (GBCL) Framework was developed and used to analyse data from teacher interviews, lesson observations, lesson plans and social media. Coding (thematic analysis) was used to analyse data.
Results: The results revealed that systemic operational mechanisms such as scripted lesson plans and scheduled timelines for content delivery constrained teachers from utilising available ICT resources to develop learner network social skills. Learners are not given an opportunity to use the digital resources in class but only do so outside the classroom. The outcome of this study was a framework with conditions that support the development of network social skills in the Technology subject.
Conclusion: Further research on how teachers in each subject can use ICTs to develop subject outcomes in the context of systemic constraints is needed. Furthermore, teacher professional development programmes should be guided by research findings such as this, to design and equip teachers with appropriate ICT pedagogical skills for the benefit of the achievement of curriculum goals.