The influence of smartboards on the teaching and learning of grade 12 Physical Science in Tshwane District, Gauteng, South Africa

Abstract

The South African education system has faced immense challenges from a lack of infrastructure, low pass rates for matric students and the high dropout rate (Mdlongwa, 2012:1). The policy brief (Mdlongwa, 2012:1) proposes that the education authorities of the national Department of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training in South Africa (SA) adopt measures that will see the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a means of enhancing education in SA. The Government Gazette (2004:19) states that ICT has been introduced in schools to extend and improve education. In terms of pedagogy, ICT is changing the way students learn and the way teachers teach (Dzani & Amedzo, 2014:341). According to Sekhonyane (2014:1-2), MEC Panyaza Lesufi has finalised the ICT strategy in which he declared that five schools in Gauteng will be turned into paperless classrooms. Teachers will receive tablets and classrooms will be fitted with interactive white boards in 2016. According to Mchunu (2016:1), about 1 800 Grade 12 classrooms in Gauteng Province, South Africa, have been fitted with smartboards and 64 000 Grade 12 learners were provided with tablets that had relevant content and connectivity at the beginning of the 2016 academic year. This study investigated the influence of the smartboard in the teaching and learning of Grade 12 Physical Science in Gauteng, Tshwane District. The research question guiding this study was “How does the use of the smartboards influence the teaching and learning of Grade 12 Physical Science in Tshwane District, Gauteng Province, South Africa?” The study was supported by TPACK frameworks. The study used a qualitative approach. The population of the study was Physical Science teachers who were teaching Grade 12 learners studying Physical Science in four schools in Gauteng Province. These were some of the schools in which MEC Panyaza Lesufi removed all the chalk boards and replaced them with smartboards and where the learners were provided with iPads (Sekhonyane, 2014:1-2). Semi-structured interviews were applied, guided by a set of questions in the interview protocol, which prompted further discussions with the teachers (Punch & Oancea, 2014:184). A group of 10 learners from Physical Science Grade 12 classes were interviewed through the focus group interview. The researcher of this study observed Physical Science lessons at the four participating schools. Each class had between 15 and 38 learners per school. Interviews were recorded and observation protocols were used during observations in the classrooms. Data were analysed inductively using AtlasTI software. Except for the challenges of theft and power failures, teachers had positive experiences teaching with the smartboards. The results showed that teachers can use the smartboard but need to be trained on the pedagogical use of the smartboard so they do not lose a percentage of the learners who are inclined to focus more on the video than the lesson/activity.