Impediments faced by Technology teachers in the teaching of Technology

Abstract

This study focused on the impediments that are faced by technology teachers and that hinder the effective teaching of Technology in Nkangala Sub-District schools. For teachers to be effective in the teaching of Technology, it is imperative for them to undergo training on the content and pedagogy. Professional development is the development of teachers’ knowledge and skills through training programmes to enable them to teach effectively and also assist in content enrichment throughout the teaching experience. Teachers had to be trained and/or retrained in the implementation of Technology Education by means of workshops organised by the Department of Basic Education in each of the nine provinces in order to understand the vision of the subject. Through the training, teachers will acquire subject matter knowledge in context. Technology teachers should also have technological knowledge, which refers to the teachers’ knowledge of activities and concepts relating to the body of content. In the context of the above, Technology Education requires a teacher to be well versed in curriculum content as well as appropriate teaching practices. It is important to understand where there are consistencies in teaching practices and what takes place in the classroom. When Technology Education was introduced, most teachers were expected to use technology in schools without being adequately trained on the content or even in teaching methodologies. Although various interventions have been made since the implementation of Technology as a subject, there seems to be a lack of appropriate teaching practices, which could be one of the impediments to teaching Technology. This could result in a situation where teachers have to teach certain concepts without the necessary knowledge and/or self-confidence to teach topics. In the implementation process, many of the impediments encountered were created by factors such as a lack of funds in the rural area schools and inadequate training of Technology Education teachers. The aim of the study was therefore to understand the nature of impediments that Grades 8 – 9 teachers of Technology face in the Nkangala Sub-District of Mpumalanga. A qualitative approach was used and twelve teachers participated in the study. It emerged from the findings that teachers are affected by the absence of curriculum implementers in the whole Nkangala Sub-District. Of the twelve teachers interviewed, it was noted that only four taught Technologywith appropriate qualifications. The researcher observed during the lessons that teachers depended mainly on chalk-and-board by drawing pictures rather than engaging learners in practical activities, and this was because there were no funds to acquire the materials for experiments. The participants believed that learners learn best when they do hands-on activities. Very important to note is that those teachers without Technology-related qualifications struggled to understand some of the concepts, which made the whole teaching process problematic. The findings reveal that the teachers used the question-and-answer method to teach the learners. It was observed that they asked questions throughout the lesson and gave feedback to the learners. Teachers agreed that they lacked subject matter knowledge and an appropriate teaching methodology for teaching Technology. This means that teaching might be compromised since these teachers would have no effective strategies to teach the subject effectively. It can be concluded that there are impediments facing teachers in their teaching practices. This is characterised by a lack of subject knowledge and resources and an inadequate methodological approach to teaching Technology.

Thutopatlisiso e ne e totile dikgoreletsi tse barutabana ba thekenoloji ba lebaneng natso tse e bile di kgoreletsang go ruta go go siameng ga Thekenoloji kwa dikolong tsa Kgaolopotlana ya Nkangala. Gore barutabana ba nne le bokgoni jwa go ruta Thekenoloji, go botlhokwa gore ba katisiwe ka serutwa le go se ruta. Tlhabololo ya seporofesenale ke go godisiwa ga kitso le dikgono tsa barutabana ka mananeo a katiso go ba kgontsha go ruta ka bokgoni le go ba thusa go humisa dithuto fa ba ruta. Barutabana ba tshwanetse go katisiwa le/gongwe go katisiwa gape malebana le go diragatsa Thuto ya Thekenoloji ka tsela ya dikopanothutano tse di rulagantsweng ke Lefapha la Thuto ya Motheo kwa diporofenseng tsotlhe tse robongwe gore ba tlhaloganye ponelopele ya serutwa. Ka katiso, barutabana ba tlaa nna le kitso ya serutwa ka botlalo. Gape barutabana ba thekenoloji ba tshwanetse go nna le kitso ya thekenoloji, e leng se se kayang kitso ya morutabana ya dintlha tsotlhe tse di amanang le serutwa seo. Malebana le se se kailweng fa godimo, Thuto ya Thekenoloji e tlhoka gore morutabana a tlhaloganye lenaneothuto ka botlalo gammogo le ditiragatso tsotlhe tse di maleba tsa go ruta. Go botlhokwa go tlhaloganya moo go nang le go tlhoka go tshwana mo tseleng ya go ruta le gore go diragalang mo phaposiborutelong. Fa go ne go itsisiwe Thuto ya Thekenoloji, go ne go lebeletswe gore bontsi jwa barutabana ba dirise thekenoloji kwa dikolong kwa ntle ga katiso epe ya serutwa gongwe le fa e le mekgwa ya go ruta. Le fa go nnile le ditsereganyo di le mmalwa fa e sale tsenyotirisong ya Thekenoloji jaaka serutwa, go bonala go na le tlhaelo ya ditsela tse di maleba tsa go ruta, se e ka nnang nngwe ya dikgoreletsi tsa go ruta Thekenoloji. Seno se ka baka seemo se mo go sona barutabana ba tshwanelang go ruta dithuto dingwe kwa ntle ga kitso e e tlhokegang le/gongwe go itshepa go ruta ditlhogo tse di rileng. Mo tiregong ya tsenyotirisong, bontsi jwa dikgoreletsi tse go kopanweng natso di ne di bakilwe ke dintlha di tshwana le tlhaelo ya matlole kwa dikolong tsa metsemagae le katiso e e sa lekanang ya barutabana ba Thuto ya Thekenoloji. Ka jalo, maikaelelo a thutopatlisiso e ne e le go tlhotlhomisa dikgoreletsi tse di lebaneng barutabana ba Thekenoloji ba Mephato ya 8-9 kwa dikolong tsa Kgaolopotlana ya Nkangala kwa Mpumalanga. Go dirisitswe molebo o o lebelelang mabaka mme barutabana ba le masomepedi ba nnile le seabe mo thutopatlisisong. Go tlhageletse go tswa mo diphitlhelelong gore barutabana ba amiwa ke go tlhokega ga batsenyatirisong ba lenaneothuto mo Kgaolopotlaneng yotlhe ya Nkangala. Mo barutabaneng ba le lesomepedi ba ba botsoloditsweng dipotso, go lemogilwe gore ke ba le bane fela ba ba rutang Thekenoloji ka borutegi jo bo maleba. Mmatlisisi o lemogile gore ka nako ya dithuto barutabana ba ne ba ikaegile thata mo tshokobotong ka go thadisa ditshwantsho go na le go dira gore barutwana ba diragatse ditirwana, mme seno ke ka ntlha gore go ne go se na matlole a go bona dimatheriale tsa go dira ditekeletso. Bannileseabe ba ne ba dumela gore barutwana ba ithuta botoka fa ba dira ditirwana ka bo bona. Ntlha ya botlhokwa e e tshwanetseng go elwa tlhoko ke ya gore go ne go se bonolo gore barutabana ba ba neng ba se na borutegi jwa Thekenoloji ba tlhaloganye dintlha dingwe, e leng sengwe se se neng se dira gore tirego yotlhe ya go ruta e nne le mathata. Diphitlhelelo di bontsha gore barutabana ba tlwaetse mokgwa wa go botsa dipotso le go bona dikarabo go ruta barutwana. Go lemogilwe gore ba ne ba botsa dipotso mo thutong yotlhe mme ba tsibogela dikarabo tsa barutwana. Barutabana ba dumelane gore ba tlhaela kitso ya serutwa le mokgwathuto o o maleba wa go ruta Thekenoloji. Seno se raya gore go ruta go ka tlhaela ka ntlha ya gore barutabana bano ga ba na ditogamaano tse di siameng tsa go ruta serutwa ka bokgoni. Go ka swediwa gore go na le dikgoreletsi tse di lebaneng barutabana mo go ruteng ga bona. Seno se lemogwa ka ntlha ya tlhaelo ya kitso ya serutwa le ditlamelo gammogo le molebo o o sa lekanang wa mokgwathuto wa go ruta Thekenoloji.

Dinyakisiso tse di lebantse go mapheko ao a barutisi ba theknolotsi ba lebanago nao gape e le ao a thibelago go rutwa gabotse ga Theknolotsi ka dikolong tsa Selete se se Nyane sa Nkangala. Gore barutisi ba some botse mo go ruteng Theknolotsi, go bohlokwa go bona gore ba hlahliwe ka dikagare le thuto (phedakotsi). Tlhabollo ya seprofesenale ke tlhabollo ya tsebo le mabokgoni a barutisi ka mananeo a tlhahlo go ba kgontsha go ruta ga botse gape le go thusa go matlafatsa dikagare mo boitemogelong ka moka bja go ruta. Barutisi ba ile ba swanela go hlahliwa le/goba go hlahliwa leboelela mo phethagatsong ya Thuto ya Theknolotsi ka go somisa diwekesopo tsa go beakanywa ke Kgoro ya Thuto ya Motheo ka go ye nngwe le ye nngwe ya diprofense tse senyane go kwesisa morero ya thuto. Ka tlhahlo, barutisi ba tla hwetsa tsebo ya dikagare tsa thuto go ya ka seemo. Gape barutisi ba theknolotsi ba swanela go ba le tsebo ya theknolotsi, yeo e supago tsebo ya barutisi ya mesongwana le dikgopolo tsa go amana le mmele wa dikagare. Mo seemong sa ka godimo, Thuto ya Theknolotsi e nyaka morutisi gore a tsebe ka botlalo dikagare tsa kharikhulamo le mekgwa ya maleba ya go ruta. Go bohlokwa go kwesisa fao go nago le diphegelelo ka gare ga mekgwa ya go ruta le seo se diregago ka gare ga diphaposiborutelo. Ge Thuto ya Theknolotsi e be e thoma go rutwa, bontsi bja barutisi bo be bo letetswe gore bo somise theknolotsi ka dikolong le ge ba se ba hlahliwa ka mo go lekanego mabapi le dikagare goba le yona mekgwa ya go ruta. Le ge magato a go fapana a tseno bogare a dirilwe go tloga go phethagatso ya Theknolotsi bjalo ka thuto, go bonala go na le tlhokego ya mekgwa ya go ruta ya maleba, yeo e kago ba ye mengwe ya mapheko a go ruta Theknolotsi. Bjalo maikemisetso a dinyakisiso e be e le go kwesisa mapheko a barutisi ba Dikreiti 8 - 9 ba Thuto ya Theknolotsi ba lebanago ka dikolong tsa Selete se se Nyane sa Nkangala sa Mpumalanga. Mokgwa wa khwalithethifi o somisitswe gomme barutisi ba lesomepedi ba kgathile tema ka dinyakisisong. Dikutullo di tsweletsa gore barutisi ba amilwe ke tlhokego ya baphethagatsi ba kharikhulamo ka Seleteng se se Nyane sa Nkangala ka moka. Go barutisi ba lesomepedi ba go boledisanwego le bona, go lemogilwe gore ke ba bane fela bao ba bego ba ruta Theknolotsi ka mangwalo a thuto a maleba. Monyakisisi o bone gore nakong ya dithutiso barutisi ba be ba tshephile kudu letlapa le tshoko ka go thala diswantsho sebakeng sa go ba boledisana le baithuti ka mesongwana ya tiriso, gomme se ke ka lebaka la gore go be go sena tshelete tsa go reka dimetheriale tsa go dira maitekelo. Bakgathatema ba be ba dumela gore baithuti ba ithuta bokaone ge ba dira mesongwana ka diatla tsa bona. Go bohlokwa kudu go lemoga gore barutisi bao ba go hloka mangwalo a thuto a go amana le Theknolotsi ba gogile boima go kwesisa tse dingwe tsa dikgopolo, tseo di dirilego gore tshepediso ka moka ya go ruta e be le mathata. Dikutullo di utulla gore barutisi ba somisitse mokgwa wa potsiso le karabo go ruta baithuti. Go bonwe gore ba botsisa dipotsiso nako ka moka ya thutiso gape ba file baithuti karabo. Barutisi ba dumetse gore ba be ba se na tsebo ya dikagare tsa thuto le mokgwa wa maleba wa go ruta Theknolotsi. Se se ra gore go ruta go ka ba le bofokodi ka ge barutisi ba tlo ba ba sena maano a mabotse a go ruta thuto ka tshwanelo. Go fetswa ka gore go na le mapheko ao a barutisi ba lebanago nao mo mosomong wa bona wa go ruta. Se se dirwa ke tlhokego ya tsebo ya thuto le methopo le mokgwa wa go se lekane wa go ruta Theknolotsi.