Students’ experiences of mobile learning at an Islamic high school in the Nelson Mandela Bay District in South Africa

Abstract

The global expansion of mobile learning and its imperative significance may sometimes go unnoticed. This study explored mobile learning at Islamic schools in the Nelson Mandela Bay District of South Africa, focusing on mobile learning experiences, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite certain regional challenges, the implementation of mobile learning has shown promise. Given the escalating demand for mobile learning and its pivotal role in education, this research concentrated on delineating students' experiences in Islamic schools. It aimed to discern how they perceive the effectiveness of mobile learning, to identify the obstacles the students encounter and, ultimately, to formulate guidelines for educators to enhance the integration of mobile learning in an educational setting. Employing a qualitative research approach, the investigation in this mini dissertation utilised online surveys/questionnaires with mainly open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews. A specific Islamic school in the Nelson Mandela Bay region served as the case study, with 12 students participating in the surveys. From these, four students were specifically chosen for follow-up interviews, based on their survey responses and engagement levels. This strategic selection aimed to gather detailed insights from students who could provide diverse and articulate perspectives, thus enhancing the depth and quality of the information. The study's findings revealed that students in the Islamic school frequently employ mobile devices for learning purposes. They found them considerably more convenient to access information than traditional learning methods, which often require a lot of time and research. The research emphasises the importance of equipping students with comprehensive knowledge on maximising the utility of mobile devices for seamless information access. Furthermore, it advocates for enhanced communication with students and bolstered support services to address challenges in this domain effectively.

Die wereldwye uitbreiding van mobiele leer en die noodsaaklike betekenis daarvan kan soms onopgemerk verbygaan. Hierdie studie verken mobiele leer by Islamitiese skole in die Nelson Mandelabaai-distrik van Suid-Afrika, met die fokus op mobiele leer-ervarings, veral met die oog op die Covid-19-pandemie. Ten spyte van sekere streeksuitdagings lyk die implementering van mobiele leer belowend. Gegewe die toenemende vraag vir mobiele leer en die deurslaggewende rol daarvan in onderrig, het hierdie navorsing gefokus op die uitbeelding van studente se ervarings in Islamitiese skole. Dit het beoog om te onderskei hoe hulle die doeltreffendheid van mobiele leer ervaar, om die struikelblokke te identifiseer wat die studente teëkom en, eindelik, om riglyne te formuleer vir opvoeders om die integrasie van mobiele leer in ’n opvoedkundige omgewing te bevorder. Die navorser het gebruik gemaak van ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering in hierdie mini-proefskrif, en het aanlyn opnames en vraelyste met hoofsaaklik ope vrae asook halfgestruktureerde onderhoude aangewend. ’n Spesifieke Islamitiese skool in die Nelson Mandelabaai-distrik het gedien as die gevallestudie, met 12 studente wat aan die opnames deelgeneem het. Uit hierdie studente is daar vier gekies vir opvolg-onderhoude, gebaseer op hulle antwoorde van die opname en betrokkenheidsvlakke. Hierdie strategie-keuse is daarop gemik om gedetailleerde insigte by studente te kry wat uiteenlopende en duidelike perspektiewe kan bied, en so die diepte en kwaliteit van die inligting kan bevorder. Die studie se bevindings het getoon dat studente in die Islamitiese skool dikwels mobiele toestelle gebruik vir leerdoeleindes. Hulle het dit baie meer gerieflik gevind om toegang tot inligting te kry as tradisionele leermetodes, wat dikwels baie tyd en navorsing verg. Die navorsing beklemtoon die belangrikheid daarvan om studente toe te rus met omvattende kennis om die gebruik van mobiele toestelle vir toegang tot inligting te maksimeer. Dit beveel verder ook gevorderde kommunikasie met studente aan asook versterkte ondersteuningsdienste om uitdagings op hierdie gebied doeltreffend te hanteer.

Kungenzeka kube ukuthi akunakekile ukukhula kwendlela yokufunda usekhaya kanye nokubaluleka kwakho emhlabeni jikelele. Lolu cwaningo luhlola ngokufunda usekhaya ezikoleni zamaSulumane ngaphansi kweSifunda i-Nelson Mandela Bay eNingizimu Afrika, ngokugxila ekutheni kunjani ukufunda usekhaya, ikakhulu ngenxa yobhubhane lwe-COVID-19. Ngaphezu kwezinselelo ezithile zesifunda, ukuqaliswa kokufunda usekhaya kubukeka kuthembisa. Ngokubona ukukhula kwesidingo sokufunda usekhaya neqhaza lakho elibalulekile kwezemfundo, lolu cwaningo lugxile ekuthi bazizwa kanjani abafundi ezikoleni zamaSulumane. Inhloso yalokhu ukuthola ukuthi abafundi bakubona kuyimpumelelo yini ukufunda usekhaya, ukuhlonza izinselelo abafundi abahlangabezana nazo, kanjalo nokuqhamuka nomhlahlandlela wothisha ukuze kuqhanyukwe nendlela ezokwenza kube lula ukufunda usekhaya. Lapha kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga isimo, uphenyo kulo mbhalo omfushane luhlanganiswe ngenhlolovo/uhlu lwemibuzo ku-inthanethi obekuyimibuzo evulelekile, kanye nokuxoxisana kafushane. Ucwaningo lwenziwe ngokusebenzisa isikole esithile samaSulumane esifundeni i-Nelson Mandela Bay, kwacelwa abafundi abayi-12 ukuba babambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo. Ngemuva kwalokhu, kukhethwe abafundi abane kwalandelelwa kubona ngenhlolovo, ngokususela ezimpendulweni zabo zocwaningo kanye nezinga lokuzibandakanya. Lokhu kukhethwa bekuhloswe ngakho ukuqoqa imininingwane enzulu kubafundi abahlinzeke ngemibono eyahlukene futhi ecacile, ukuze kuphuculwe iqophelo lwemininingwane etholakele. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo iveze ukuthi abafundi besikole samaSulumane bavamise ukusebenzisa amaselula uma befunda. Bawathole efaneleka kakhulu ukufinyelela kulwazi kunokusebenzisa izindlela ezijwayelekile zokufunda, lokhu-ke kudinga isikhathi esiningi kanye nocwaningo. Lolu cwaningo lugcizelela ukubaluleka kokuhlomisa abafundi ngolwazi olubanzi lokukhulisa ukusetshenziswa kwamaselula ukuze bathole ulwazi ngokungenazihibe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapha kukhuthazwa ukuxhumana okuphucuzekile nabafundi kanye nezinsiza zokweseka ezinqala ukuze kubhekwane ngempumelelo nezinselelo ezikhona.