The development of a framework for enhancing in-service life science teachers' readiness to adopt fourth industrial revolution (4IR) based instruction strategies

Abstract

Past industrial revolutions have influenced education due to the changing needs of society during them. South Africa stands on the precipice of educational change, emanating from the influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) as it is still in the planning stage of policy and implementation related to the 4IR. This educational change will influence the instructional strategies adopted by teachers. This qualitative case study within the interpretive paradigm conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal aimed to develop a framework to enhance inservice Life Sciences teachers’ readiness to adopt 4IR-based instructional strategies as teachers shape change efforts. Ten in-service Life Sciences teachers, teaching Grades 10 to 12 within the Department of Basic Education (DBE), were purposively and conveniently sampled for the current research. Data was collected through open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The current research was framed by a theoretical framework that combined theories relevant to the phenomenon which included the Revised Readiness for Change Model (RRCM), (Holt et al., 2007), the role of attitudes on the readiness for change (Kondakci et al., 2017), the influence of the 4IR understandings on the readiness for change and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), (Venkatesh et al., 2003). Adopting guided analysis to analyse the data collected, it was found that the participants have varying degrees of readiness to adopt 4IR-based instructional strategies, exhibiting aspects that support and stifle the adoption of 4IR-based instructional strategies. This informed the development of a framework, a professional development initiative, to enhance in-service Life Sciences teachers’ readiness to adopt 4IR-based instructional strategies. The framework serves as a recommendation based on the findings. Other recommendations include that governmental educational authorities procure the required resources to ensure a standardised delivery of the curriculum and that Life Sciences teachers reflect on their current practice to assess if it is learner-centred or teacher-centred. Furthermore, it is recommended that similar research be conducted in the other phases, provinces and districts. This may unearth different findings due to the diverse contexts. These findings could aid in refining the framework.