Technology literacy for teachers in rural schools : constructing key concepts in technology education for teachers in the Ilembe District

Abstract

This study is concerned with technology education, which is a vital aspect of South Africa’s development in commerce, industry and research. For effective teaching of the subject Technology, educators need to be able both to understand and to apply key technological concepts, so that they can facilitate the development of these competencies by learners. In rural districts such as Ilembe, scholastic achievement is low, and the teachers themselves often do not possess the requisite technological expertise to pass on to learners, and lack the necessary technological pedagogical conceptual knowledge (TPACK) to inform teaching practice. It is the contention of this study that these concepts might be modelled for teachers by a combination of theoretical input and experiential learning, which is illustrated with reference to an educator training session with a selected group of teachers from the Ilembe district. This study therefore describes how the development of key concepts in technology education was facilitated and provides the results of this intervention. Working within the social constructivist paradigm and using a case study methodology, the researcher carried out an educator survey, in-depth interviews and a pre-test questionnaire to gather data about implementation of technology education as well as the specific areas in which teachers expressed a need for support. The researcher then designed and conducted an intervention comprising a one-day departmental training session for a large group of Technology teachers in which technical processes and an appropriate pedagogy for teaching these were modelled. A post-test questionnaire indicated that the intervention had been effective in communicating key concepts in technology education as well as improving pedagogical skills. This study is thought to be of value, as it describes not only the nature of an effective intervention but also a methodology for arriving at an intervention which will suit the context, purpose and target audience involved. The study contributes to the body of knowledge in the field of technology education by proposing a teacher developmental model comprising a District Based Professional Learning Community (DBPLC).