Technological pedagogical content knowledge: an examination of rural secondary school life sciences teachers’ integration of technology in Eastern Cape province
- Authors: Shambare, Brian
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466458 , vital:76730 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466458
- Description: Rural education, particularly in the Global South, faces distinct challenges flowing from low socio-economic conditions, limited resources, and inadequate funding. These issues notably affect rural teachers’ abilities to deliver quality education. Although technology integration offers potential benefits and rural teachers have increased access to various technologies, they frequently adopt these tools spontaneously without guidelines. While many teachers in rural schools choose specific technologies to address teaching challenges, technology has to be integrated with a clear pedagogical intent. The rural teachers’ frequent adoption of technologies hints at technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development, consciously or unconsciously. However, the process of developing this expertise remains largely unknown. Furthermore, the development of TPACK among teachers in rural Global South schools, particularly those who did not receive formal or informal technology training during their initial teacher education or professional development, remains unclear. Therefore, this research delved into the practices, factors, and experiences influencing the development of TPACK, all from the perspective of Life Sciences teachers in rural schools. The voices of teachers in rural regions have been notably absent in the broader discourse of TPACK research, making the current study’s insights particularly significant. This qualitative and investigative study, located within the interpretivist paradigm, is grounded in Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory and Koehler and Mishra’s (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework. Seven Life Sciences teachers participated in the study. The teacher participants were purposively sampled from schools in the Joe Gqabi district in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Multiple data-generation instruments were employed. These included a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, lesson observations, and sharing circle discussions. A thematic analysis approach, guided by the study’s dual theoretical perspective, was applied to dissect and analyse the data. The study’s findings challenged the prevailing assumption that rural schools lack access to technological resources, unveiling that rural Life Sciences teachers in this research had access to diverse educational technologies. Nevertheless, despite improved technology accessibility, these teachers predominantly employed ‘simple skill-based’ technologies for content delivery, resulting in limited learner engagement. Notwithstanding the challenges posed by inadequate school infrastructure, limited electricity access, and poor Internet connectivity, this investigation found that Life Sciences teachers in rural settings who lack formal technology integration training demonstrated enthusiasm for incorporating technology into their teaching methods. Furthermore, these teachers exhibited strength in non-technological TPACK domains, such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), while demonstrating limited expertise in technology-related domains, such as technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The study uncovered nuanced factors, practices, and experiences contributing to TPACK development among rural Life Sciences teachers. These include learning from their learners, collaborating with peers, and engaging in self-directed learning. The study also proposed a new theoretical perspective to the existing TPACK framework to cater for technology integration in rural school contexts. Overall, this research provided a unique perspective on TPACK development in rural schools, particularly in the Global South. The study recommended targeted investments in professional development, promoting peer collaboration, and fostering a culture of self-directed learning. Furthermore, the current research emphasised the importance of recognising the evolving educational landscape as a two-way knowledge exchange between teachers and learners to foster TPACK development in rural schools. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
- Authors: Shambare, Brian
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466458 , vital:76730 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/466458
- Description: Rural education, particularly in the Global South, faces distinct challenges flowing from low socio-economic conditions, limited resources, and inadequate funding. These issues notably affect rural teachers’ abilities to deliver quality education. Although technology integration offers potential benefits and rural teachers have increased access to various technologies, they frequently adopt these tools spontaneously without guidelines. While many teachers in rural schools choose specific technologies to address teaching challenges, technology has to be integrated with a clear pedagogical intent. The rural teachers’ frequent adoption of technologies hints at technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development, consciously or unconsciously. However, the process of developing this expertise remains largely unknown. Furthermore, the development of TPACK among teachers in rural Global South schools, particularly those who did not receive formal or informal technology training during their initial teacher education or professional development, remains unclear. Therefore, this research delved into the practices, factors, and experiences influencing the development of TPACK, all from the perspective of Life Sciences teachers in rural schools. The voices of teachers in rural regions have been notably absent in the broader discourse of TPACK research, making the current study’s insights particularly significant. This qualitative and investigative study, located within the interpretivist paradigm, is grounded in Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural theory and Koehler and Mishra’s (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework. Seven Life Sciences teachers participated in the study. The teacher participants were purposively sampled from schools in the Joe Gqabi district in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Multiple data-generation instruments were employed. These included a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, lesson observations, and sharing circle discussions. A thematic analysis approach, guided by the study’s dual theoretical perspective, was applied to dissect and analyse the data. The study’s findings challenged the prevailing assumption that rural schools lack access to technological resources, unveiling that rural Life Sciences teachers in this research had access to diverse educational technologies. Nevertheless, despite improved technology accessibility, these teachers predominantly employed ‘simple skill-based’ technologies for content delivery, resulting in limited learner engagement. Notwithstanding the challenges posed by inadequate school infrastructure, limited electricity access, and poor Internet connectivity, this investigation found that Life Sciences teachers in rural settings who lack formal technology integration training demonstrated enthusiasm for incorporating technology into their teaching methods. Furthermore, these teachers exhibited strength in non-technological TPACK domains, such as content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), while demonstrating limited expertise in technology-related domains, such as technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The study uncovered nuanced factors, practices, and experiences contributing to TPACK development among rural Life Sciences teachers. These include learning from their learners, collaborating with peers, and engaging in self-directed learning. The study also proposed a new theoretical perspective to the existing TPACK framework to cater for technology integration in rural school contexts. Overall, this research provided a unique perspective on TPACK development in rural schools, particularly in the Global South. The study recommended targeted investments in professional development, promoting peer collaboration, and fostering a culture of self-directed learning. Furthermore, the current research emphasised the importance of recognising the evolving educational landscape as a two-way knowledge exchange between teachers and learners to foster TPACK development in rural schools. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post-School Education, 2024
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
The moderating effect of flourishing at work on psychological determinants and performance amongst early career academics at a selected university
- Authors: Mpofu, Mthokozisi
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Job satisfaction , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21443 , vital:48629
- Description: Orientation – Flourishing is a phenomenon that moderates the relationship between psychological determinants and performance amongst early career academics at a selected South African university. Research objective – The main objective of this investigation was to explore if flourishing moderates the relationship between psychological determinants and performance amongst early career academics at a selected South African university. Motivation for the study – There are numerous difficulties that early career academics (ECAs) encounter in their career paths, including managing their current work performance, setting sights to pursue and explore further career development, and executing their tasks and activities. Coupled with this, they are expected to perform important roles that include facilitating teaching, its associated support work and research. Following on this, the most significant intervention with regards to ECAs’ professional careers would be to understand the controlling effect of flourishing at work on psychological determinants and the ability to execute job tasks and activities amongst early career academics with the intention of providing knowledge to help ECAs perform to their optimum level. Research approach/design and methods – A quantitative approach was applied with the Flourishing-at-Work Scale (FAWS) which was used to measure flourishing at work, while the Career Success Scale (CSS) was used to measure career performance. Resilience was measured through the Dispositional Resilience Scale, motivation was measured through the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire and personality was measured using The Big Five Inventory (BFI). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to model the relationship between the research variables aided by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and the Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) version 8.80. Main findings – The major finding in this study was that flourishing at work moderates the relationship between psychological determinants and performance. The findings revealed that personality predicts performance, and that a noteworthy relationship exists between resilience and performance. Additionally, a connection was found between motivation and performance. The results also revealed that all the psychological determinants, namely personality, resilience and motivation are important predictors of performance. Practical/Managerial implications – Institutions of higher learning and associated stakeholders will need to find ways to improve employee flourishing, managing personality, resilience, performance and motivation of ECAs in their workspaces through providing physical, emotional and intellectual resources that will afford employees to perform their tasks effectively; offering supportive and trusting relationships with leaders and managers; building sound relationships among co-workers; providing challenging, interesting roles and responsibilities; availing career advancement opportunities; providing clearly defined goals and role clarity; providing authentic leadership; being mindful that individual ECAs have unique personalities that assist them to perform satisfactorily in their roles; providing ECAs with opportunities for work adaptation, , optimistic thinking, realism, behavioural control, physical aptness, selflessness and removing removing uncertainty in their roles; availing environments that promote resilience within individuals which include a positive command climate, teamwork, and cohesion; and providing sound motivation systems correlated to organisation goals which might include growth/career advancement, stability, training and development, stimulating work and recognition. , Thesis (MCom) (Industrial Psychology) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-12
- Authors: Mpofu, Mthokozisi
- Date: 2020-12
- Subjects: Job satisfaction , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21443 , vital:48629
- Description: Orientation – Flourishing is a phenomenon that moderates the relationship between psychological determinants and performance amongst early career academics at a selected South African university. Research objective – The main objective of this investigation was to explore if flourishing moderates the relationship between psychological determinants and performance amongst early career academics at a selected South African university. Motivation for the study – There are numerous difficulties that early career academics (ECAs) encounter in their career paths, including managing their current work performance, setting sights to pursue and explore further career development, and executing their tasks and activities. Coupled with this, they are expected to perform important roles that include facilitating teaching, its associated support work and research. Following on this, the most significant intervention with regards to ECAs’ professional careers would be to understand the controlling effect of flourishing at work on psychological determinants and the ability to execute job tasks and activities amongst early career academics with the intention of providing knowledge to help ECAs perform to their optimum level. Research approach/design and methods – A quantitative approach was applied with the Flourishing-at-Work Scale (FAWS) which was used to measure flourishing at work, while the Career Success Scale (CSS) was used to measure career performance. Resilience was measured through the Dispositional Resilience Scale, motivation was measured through the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire and personality was measured using The Big Five Inventory (BFI). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to model the relationship between the research variables aided by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and the Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) version 8.80. Main findings – The major finding in this study was that flourishing at work moderates the relationship between psychological determinants and performance. The findings revealed that personality predicts performance, and that a noteworthy relationship exists between resilience and performance. Additionally, a connection was found between motivation and performance. The results also revealed that all the psychological determinants, namely personality, resilience and motivation are important predictors of performance. Practical/Managerial implications – Institutions of higher learning and associated stakeholders will need to find ways to improve employee flourishing, managing personality, resilience, performance and motivation of ECAs in their workspaces through providing physical, emotional and intellectual resources that will afford employees to perform their tasks effectively; offering supportive and trusting relationships with leaders and managers; building sound relationships among co-workers; providing challenging, interesting roles and responsibilities; availing career advancement opportunities; providing clearly defined goals and role clarity; providing authentic leadership; being mindful that individual ECAs have unique personalities that assist them to perform satisfactorily in their roles; providing ECAs with opportunities for work adaptation, , optimistic thinking, realism, behavioural control, physical aptness, selflessness and removing removing uncertainty in their roles; availing environments that promote resilience within individuals which include a positive command climate, teamwork, and cohesion; and providing sound motivation systems correlated to organisation goals which might include growth/career advancement, stability, training and development, stimulating work and recognition. , Thesis (MCom) (Industrial Psychology) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-12
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