Learning dynamics in the 21st Century : challenges of an under-resourced high school in rural South Africa

Abstract

Technology has transformed education at all levels, from primary to tertiary education worldwide. Educators and learners in most schools rely less on traditional face-to-face classroom interaction, but more on digital educational platforms and tools. However, developing countries like South Africa face a major challenge as some schools have access to advanced technological tools while others do not. While learners from well-resourced urban South African schools benefit from this digital transformation, there is no evidence that learners in under-resourced communities like rural areas benefit from digital resources on the Internet. The research objective was to understand how learners in under-resourced communities cope with learning in a knowledge economy driven by digital transformation. To understand this phenomenon, the e-learning readiness assessment factors of ?urek and Re?ep (2016) formed the theoretical basis for this study and serve as guidelines for data collection and analysis. Quantitative data was collected from an under-resourced school and analysed using statistical methods. The unit of analysis was high school teachers in respect of the school's e-learning readiness. The study explored teaching and learning challenges of rural high schools and identified ways of introducing new learning methods to enable rural learners and educators to cope with the demands of the technological revolution. The findings were that rural high schools do not engage in digital transformation. Recommendations from the case study are deemed to apply to all underresourced schools in rural South Africa.