In-service teachers’ integration of instructional technology into curriculum delivery at primary schools on the Cape Flats

Abstract

This study explores challenges teachers face when using instructional technology in Cape Flats primary schools and to suggest ways of how these challenges could be mitigated. Instructional technology has permeated the education system in the 21st Century and it is now a norm for it to be used in classrooms for educational purposes. Despite the prevalence of a variety of instructional technology, not all teachers are fully equipped to take advantage of the immense benefits it posits. This study revealed that a lot of teachers in public schools in the Western Cape still face critical challenges in their attempt to fully integrate instructional technology for pedagogy. The study employed a qualitative research design to explore the challenges affecting the integration and use of instructional technology for curriculum delivery by teachers in primary schools in the Cape Flats The framework underpinning this study is the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework which guided the researcher in the analysis of the research findings. The researcher used two data collection instruments, namely, semi structured interviews and observations. Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants and themes were used for analysing data. Participants were fully furnished with information regarding their rights when participating in the study. They were informed that they could withdraw at any given stage during the interview process. Despite the permeance of technology in the education sphere, the study’s findings show that teachers in Cape Flats in the Western Cape still experience challenges that militates against effective integration of technology in classrooms for pedagogy. The findings reveal that for effective integration of instructional technology to take place, several factors needed to be critically addressed. They included the lack of training, limited access to instructional technology, lack of technical support, lack of time and the theft of instructional technology resources.