The use of Information Communication Technologies in the teaching of reading at Grade 10 level: a case study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools in South Africa to close their doors to the spread of the virus. As a result, teachers and learners were forced to adapt to remote learning which presented several challenges, particularly for those who lack access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This study focuses on the pandemic's impact on reading skills and, specifically, how ICTs can transform teacher pedagogy by influencing classroom planning, and engagement, and incorporating technology-enabled innovative methods to result in increased student engagement and improved teaching practices when teaching reading at the Grade 10 level. A qualitative research approach was adopted, and an interpretative paradigm was used to investigate how ICTs can enable or constrain teaching reading. The study was conducted in an under-resourced school in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town, and purposive sampling was used to select English teachers who taught at Grade 10 level. Data were collected for six months through document analysis, classroom observations, and semi-structured individual interviews. The researcher received ethical clearance from both the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). This study aims to contribute towards understanding ICTs that can be used to improve teaching reading in under-resourced schools. Key words: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs); remote learning; teaching reading; Grade 10 level reading; COVID-19 pandemic