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Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools

Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2021.

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Other Authors: De Villiers, J.J.R. (Rian)
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2021
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 De Villiers, J.J.R. (Rian)
author_browse De Villiers, J.J.R. (Rian)
author_facet De Villiers, J.J.R. (Rian)
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2021.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:29.643Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2021
publishDateRange 2021
publishDateSort 2021
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/80660 Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools De Villiers, J.J.R. (Rian) charnel.malherbe@gmail.com Kavai, Portia Malherbe, Charnel UCTD Natural Sciences teachers Blended teaching and learning Smart facilities and devices Smart schools Natural science Education theses SDG-04 Education theses SDG-09 Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2021. In a Smart School, the teacher is a co-participant in the learning process. Researchers have identified the importance of the social presence of teachers using blended teaching platforms. They emphasise that social presence is an important factor on how learners perceive their blended learning experience, and that lower interaction was often related with lower satisfaction from learners using the blended teaching platforms (Waugh & Su, 2016). It was therefore crucial for the research study to investigate the teachers’ voice. This was done to gain an insight to how they, as the end users in their facilitation role, experience a Smart School setting, and how their role influences the effectiveness of the learning process. Teachers’ experiences with a blended mode of delivery are interconnected complex processes. This study aimed to investigate and gain an understanding of how teachers experience blended teaching in Natural Sciences subject in a Smart School environment. In a Smart School, the teacher is a co-participant in the learning process. Researchers have identified the importance of the social presence of teachers using blended teaching platforms. They emphasise that social presence is an important factor on how learners perceive their blended learning experience, and that lower interaction was often related with lower satisfaction from learners using the blended teaching platforms (Waugh & Su, 2016). It was therefore crucial for the research study to investigate the teachers’ voice. This was done to gain an insight to how they, as the end users in their facilitation role, experience a Smart School setting, and how their role influences the effectiveness of the learning process. Teachers’ experiences with a blended mode of delivery are interconnected complex processes. This study aimed to investigate and gain an understanding of how teachers experience blended teaching in Natural Sciences subject in a Smart School environment. The challenges of blended teaching and learning identified included teachers' increased work load due to external challenges such as load shedding, inoperable devices, connectivity challenges, and of stolen smart equipment. These all impact teaching and learning. This research also focused on gaining an understanding of the teachers’ views on their support structures that included technical support, school management team support, and the Department of Education’s support. It was found that where teachers saw value in their support structures or where the response of these support structures was effective and prompt, they had better confidence levels in the utilisation of blended teaching tools. Teachers technophobia influenced the way the teachers used the tools, as well as their pedagogical inclusion of using smart equipment in their classrooms. There is undoubtedly extensive value in Smart Schools for teaching and learning, especially for learners to be able to cope in a technological society. However, few Smart Schools exist in South Africa, so a major expansion and re-addressing of technology in schools is needed. bs2026 Science, Mathematics and Technology Education MEd Restricted SDG-04: Quality education SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure 2021-07-01T08:08:45Z 2021-07-01T08:08:45Z 2021 2021 Dissertation * S2021 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/80660 en © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Natural Sciences teachers
Blended teaching and learning
Smart facilities and devices
Smart schools
Natural science
Education theses SDG-04
Education theses SDG-09
Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools
title Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools
title_full Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools
title_fullStr Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools
title_full_unstemmed Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools
title_short Natural Sciences teachers’ experiences of the use of blended teaching in Smart Schools
title_sort natural sciences teachers experiences of the use of blended teaching in smart schools
topic UCTD
Natural Sciences teachers
Blended teaching and learning
Smart facilities and devices
Smart schools
Natural science
Education theses SDG-04
Education theses SDG-09
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/80660