Geographic Information Systems Assessment Implementation in the Further Education and Training Phase in Schools
Thulasizwe Fredrick Mkhize 
, Thabile Aretha Zondi and Halalisani Mngomezulu
Issue: Vol.4 No.7 Article 3 pp.816-826
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023473 | Published online 28th July, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
National Senior Certificate (NSC) diagnostic reports for matric results indicate that learners perform poorly in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). While GIS education has made significant strides in recent years, there is a need for research that explores Geography teachers’ perceptions of GIS assessment. This paper explored the perceptions of Geography teachers in implementing GIS assessment in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase in South African schools. This research is underpinned by the constructivism theory by Piaget, which argues that learners actively construct knowledge and understanding of the world through their interactions with their environment. This paper focused on the classroom environment because that is where Geography learners are taught GIS. Learners must be exposed to different teaching and learning methods that assist them in utilising their existing knowledge to construct an understanding of the world around them. Particularly, Geography learners must be taught GIS thoroughly to apply the knowledge and skills they have learnt in real situations and be better prepared for assessment. The qualitative research design and a case study methodology were used to frame this research. Six teachers from three schools were chosen to participate in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. The findings of this study indicated that Geography teachers teach GIS for assessment. The teachers stated that teaching learners using past year papers is ineffective because the Department of Basic Education (DBE) often changes the GIS content and skills they test. Hence, it is difficult to predict what they will assess; the DBE does not provide proper guidelines on how GIS content and skills would be tested. It is recommended that there must be a collaboration between the DBE and higher education institutions to offer Geography teachers guidance and training on GIS content, skills, and assessment.
Keywords: Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Assessment, Secondary school education.
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Mkhize Thulasizwe Fredrick is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, QwaQwa, South Africa. Doctor of Philosophy (Geography), UKZN, in progress. His teaching and research are at the intersection of geography education, geographic information systems in education, educational technology, teacher education, and the learning sciences. He is a member Southern African Geography Teachers’ Association (SAGTA). Email: MkhizeTF@ufs.ac.za
Dr. Thabile Zondi is a Lecturer in Geography, and joined the School of Education, University of KwaZulu Natal, Edgewood, South Africa in 2017. Her current research includes Geography education, pedagogy and assessment, GIS, theology, environmental sustainability, as well as student movements. Her research and scholarship have been recognised by an award from the University Support Development Programme (USDP), where she was also awarded an opportunity to participate as a visiting scholar in the South African Doctoral Mentorship Programme at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York. She has served on the School’s teaching and learning committee for a period of two years and she is currently the Social Science’s cluster language champion. Email: ZondiT2@ukzn.ac.za
Mngomezulu Halalisani is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, QwaQwa campus, South Africa. His research interest is on formative assessment in science education, professional teacher development, and integration of ICT in STEM education. He is a member of the Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (SAARMSTE) and the International Organization of Science and Technology Education (IOSTE). Email address: MngomezuluH@ufs.ac.za
Mkhize T.F., Zondi T.A. and Mngomezulu, H. “Geographic Information Systems assessment implementation in the Further Education and Training phase in schools.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.7 (2023): 816-826. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2023473
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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