Exploring the Experiences of Teachers in Integrating Technology into Teaching English in Rural Primary Schools in South Africa
Margaret Malewaneng Maja 
, Katharine Naidu , Samson Letsoaka Tshabalala & Makwalete Malatji
Issue: Vol.5 No. 10 December 2024 Article 10 pp. 497-513
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.202451010 | Published online 24th December, 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The integration of technology in schools, specifically in teaching English First Additional Language (EFAL), has become vital in the education sector as a means of preparing learners and teachers for 21st-century classrooms. As the literature shows, the integration of technology allows learners to engage deeply with content and promotes authentic learning. The TPACK theory was used in this study to examine how South African primary school teachers in rural areas of Limpopo integrated technology into the teaching of EFAL in schools. The study adopted an interpretive paradigm and followed a qualitative research approach. A case study research design was also used. Data was collected from five primary schools, following purposive sampling to select 11 participants. The researchers used semi-structured interviews to collect data from the participants. It was found that most teachers in Limpopo primary schools cannot use technology in the classroom. The study further revealed that the schools could not afford the cost of internet connectivity. Even though some participants demonstrated that they could use technology for teaching and learning, they could not integrate it for effective participation in the classroom. The study concluded that the use of technology for teaching EFAL promotes quality teaching and learning and could also improve authentic learning. It is therefore recommended that teachers and learners be trained on how to use technology as part of the teaching and learning process. Moreover, the study recommended that higher education institutions and other stakeholders strengthen technological support to schools, for the effective teaching of EFAL and other subjects. This study offers stakeholders of the education system with guidelines on how to use technology for teaching and learning.
Keywords: Authentic Learning, English First Additional Language, Pedagogy, Rural Schools, Technology
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Dr. Makwalete Malatji holds a PhD in Education. Her focus area is in teaching practice and the teaching of Literacies in primary schools. Dr. Malatji lectured first, second, third- and fourth-year students on the teaching of English Home Language, English First Additional Language, and Sepedi as a First Additional Language. She is currently a lecturer for a teaching Practice module. She trains students and teachers on how to conduct themselves as teachers and how to present content using technology. She is currently supervising 6 masters and 3 PhD in her research field. She has supervised to completion 3 masters and 1 PhD student in the Department of Early Childhood Education. She is the author of 12 articles in international and nationally accredited journals. She presented her research focus at both local and international conferences. Dr Malatji is also a co-author of a book titled: Inclusion, Learner Support, and Assistive Technology: Helping Learners Learn – An African Approach and Sustainable Development Goals Series – Higher Education: Towards a model for a successful university-industry collaboration in Africa. She is a member of LITASA which is about literacy teaching and EASA. She also serves as a reviewer of the Journal of Educational Studies and the Journal of African Education (JAE).
Prof. Margaret Malewaneng Maja is an Associate Professor in the College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA). She teaches the Teaching Practice IV exit module for undergraduate B.Ed. students, supervising Master’s and Ph.D. students, and leading a community engagement project titled ‘Classroom Interaction Pedagogy in Teaching English First Additional Language in the Intermediate Phase’. She received the 2020 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning award at both her college within the university and the broader institutional level across all university colleges. Her current research is on teaching English as an additional language in the Intermediate Phase.
Katharine Naidu is a lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies at the University of South Africa. She is a teacher-educator with an interest in language education and teaching practice. Katharine has been a member of the South African Poetry Project (ZAPP) since its inception in 2013 until 2020 and has participated in its various school related poetry education projects. This included developing a teacher’s guide to teaching poetry, facilitating poetry workshops to teachers, and engaging with learners in poetry clubs at school. Since 2021 Katharine has been a member of Classroom Interaction Pedagogy in teaching English First Additional Language (EFAL) in the Intermediate phase. In this project she has presented workshops to teachers on how to integrate technology in EFAL classrooms.
Dr Letsoaka Samson Tshabalala possesses a Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum Studies. He has taught History and Social Sciences modules at University of South Africa. Before joining Unisa on a permanent basis, he was a teacher at high school teaching English first additional language and home language at one of the former model C schools. He also taught history and Life orientation at high school. He was also appointed at University of the Free State on a fixed term contract from 2000 to 2003, then in 2004 he joined the Department of Basic Education as a high school teacher. His research areas are in the teaching of history, gratitude in education, teaching practice, social sciences and language teaching. He has supervised two master’s students and one PhD to completion. Currently, he is supervising three master’s students and two PhD students. He has co-authored two articles which are published and one co-authored has been accepted. He is currently a member of SAERA.
Maja, Margaret Malewaneng, Katharine Naidu, Samson Letsoaka Tshabalala and Makwalete Malatji.”Exploring the Experiences of Teachers in Integrating Technology into Teaching English in Rural Primary Schools in South Africa.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 5, no.10 (2024): 497-513. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.202451010
© 2024 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/).
