The use of tablets to support 21st century teaching practice in the Further Education and Training Phase

Abstract

Today's teachers are faced with multiple responsibilities in the educational environment. Not only are they expected to perform teaching-related tasks, but also to complete multiple forms of administration, preparation, and other extra-curricular activities. This leaves little time for actual teaching and instruction: a teacher s most important role at school. Fortunately, the introduction of technology in schools could aid teachers by providing more organised and easily accessible ways of addressing this challenge. The purpose of this research project was to identify the specific administration and managerial tasks that teachers need to perform as part of their teaching practice, and also to investigate the different ways that the use of tablets could save teachers valuable teaching time. The data collection involved three different cases at three different schools where teachers were interviewed regarding the use of their tablets for practice-related tasks. The results showed that the incorporation of tablets could indeed aid teachers in their teaching practice, but also highlighted the importance of adequate training and support.