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

Abstract

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.