As technology development is advancing almost exponentially, it has since touched almost every aspect in our lives, from work to recreation. Therefore, in view of the extent to which technology is integrated in modern socio-economic settings, this study undertook to investigate South African schools readiness to integrate ICT. The following research questions were investigated: What is the relationship between the importance of ICT use for 21st Century Skill Development and obstructions hindering ICT goals in the light of currently available Infrastructure in South African schools? What is the relationship between the importance of ICT use for 21st Century Skill Development and obstructions hindering ICT goals in the light of currently available Human Resources in South African schools? A Spearman’s rho correlation was calculated, using SITES 2006 data obtained from the Principal Questionnaire (Brese & Carstens, 2009). It was found that all of the influencing factors, pertaining to both Infrastructure and Human Resources, showed a weak, to very weak negative correlation with the ICT goals under question. This means that, though the relationship is not strong, the influencing factors are hindering schools from reaching ICT goals for 21st Century Skills Development. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / unrestricted

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Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att undersöka lärares och elevers erfarenheter och syn på hur och varför digitala verktyg ska användas i det engelskspråkiga klassrummet för gymnasieskolan. Deras erfarenheter och syn på ämnet blev insamlade genom semi-formella, kvalitativa intervjuer med lärare, samt genom fokusgrupper med elever. Resultaten indikerar på ett flertal fördelar som ökar elevers prestation genom implementeringen av digitala verktyg. Dessa är bland annat individualisering, autonomi och ökat engagemang. Lärares implementering av digitala verktyg är beroende av en god lärarkompetens som i detta arbete baseras på TPACK-modellen. Denna består av de tre olika aspekterna, teknologisk-, innehåll- och pedagogisk kunskap, vilka alla måste behärskas för en optimal implementering av digitala verktyg. Lärarintervjuerna indikerar på att där är ett behov för en mer extensiv och djupgående fortbildning för att uppnå både ett större självförtroende och mer kunskap om hur och varför digitala verktyg ska användas. / The purpose of this paper is to investigate teachers’ and students’ experiences and views of how and why digital tools are used in the English as Second Language (ESL) classroom for upper secondary school. These experiences and views were collected by conducting semi- formal qualitative interviews with teachers, and focus group interviews with students. The results indicate numerous benefits for enhancing student performance by the implementation of digital tools such as individualization, autonomy, and engagement. Furthermore, the teachers’ implementation of the digital tools is dependent on a sufficient teacher competence, which is based on the TPACK-model, consisting of three different aspects technological-, content-, and pedagogical knowledge. These three all have to be mastered for an optimal implementation of digital tools. Lastly, the interviews with the teachers indicate that there is a demand for more extensive and thorough in-service training in order to achieve confidence and greater knowledge in how the digital tools are to be used.

[pt] Esta dissertação apresenta reflexões sobre o Ensino Maker (EM) à luz de práticas de Design, como contribuição para lidar com as demandas e complexidades dos processos de ensino-aprendizagem na contemporaneidade. O surgimento de um cenário atípico de isolamento social em 2020, decorrente da pandemia da COVID-19, trouxe um novo contexto para as práticas pedagógicas maker e consequentemente para esta pesquisa, exigindo que essa metodologia ativa fosse analisada sob a perspectiva do ensino remoto. A pesquisa qualitativa envolveu revisão bibliográfica e documental e observação participante. Primeiramente, definições e premissas maker foram levantadas e fundamentadas a partir de autores especializados no tema, como Chris Anderson (2012), Dale Dougherty (2012) e Mark Hatch (2014). Dentre as premissas, o aprendizado prático por meio de projetos possibilitou o estabelecimento de conexões entre EM e Design, acenando com práticas pertinentes para o desenvolvimento de habilidades e competências para o século XXI. Três documentos que discutem os pilares e perspectivas para a educação contemporânea são analisados. A fim de conduzir uma reflexão sobre as repercussões do EM na prática, duas situações de ensino-aprendizagem foram observadas e relatadas: experiências de aulas maker remotas em uma escola particular e observação participante em um projeto de aprendizagem prática para escolas públicas, ambas voltadas para o ensino fundamental. A partir da articulação entre as ideias dos autores estudados e os dados coletados, registrados e interpretados, reflexões são elaboradas e uma proposta de redesign de experiência maker remota é apresentada como contribuição para uma aprendizagem criativa e participativa a distância. / [en] This master thesis presents reflections on Maker Education (EM) in the light of Design practices, as a contribution to deal with the demands and complexities of teaching-learning processes in contemporary times. The emergence of an atypical scenario of social isolation resulting from the pandemic COVID-19, brought a new context to the pedagogical practices of the maker and consequently to this research, requiring that this active methodology could also be analyzed from the perspective of remote education. The qualitative research involved bibliographic and documentary reviews, besides a participant observation. First, definitions and maker premises were raised and founded based on authors specialized in the theme, such as Chris Anderson (2012), Dale Dougherty (2012) and Mark Hatch (2014). Among the premises, practical learning through projects made it possible to establish connections between EM and Design, indicating relevant practices for the development of skills and competences for the 21st century. Three documents that discuss the pillars and perspectives for contemporary education are analyzed. In order to conduct a reflection on the repercussions of EM in practice, two teaching-learning situations were observed and reported: experiences of remote maker classes in a private school and a participant observation in a hands-on project for public schools, both aimed at elementary education. Based on the articulation between the ideas of the authors studied and the data collected, reported and interpreted, reflections are elaborated and a proposal to redesign the remote maker experience is presented as a contribution to creative and participative learning at distance.

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National reforms, such as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards Mathematical Practices (CCSMP), and Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P-21) challenge educators to provide students with dynamic learning experiences that address the needs of learners in today's society. These new standards represent a paradigm shift away from the meticulous content memorization of many state standards, toward more dynamic measures addressing the whole learner. To truly develop the leaders, innovators and thinkers of tomorrow, educators are beginning to look beyond the traditional schoolhouse walls to intertwine intentionally designed non-formal learning experiences within formal education. These non-formal experiences serve to connect seemingly disparate skills and knowledge through real-life, hands-on, minds-on learning. Embracing partnerships with individuals and organizations beyond the classroom fosters an environment seamlessly connecting life, work, and school. Although the importance of student engagement in 21st century skills is at the forefront of current educational reforms, little has been done to assess this engagement. While standards such as Common Core State Standards and NGSS have measures in place for domain-specific 21st century skills, aside from PISA's cross-curricular problem solving test, there are few resources to measure non-domain specific engagement in these skills. Without a viable measure, detractors can argue that the term 21st century skills is meaningless and it distracts students from learning core content. Bridging the divide between skills and content is essential to build support for skills that reach far beyond isolated subject-matter knowledge. Engaging students in these skills through non-formal learning, and measuring the extent of student engagement in these skills will drive the development of future opportunities for students to hone them in creative ways. The purpose of this study was to measure student engagement in 21st century skills while they participate in a non-formal learning experience. Once a viable measurement was developed, it was utilized to measure student percent of engagement in each specific 21st century Learning and Innovation skill (creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem solving), Life and Career skill (flexibility and adaptability, initiative, self-direction and productivity, leadership, responsibility and accountability), and Socio-Cultural skill (communication and collaboration) while students participated in the intentionally designed non-formal learning experience of orienteering. The study also described what characterizes a viable non-formal learning experience facilitating student engagement in 21st century skills. Analysis of data revealed the non-formal learning experience of orienteering engages students in 21st century Learning and Innovation Skills, Life and Career Skills and Socio-Cultural Skills. Specifically, communication and collaboration, critical thinking skills and initiative, self-direction and productivity comprise the largest student engagement. Engagement in leadership, responsibility and accountability, problem solving, and flexibility and adaptability are also evident. This particular non-formal learning experience facilitates very little student engagement of creativity and innovation. While not generalizable to a larger population, this study confirms that students immersed in a non-formal learning activity will become engaged in essential 21st century skills for school, life and work, therefore, this type of learning is a valuable part of instructional time within the formal instructional day and beyond. / Ph. D.

Character education has increased over the past years to build student character in such a way that students are more successful and teachers spend maximal time for classroom instruction as well as minimal time with behavioral concerns. If a student experiences positive character traits and practices success in earlier grades, then it is logical to assume that the positive habits he or she establishes will transfer into the upper grades. However, very few studies have determined whether positive habits established in early grades will continue to bring success in subsequent grades. The purpose of this study was to examine the success of students in subsequent years after they were taught character traits and 21st-century skills in elementary school using The Leader in Me program. Previous research indicates a lack of studies that measure results after students leave the program setting. The main question for this study was the following: Do middle school students who have received instruction in The Leader in Me program for two years during elementary school show more improvement on selected measures of student behavior and academics than students who have not received such instruction? In order to determine the success of the program, the researcher reviewed discipline referrals, attendance records, and cumulative grade point averages (GPA) for reading and math students in grades six and seven. Independent samples t-tests were performed on the data sets to find relationships between the treatment population who had received The Leader In Me instruction for two or more years during elementary school and the control population who had not received any instruction in The Leader in Me during elementary school. Descriptive statistics showed fewer discipline referrals for the treatment group, but the numbers were not statistically significant. The results of the study showed a significant difference in attendance between the two groups. The students who had been instructed in The Leader in Me missed significantly fewer days than those who had not been instructed. Reading and math GPA did not show a significant difference for either group. / Ed. D.

This case study, executed in school network driven by a private foundation for underprivileged children in Cambodia, provides a perspective from a unique situation of technology enablement in an environment with a predominantly instructivist teaching tradition.   The said environment is strongly influenced by private sector donors with strong constructivist traditions and expectations. The environment is thus unique in the sense that a relatively asset rich environment, with expectations of 21st century pedagogical skills, is transported into an asset poor environment that was/is strongly rooted in instructivism. The case study thus give a perspective on if technology itself is a possible solution for better teacher education/educational delivery, or if the underlying pedagogy first needs to be evolved to allow web-based platforms and tools to be fully leveraged.     In the specific environment being studies, teacher in-service training plays a larger role than formal teacher qualifications, and peer-to-peer, in-person, learning is the cornerstone of development (offline connectivism). Rather than changing the way the teachers learn, there should be opportunity in further strengthening the current practices of communities. Connectivist MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) do provide the community engagement and together with technology mediated professional learning platforms there should be opportunity to provide enhanced support for teachers’ education.   The two main hurdles to overcome, beyond functioning technology assets and web access, are teachers own comfort levels with technology platforms, as well as provision of platforms that support local language options. The comfort level with technology is important to address as, assuming technology and web access works, the openness and lack of control in a web environment is in direct contradiction to instructivist teaching. Unlocking the potential of the web requires that teachers are comfortable with the web itself and also truly support inquiry based learning over didactic teaching, and that they have the skills to help children navigate the openness of the web.   As economies shift towards becoming knowledge societies, collaborative problem-solving and navigation to knowledge are skills of increasing in importance, relative static knowledge recall that was previously viewed as value adding. This case study contributes to pedagogical theory and in particularly gives one more perspective on the shift from instructivist to constructivist teaching as a pre-requisite for capturing the power of the internet, and the shift to leveraging networks in a connectivist pedagogical approach. This case study also calls out the need for evolved frameworks to better describe technology mediated learning in least developing country environments. The case study also provides contribution to practice to technology mediated teacher education as it specifically addresses some of the opportunities in strengthening the support to teacher education in least developed countries.

There is a growing consensus that the character of pedagogy must shift from one of teacher- and textbook-directed instruction to one of student-centered learning. This transition stems from the need to maintain the United States’ competitive edge in the world market and prepare young people for a society that is more socially, economically, and politically complex. Progressive educators advocate for a “learning reform” facilitated by digital media, and the skills and competencies that young people develop through using participatory media in an informal setting. This study examined how the use of new media can support subject-area knowledge building and 21st century skills development in nine classrooms in an independent high school. A constructivist grounded theory approach guided the collection and analysis of empirical data. This process took the form of semi-structured interviews with students and teachers, classroom observations, and an examination of course-related documents. A symbolic interactionist perspective framed the data analysis. The study examined wiki use, blogging, microblogging, and document sharing in six high school subject areas: ninth grade History, Latin II, Advanced Placement Art History, twelfth grade English, Anatomy and Physiology, and Environmental Science. Conceptual categories derived from the findings suggest that the use of specific new media tools support subject-area knowledge building, both explicit and tacit. This occurs by promoting participation among all students, which helps students broaden their perspectives through universal access to their peers’ thinking. Findings also suggest that the integration and use of these specific new media tools support the development of certain 21st century cognitive and interpersonal skills. The findings from this study support two substantive theories: 1) The use of new media support knowledge building and skills development through increased participation, leading to broadening students’ perspectives about subject-area content, and 2) as students engage in knowledge building activities, specific features of new media support the development of specific 21st century skills within the cognitive and interpersonal domains. The results of this study provide educators with a set of guidelines to consider as they integrate new media into subject-area curricula, and offer an agenda for further research on a local and national level. / text

It is imperative that learners leave school with a certain set of core skills, none as important as communication and technology literacy, a key driver for future workplace employment. The critical question is how to motivate pupils to participate in an interesting, challenging and creative project to improve essential communication techniques and capabilities? The rationale of the study is to enable future editors of school newspapers to create a similar environment in which the learners that are members of the editorial team will be involved in the construction of a school newspaper. The rationale of the study relating to the learners, who are part of the editorial team, is to develop 21st Century Skills and therefore enable them to overcome complicated demands that they are exposed to in the Knowledge Age. This dissertation presents a real-life, initiative to encourage active participation in the construction of a school newspaper that will develop learners’ skills and confidence and improve their oral, written and multi-media communication. The findings of this dissertation aim to prove that the group production of a school newspaper can enhance learners’ ability to participate and communicate in a group environment and equip them with essential 21st Century skills. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted