In 2014, Gauteng Education MEC announced the “Big Switch On” project in which he envisaged paperless classrooms in Gauteng schools over the next three years. He also said that this would see digital media such as iPads and other electronic Tablets replacing textbooks and stationery. He had a vision that the chalkboard would disappear and projectors would take their place. When the MEC for Education introduced the Big Switch On project, he emphasised the positive effects that paperless classrooms will have on the learners. Education authorities were concerned about and wanted to improve the quality of learning and teaching for disadvantaged learners. However, the MEC for Education failed to highlight the possible impact that paperless classrooms will have on educators. It is important that educators are given an opportunity to provide input with regard to the implementation of paperless classrooms. This study will focus on the perceived stress experienced by teachers in Gauteng, whose schools have been part of the Big Switch On project and have had to mandatorily include the use of digital tablets in their classrooms. This study sought to investigate the influence of digital media use in classrooms on teacher stress in Gauteng schools. It is important to conduct a contextual study that explores the perceived stress factors experienced by teachers in the Gauteng schools that were selected in the Big Switch On project. The research from other contexts can only provide general frameworks regarding the constructs involved. It cannot replace the research conducted specifically for the Big Switch On project. The purpose of this study is threefold. Firstly, the Big Switch On project has been introduced in 2015 in seven Gauteng schools, and was expanded to 375 schools in the following two years. For many schools, this is a first time, thereby rendering it a scarcely researched topic. The implications and effects of the project have yet to be considered. Secondly, it is often assumed that the use of digital tablets in the classroom makes teachers lives easier and reduces their workload. The research that will be undertaken will address this question scientifically to make reliable and valid conclusions that go beyond assumptions. Thirdly, related research has indicated barriers and challenges to the implementation of digital tablets in the classroom. The research will address these barriers and make recommendations regarding future implementation of digital tablets in the classroom. In this qualitative study, I chose a multi-site case study with purposeful, convenience sampling. Two secondary schools that were part of the Big Switch On project were selected. The classrooms in the schools had smartboards, the teachers were given laptops and learners were given tablets. Furthermore, a lot of money was spent on the upgrade of the infra-structure of the schools. These schools were chosen as sites to study the influence of digital media use in the classroom on teacher stress. I chose to interview all levels of teachers and principals, which would allow me to make comparisons as well as provide me with data from which I would be able to reflect on my own practices. I chose to gather data by means of semi-structured face to face interviews. The data revealed that teachers were not part of the decision-making process to introduce digital media in the classroom. Although teachers cited benefits, they felt that the challenges were frustrating with the implementation of digital media in the classroom. Teachers expressed that the initial workload increased but felt that it would decrease over time. Whilst teachers felt that the quality of teaching has improved, they indicated that the quality of learning has deteriorated because learners use the tablets for off-task behaviour. Teachers made recommendations that mirrored the recommendations from the literature and if these concerns are addressed, it would make the implementation of digital media in the classroom more effective and at the same time empower teachers. In order to address school effectiveness, one needs optimum levels of commitment and performance from teachers. Therefore, it is important to emphasize any notion affecting the performance capability of teachers and learners and to create stress free working conditions. It is with this in mind that the study was conducted. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)

Teachers tend to use traditional teaching methods, even though young learners are more digitally oriented. The purpose of this study was to analyse teachers' understanding and practices in grade R classes to clarify their use of digital play for language acquisition. The participants consisted of eight grade R teachers at one selected primary school in an urban area that had access to digital technology. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as a theoretical framework informed this study. This qualitative single case study generated data from teacher participants and their interaction with the learners. The data generation included semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, and non-participant observations. Analyses to answer the research questions were conducted by means of thematic analysis. The main finding was that grade R teachers have some knowledge and understanding of digital play and they are willing to try new games, but they feel they need to know more about digital technology and the use of digital games for language acquisition. Recommendations include the need for the development of more digital games relevant to language acquisition and for teachers to adopt relevant pedagogies to benefit from available digital games. A similar study in a rural area and a comparison between this study and such a study will then be useful in determining teachers' understanding and use of digital play for language acquisition. / Onderwysers is geneig om tradisionele onderrigmetodes te gebruik, selfs al is jong leerders meer digitaal georiënteerd. Die doel van hierdie studie was om onderwysers se begrip en praktyke in graad R-klasse te ontleed, om hul gebruik van digitale spel vir taalverwerwing duidelik te maak. Die deelnemers het bestaan uit agt graad R-onderwysers by een uitgesoekte laerskool in ʼn stedelike gebied, met toegang tot digitale tegnologie. Hierdie studie is geïnspireer deur Bronfenbrenner se ekologiese stelselteorie as ʼn teoretiese raamwerk. Hierdie kwalitatiewe enkelgevallestudie het data van onderwyser-deelnemers en hul interaksie met die leerders gegenereer. Die datagenerering het halfgestruktureerde individuele onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude en niedeelnemer-waarnemings ingesluit. Die vernaamste gevolgtrekking was dat graad R-onderwysers oor ʼn mate van kennis en begrip van digitale spel beskik en dat hulle bereid is om nuwe speletjies te probeer, maar hulle voel hulle behoort meer te weet van digitale tegnologie en die gebruik van digitale speletjies vir taalverwerwing. Aanbevelings sluit in: die behoefte aan die ontwikkeling van meer digitale speletjies wat op taalverwerwing betrekking het; en dat onderwysers tersaaklike pedagogieë moet inspan om uit die beskikbare digitale speletjies voordeel te trek. ʼn Soortgelyke studie in ʼn landelike gebied en ʼn vergelyking tussen hierdie studie en so ʼn studie sal dan nuttig wees om onderwysers se begrip en gebruik van digitale spel vir taalverwerwing te bepaal. / Barutiši ba na le go šomiša mekgwa ya sekgale ya go ruta, le ge e le gore baithuti ba baswa ba na le tsebo ya theknolotši. Morero wa nyakišišo ye e be e le go sekaseka mašomelo le kwešišo ya barutiši ka diphapošing tša kreiti R go hlalosa tšhomišo ya bona ya papadi ya ditšitale ya go ithuta polelo. Bakgathatema ba bopilwe ke barutiši ba seswai ba kreiti R sekolong se se kgethilwego sa poraemari ka nagasetoropong seo se nago le theknolotši ya ditšitale. Teori ya mekgwa ya ekolotši ya Bronfenbrenner bjalo ka foreimiweke ya teori e thekgile nyakišišo ye. Kheisesetati ye e tee ya khwalithethifi e tšweleditše datha go tšwa go bakgathatema ba e lego barutiši le kopano ya bona le baithuti. Tšweletšo ya datha e akareditše dipoledišano tša motho o tee ka o tee tša go beakanywa seripa, dipoledišano tša go nepiša sehlopha, le ditlhokomelo tša ba go se kgathe tema. Ditshekatsheko go araba dipotšišo tša dinyakišišo di dirilwe ka go šomiša tshekatsheko ya thematiki. Kutullo ye kgolo e bile gore barutiši ba kreiti R ba na le tsebo le kwešišo ye nyane ya papadi ya ditšitale le gore ba rata go leka dipapadi tše diswa, eupša ba kwa ba nyaka go tseba tše ntši ka ga theknolotši ya ditšitale le tšhomišo ya dipapadi tša ditšitale tša go ithuta polelo. Ditšhišinyo di akaretša nyakego ya tlhabollo ya dipapadi tša ditšitale tše ntši tša maleba go ithuteng polelo le gore baithuti ba amogela serutiši sa maleba gore ba holege dipapading tša ditšitale. Nyakišišo ye bjalo nagamagaeng le papišo gare ga nyakišišo ye le nyakišišo ye bjalo gona e tla ba le mohola taetšong ya kwešišo ya barutiši le tšhomišo ya papadi ya ditšitale ya go ithuta polelo. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)