As personal computers (PCs) and related ICTs become more and more omnipresent than ever before in institutions of education, teachers are faced with the challenge of having to teach in ICT rich environments. Some syllabuses increase this pressure by stipulating where ICT may be applied. While past research efforts have focused on presence of and/or effectiveness of ICTs on achieving various didactic goals, there is limited literature on the extent to which actual practice occurred naturally. It was the aim of this study to determine the extent to which Physics teachers and students used ICT in their usual teaching/learning ambience, referred to as natural settings in this study. Using activity theory as a theoretical lens, multiple case studies were chosen as a strategy using 10 schools, 15 Physics teachers, 20 A-level Physics students and 10 ICT teachers (computer specialists). Questionnaires, observations and informal and focus group interviews were used to elicit responses from students, teachers and computer specialists. It emerged from the case studies that despite the presence of apt ICT infrastructure in the schools and although the teachers had a positive attitude towards the use of ICT for teaching and learning of Physics, teachers were apathetic when it came to the actual use. Some of the reasons militating against use were lack of an ICT policy, school authority, and monopoly of computers enjoyed by computer studies teachers. However among students there were ‘early starters’ who used ICTs outside of school, a situation that tended to change the Physics learning environment. These findings led to a proposal for a post of Computer Specialist (CS) in the schools. The need for developing ICT policy at all levels namely national, Ministry of Education and the school was also proposed. Lastly staff development in the use ICT for Physics teachers was proposed as indispensable.

CNPq / O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar como dois cursos de Engenharia da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR) estão respondendo às exigências socioeducacionais preconizadas pelas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais de Engenharia (DCNs) (BRASIL, 2002b), que estabeleceram, entre outros aspectos, a necessidade da construção de outra identidade profissional mais sintonizada com os desafios políticos, econômicos, culturais e ambientais da realidade brasileira e mundial. Em especial, nosso olhar investigativo se voltou para entender os sentidos construídos sobre as relações entre tecnologia e sociedade nos cursos de Engenharia. Considerando, de um lado, a necessidade de um olhar que acompanhe o caráter heterogêneo, fronteiriço, coconstruído e negociado do processo de revisão curricular e, de outro, a relevância do enfrentamento da tensão determinista e dos desafios sociotécnicos regionais para a configuração do novo perfil de engenheiro, buscamos articular um quadro conceitual-metodológico fundado na perspectiva teórica da análise sociotécnica, nos Estudos Latino-Americanos de Tecnologia Social, bem como na perspectiva discursivo-dialógica do Círculo de Bakhtin. O corpus foi constituído por documentos legais e institucionais relacionados à implementação das DCNs nos dois cursos de Engenharia, bem como por entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores e estudantes desses dois cursos. Os resultados mostraram duas configurações curriculares nas quais as relações entre tecnologia e sociedade são entendidas e dimensionadas com diferentes enfoques: no primeiro curso analisado, constatou-se uma significativa perspectiva determinista tecnológica, traduzida em uma organização curricular disciplinar, em que prevalece uma ênfase voltada predominantemente para a formação tecnológica no seu sentido mais estrito, sendo que o mercado e o setor industrial aparecem como principais interlocutores sociais da atuação do futuro engenheiro; no segundo curso de Engenharia pesquisado, percebeu-se, de um lado, uma tensão dialógica entre uma formação voltada para a problematização dos aspectos sociais da tecnologia em diversos setores da sociedade e, de outro, uma organização curricular disciplinar que enseja desafios consideráveis para a superação da tensão determinista. / The objective of this study is to analyze how two undergraduate Engineering courses at the Federal Technology University at Paraná (UTFPR) are attending the socio-educational recommended by the Brazilian National Engineering Curricular Directives (Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais de Engenharia – DCNs) (BRASIL, 2002b). Among other aspects, they established the need to construct a professional identity which is more synthesized with political, economic, cultural, and environmental challenges of the current Brazilian and international reality. Our investigative perspective was especially directed to better understand the senses constructed concerning relationships between technology and society within Brazilian Engineering courses. On the one hand is the need to look at what accompanies the heterogeneous, frontier-based, co-constructed character negotiated from the curricular review process. On the other hand is the relevance of facing the determinist tension and regional socio-technical challenges to configuring the new engineering profile. As such, we seek to articulate a conceptual-methodological framework based on the Socio-technical Analysis theoretical perspective in Social Technology Latin-American Studies, as well as Bakhtin‟s discursive Circle dialogue perspective. The corpus was constituted upon legal and institutional documents related to implementing the DCNs within the two Brazilian Engineering courses, as well as semi-structured interviews with professors and students from these courses. Results show two curricular configurations in which the relationships between technology and society are understood to be dimensioned on different emphases: the first course analyzed showed a significant determinist technology-based perspective, translated into a curricular disciplinary organization, in which the emphasis geared predominantly to technological formation in its strictest sense, given that the market and industrial sector appear as the principle social players of the future engineer‟s contribution; while the second course studied revealed a dialogical tension between formal education geared to discussing the social aspects of technology in various sectors of society and a disciplinary curricular organization which gives rise to considerable challenges to overcoming such determinist tension.

Thesis (MTech (Quality (Faculty of Engineering) Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2008. / While the necessary Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure at the Holy Cross Sisters' School (HCSS) has been established, there has been little evidence of the successful integration of ICT into the school. While traditional teaching methods are still being practiced, ICT integration into the curriculum has been non- existent and mundane administrative tasks are still being performed manually. Furthermore, management has no real vision in place with regards to ICT integration at the school. Due to the fact that the HCSS has not optimally used its ICT capabilities results in administrative processes being inefficient and impacting adversely on the quality of the education provided. The objectives of this research study are to develop a model that mitigates the research problem with focus on improving administrative processes, integrating ICT into the curriculum, and combining ICT with traditional teaching methods to exponentially improve upon the efficiency of teaching and learning. The research methodology for this dissertation will fall within the ambit of action research, using both qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. The research question that will form the crux of this dissertation reads as follows: 'What mechanistic approach can be deployed at the HCSS to integrate ICT within the organization to improve the quality of education and improve on the efficiency of internal processes?' Observations, focus groups and a survey will serve as data collection methods for this research. Data collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Die tesis is voorgelê ter verwerwing van die graad: Magister in Opvoedkunde aan die: Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. Afrikaanse abstrak: Hierdie navorsing het die gebruik van probleemoplossings-onderrigtegnieke deur onderwysers in die Rekenaartoepassingstegnologie (RTT) –klaskamer ondersoek. Kriteria ten opsigte van probleemoplossingsvaardighede soos uiteengesit in die Nasionale Kurrikulumverklaring (NKV ) en die Nasionale Kurrikulum- en Assesserings- Beleidsverklaring (NKABV) vir RTT was toegepas in hierdie studie. RTT word slegs vanaf graad 10 in die verdere onderwys- en opleidingfase (VOO) as „n keusevak aangebied. Dus was die navorser se fokus op die omliggende sekondêre skole wat RTT aanbied. Die navorsing konsentreer op die onderwyser en sy toepassing van probleemoplossings-onderrigtegnieke. Die navorser het gebruik gemaak van gevallestudie as navorsingsontwerp en konstruktivisme as raamwerk toegepas. Klaskamer-observasies, onderhoude en beide formele en onderwyser - geskepte dokumente het gedien as bronne vir data. Die data was tematies ontleed om die betekenis daarvan te ontgin. Die analise van die data dui aan dat respondente nie aan die vereistes gestel deur die NKABV en NKV, ten opsigte van die aanbieding en assessering van probleemoplossings-onderrigtegnieke, voldoen nie. Die navorser beveel aan dat „n moontlike oplossing vir die onderwyser-respondente se gebrek aan kennis en onderrigvaardighede met betrekking tot probleemoplossings-onderrigtegnieke kan wees dat daar spesifieke kursusse oor hierdie onderwerp aangebied word. Die navorsing skep ook ʼn geleentheid vir tersiêre instellings om hulle kurrikula en opleidingsprogramme sodanig aan te pas ten einde die leemtes, soos uitgewys deur die navorsing, aan te spreek. / This research explored the utilization of problem solving techniques by Computer Applications Technology (CAT) teachers in grade 11. The requirements and criteria as set out in the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), were applied in this study. CAT is only introduced in grade 10 in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. The researcher thus focussed on the surrounding schools that offer CAT as a subject. The research focussed on the teacher and the teaching of problem solving techniques in CAT. The researcher used a case study design and employed a constructivism as the theoretical framework. Classroom observations, interviews and both teacher generated and formal documents served as data sources. A thematic analysis approach was adopted to make sense of the data. The analysis of the different data sources indicated that the respondents did not fully comply with the requirements set by the NCS and CAPA with reference to the teaching of problem solving techniques in CAT. The researcher recommends that courses are presented to address the gaps in the knowledge and skills of teachers in CAT referring to problem solving techniques. This creates both the opportunity and challenge to tertiary institutions to align their curricula and training programmes to address the gaps identified by this research.

M.Ed. (Media Studies) / The subject mathematics is for one reason or another regarded as a necessary prerequisite for various job directions by many countries (Del;we, 1988:1). This subject is also valuable as preparation for the contingency that the child in future may take up an occupation requiring knowledge of the subject in question (Young, 1927:14). What matters most is that·a large number of pupils fail mathematics every year in their examination in primary and secondary schools. This is a clear indication that there are problems in the teaching and learning of mathematics which need special attention. Mathematics is a sequential learning subject (Larcombe, 1985:12). By this is meant that new learning content cannot be grasped unless there is insight into and understanding of the previous learning content. This is true because the growth of mathematical understanding develops step by· step with each forward move depending upon the consolidation of previous experience. In the light of the evidence that primary school children are in the concrete reasoning state, most mathematics educators believe that it is desirable to use large amounts of manipulative materials with young children. The understanding of the nature of mathematics is more important in teaching, as the teaching of the subject is influenced and determined by the teacher's understanding of the nature of the subject. The theory, most prevalent among teachers is that mathematics affords the best training for the reasoning powers, and this is its traditional form (Young, 1927:15).

Since the collapse of apartheid and the first democratic elections of 1994, education in South Africa has undergone fundamental transformation and part of this transformation was the reconstruction of the school curriculum. The new curriculum, known as Curriculum 2005 and developed in 1997, introduced Technology as a new learning area. This study is based on the inclusion of ‘indigenous technology and culture’, a new aspect introduced in a revision of Curriculum 2005. The broad goal of the study was to examine and explore pedagogic practice in relation to the inclusion of ‘indigenous technology and culture’ in the revised National Curriculum Statement for Technology. The study was informed by an examination of literature pertaining to philosophy of technology, indigenous knowledge systems and technology education. The review of the literature highlighted the contested nature of ‘indigenous knowledge systems’. Philosophies on the nature of technological knowledge were reviewed in order to explore the meaning of ‘technology’, and a comparative review of curriculum reform in regard to technology education in various parts of the world was conducted. This study presented an attempt to determine the rationale for the inclusion of ‘indigenous technology and culture’ in the revised National Curriculum Statement for Technology in South Africa and to explore and examine what teachers’ existing practices were in this regard. It also examined a process of participatory co-engagement with a focus group of teachers. This process was an attempt to implement ‘indigenous technology and culture’ of the curriculum in a more meaningful way. A case study approach using an in-depth, interpretive design was used. A questionnaire, document analysis, interviews and focus group discussions were used to conduct the investigation. What emerged from the data analysis was that there was unanimous support for the inclusion of ‘indigenous technology and culture’ in the technology curriculum, but implementation had been problematic. This was partly due to difficulties with the interpretation of this aspect in the curriculum as well as a lack of meaningful teaching and learning for various reasons. The study revealed that teachers face multiple dilemmas in implementing ‘indigenous technology and culture’ as an assessment standard. These dilemmas are pedagogical, political, conceptual, professional and cultural in nature. The intentions of the study were to build a comprehensive understanding of ‘indigenous technology and culture’ and to determine how a focus group of teachers were dealing with this new inclusion. The interpretive study concluded with implications and recommendations for further studies.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) as a constituent part of the public service was established to deliver a specific category of services to the public. These services have to conform to requirements that are prescribed by various legislative provisions to promote effective and efficient delivery of public services. The implications of these provisions that are pursued by the study firstly, refer to the emphasis of government on the enhancement of public service delivery, with due consideration given to cost effectiveness and efficiency. Secondly, it refers to government's realisation of the important impact of education, development and training (EDT) on the competency of public service officials with an emphasis on the utilisation of information technology to enhance the effectiveness of EDT. Consequently, the study explores the viability of the utilisation of information technology as a measure to assist EDT interventions within the SAPS of the Eastern Cape Province to equip members of the institution to better fulfil their functions and duties. In this respect the study commenced to ascertain the levels of computer literacy of role-players, access to the appropriate facilities and what the general attitude in the organisation would be towards the utilisation of such an intervention. It was found that the computer literacy levels of role-players may be perceived as a problematic issue in this regard. However, access to suitable facilities was found to be more than sufficient for this intention. Furthermore, role-players agreed that information technology could be optimally applied in the EC SAPS for the mentioned use, thereby portraying an optimistic attitude towards the use thereof to harmonise EDT in the SAPS. The aim of the study has been to develop a model that will incorporate the use of information technology, given the strengths and weaknesses of the SAPS to enhance EDT and learning in the organization.

The primary goal of the research is to investigate the extent of ICT adoption in secondary schools within the larger Port Elizabeth area. In order to demonstrate the current status, two geographical areas within that area namely privileged and less privileged areas will be selected and surveyed. The main objective of this research study is to survey the access to ICT services by learners and teachers living and working in less privileged communities compared with that of learners and teachers in the more privileged communities of Port Elizabeth. At present all the schools in these communities are funded by the same provincial government, but the extent of the digital divide is not known. This research will investigate the factors that lead to the inequalities in the access to ICT among secondary school learners and teachers. This research has the following sub goals and objectives: 1. To identify the factors that impact on the status of access to ICT services; 2. To determine which socio-economic factors contribute to the status of access to ICT services in the specific areas; 3. To determine the status of access to ICT services in specific communities within the larger Port Elizabeth area; 4. To determine whether the level of access differs between secondary schools and the homes of teachers and learners in the identified areas.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Master of Information and Communications Technology Degree, Faculty of Accounting and Informatics, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016 / The need to utilize English in daily International communications within broad settings, such as business and academia, is accelerated by Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and internationalisation. Internationalisation introduces the increased need (through ICT) to communicate through a common language (global language) and English has evolved into such a ‘global language’. There is evidence in the literature indicating that teachers assume that students have the educated ‘guessing skill’ in the ability to read and write efficiently in English. Literature further proves that limited ESL proficiency is still a major drawback for the efficient and effective use of English as a medium of instruction both in academe and in other industries. Therefore, the current study postulates that interventions such as perceived educational themed computer game playing could facilitate English vocabulary improvement; an approach believed to be more appealing to the students of this ICT-dominated world than traditional rote learning. As a result, students of the Internet age more receptive towards vocabulary conveyed through ICT tools, as opposed to traditional printed texts. The focus of this study was on the utilization of an ICT tool in the form of a computer game in supplementing teaching and learning of English vocabularies. This quasi-experimental mixed methods’ research used seven research instruments that incorporated both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. This research attempted to investigate the effectiveness of a selected computer game on English vocabulary improvement using engineering students (participants) that served as either the control or experimental groups. Data analysis tests, such as Wilcoxon Signed Ranks, Chi-Square and Paired Samples T-Test assisted in analysing the data collected for this study. The significant findings of this study indicate that the study’s selected computer game was easy to use and useful, because there were improvements in English vocabulary amongst participants resulting from the game. Further lessons learned from this study confirm that ICT relevant tools (such as this study’s computer game), do complement teaching and learning. These findings also align with the study’s theoretical framework by indicating that perceived ease of use and usefulness of the study’s selected computer game have an influence towards English vocabulary improvement. / M

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