M.Ed. / It is of outmost importance that technical officers in Telkom are effective technological problem solvers. All prospective technical officers in Telkom are subjected to a selection process before starting with technical officer's training. The selecting process consists of two stages, namely: (1) the Senior Aptitude Test (SAT), and (2) the Introduction to the A-course. The problem statement of this study is: No scientific investigation is done on the effect of the Introduction to the A-course on the technological problem-solving style of prospective technical officers. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the Introduction to A-course on the technological problem-solving style of prospective technical officers, when measured with the PSI-TECH inventory. The PSI-TECH inventory (technological problem-solving in-ventory) is used as a pre-test and a post-test to measure the technological problem-solving styles of 119 prospective technical officers in Telkom. The Introduction to the A-course (independent variable) serves as the treatment. In the process of measuring technological problem-solving style, differentiation occurs between effective and ineffective technological problem solvers. The PSI-TECH inventory performed very well in terms of reliability and validity in this study. Two conclusions were drawn from this case study, namely: (1) the Introduction to the A-course does not contribute towards the technological problem-solving styles of prospective technical officers and, (2) the PSI-TECH inventory can serve as a discriminator to determine who are effective and ineffective technological problem-solvers.

In this thesis, a survey design was used following closely the objective of descriptive research. The idea was to take a sample of the population of teachers in the area, gather demographic data, and find out if the reasons they fail to fully integrate technology into their classrooms can be attributed to skill deficiency, motivation, lack of environmental support or a combination thereof.

This project addresses how to create an online syllabus that is accessible to students and parents, that empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning while enhancing school/home communication, and serves as a graphic representation of what students have accomplished. Web quests are used as the principle means of instructional delivery to engage middle school students in problem-based projects that address real life situations using rigorous and relevant curricula. Elements of an online syllabus and the content of the course it supports are examined. The role, an online syllabus plays in fulfilling the goals of techno-constructivism, the move from a top down, broadcast model toa decentralized, constructivism model of instructional delivery is addressed.

This study investigated the presence of technology leadership components in Texas principal preparation programs. Programmatic and course information of principal preparation programs holding accreditation with Texas Education Agency were analyzed to determine presence of technology leadership instruction. Results were compared with Shrum et al.'s 2011 research, and showed a slight increase in presence. This study also examined possible differences in technology leadership components based on if the course was delivered online, face-to-face, or blended. Results showed a stronger presence of technology leadership in online courses. Additionally, the degree of alignment of technology leadership components being taught in principal preparation programs in Texas with the International Society for Technology in Education was explored. Results showed a positive correlation between technology leadership components instruction with the International Society for Technology in Education.

This study investigated the effects of technology education, science, and mathematics (TSM) curriculum integration on the technological problem-solving ability of eighth grade technology education students. The researcher used a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group design to compare the performance of students receiving correlated TSM integration to those not receiving integration in an adapted Technology, Science, Mathematics Integration Project Activity (LaPorte & Sanders, 1993). The students were to design, construct, and evaluate wind collectors to generate electricity. The collectors were mounted on a generator for the pretest and posttest measurements. The measure for treatment effect was the output wattage of the generator for each student's wind collector. The samples were drawn from middle schools that had two technology education teachers in the same school, each teaching eighth graders. The pilot study sample (N = 51) was selected from a middle school in rural south-central Virginia. The study sample (N = 33) was selected from a middle school in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia. Treatment group technology education teachers employed echnological problem solving, and they correlated instruction of key concepts with science and mathematics teachers using the adapted TSM Integration Activity. The control group technology education teachers did not correlate instruction with science and mathematics teachers. There was no significant difference between the treatment and control groups for technological problem solving. Evidence suggested that students were applying science and mathematics concepts. The researcher concluded that TSM curriculum integration may promote the application of science and mathematics concepts to technological problem solving and does not hinder the technological problem-solving ability of eighth technology education students. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2023 / Technology use is gaining momentum the world over, including South Africa. Therefore, technology use presupposes technology integration, and educators appear better positioned to ensure its integration. As a result, the integration of technology by English First Additional Language (EFAL) educators is of significant importance to learners’ academic development. The purpose of this research study was to investigate South African rural public schools EFAL educators’ readiness to integrate technology into EFAL content. The study was underpinned by a combination of two theoretical frameworks, the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The study followed a quali-quantitative approach and an exploratory research design. The triangulation data collection method employed questionnaires, interviews and equipment checklists. Findings indicated that EFAL educators in rural public schools are not ready to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and lack relevant and adequate infrastructure to integrate technology. Findings further revealed that EFAL educators need proper training in technology skills and technical support in order to be ready to integrate technology into EFAL. Pertinent intervention strategies should include the collaboration of all stakeholders to improve the Information Communication Technology (ICT) context in rural public schools. Additionally, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has to bridge the gap between rural and urban schools in SA by providing adequate technology support to rural public EFAL educators.

The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of student affairs administrators, working in both public and private higher education institutions, regarding how they learned to use technology and gain insight into how their work would evolve in the future. While the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone in the higher education landscape—academic faculty, students, and student administrative professionals—this research focused specifically on a segment of administrative professionals within higher education institutions: student affairs professionals. The results of the study provide recommendations to higher education institutions and student affair professionals and how to work in a technologically evolving workplace. The researcher based the study on the three assumptions: (1) informal and incidental learning are key factors in growing the skills to learn the evolving technologies in the workplace; (2) higher-order thinking skills exist in student affairs professionals who went beyond transferring the in-person modality to online; (3) organizational competencies or ethical competencies in digital leadership skills existed in student affairs professionals who went beyond demonstrating technological competencies skills The study population were student affairs professionals who worked during COVID-19. Data sources were primarily through 12 individual interviews, all conducted via Zoom, critical incident reports, and documents. Key findings of the study revealed: (1) A strong majority of participants described the use of technology as having a significant communication platform; (2) A majority of participants indicated that the lack of user engagement was a challenge while using technology; (3) An overwhelming majority learn to overcome the challenge of using technology through peer conversation; and (4) A majority of participants stated that having a supportive leader influenced the use of technology. The main recommendations of the study were the following: (1) Higher education institutions should think of creating the space and opportunities for student affairs professionals to engage in conversation with one another to overcome the challenges of using technology. To develop the space, higher education climate and organizational culture around the perception of technology must be considered. Additionally, higher education institutions should invest in developing supportive leaders who have a positive perception of technology in the workplace; and (2) Student affairs professionals should not only learn to be open about using technology in the workplace, but also develop the inter-personal skills that is critical to overcoming the use of technology. For seasoned student affairs professionals who hope to become a leader within the institution, developing the leadership skills to become a supportive leader who has the technological and inter-personal skills is critical to better manage and lead their team.

The intent of this historical study is to document the change from the educational program known as Industrial Arts to what is now titled Technology Education. A synthesis of prior historiographical perspectives on the evolution of industrial arts, including some new information, provides a basis for understanding the more recent history that is the primary focus of this study. The portion of this study dealing with the transition to technology education explores the individuals, events, and other factors that compelled the movement to begin and the issues surrounding the acceptance of technology as the motive for the profession. The primary program and policy goals of technology education will be examined and concerns and projections will be expressed for the future of technology education. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of concept mapping as an instructional technique for teaching advanced technology concepts to at-risk junior high school students. The students were from three Northern Illinois school districts, 174 students from three junior high schools. The study sought to assess the effects on achievement of students who used concept mapping as part of a carefully designed sequence of instructions. Method and Procedure: Eight intact junior high school technology classes, taught by three instructors, took part in this study. Of the 174 seventh and eighth grade students participating in this study, 87 students were in the treatment groups, and 87 students were in the control groups. The intact groups were formed from two schools with three classes and one school with two classes. Within each school, classes were randomly assigned to be the treatment groups or control groups. The criteria for student selection for the at-risk group were based on (a) students' attendance, (b) students' behavior, (c) personal history, (d) counselor's input, and (e) parent conferences. The at-risk students were identified by a code only known by classroom teachers. The quasiexperimental design used for this study was the pretest-posttest design. A two-way ANCOVA using the pretest scores as a covariate analyzed the posttest scores to determine what effect, if any, distinguished between the instructional methods. Results: There was one main finding of this study. The benefits of using concept mapping appeared for the at-risk students than for the not at-risk students. Conclusion: For this junior high school at-risk population, concept mapping during and after instruction led to greater achievement as measured by posttest. / Ed. D.