Despite growing global awareness and importance of Information Communication Technologies (ICT), little has been done regarding introduction of ICT in rural schools as a new way of creating path for learners and educators to engage in information selection, gathering, sorting and analysis. This study explores the status/ role of ICT rural Setlakgobi schools by examining the needs, and support for school managers, and other senior managers in managing the integration of computers and related resources into teaching and learning activities in their schools. It researches five key problematic areas, namely, understanding context, clarifying purpose, identifying values, setting goals and developing vision. The study amongst other things identifies lack of resources, language barrier, technical know how, and staff development as the main challenges of providing modern technologies to rural school in order to enhance quality of learning and teaching. Hence, the need to fast-track the e-learning by developing South African languages, providing physical and human resources, and support for professional development of educators in ICT. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

<p>This thesis was based on a larger international comparative study called the ROSE (Relevance of Science Education) project. The study investigated the affective factors pupils perceive might be of relevance for the learning of science and technology using the ROSE survey questionnaire, and was aimed at providing data that might form part of an empirical basis for local adaptation of the science curriculum.</p>

challenges in effectively implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning. The aim of this study was to explore how ICT integrated teaching and learning was implemented in Textiles and Clothing programmes at one university of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, with a view to developing a suitable model to enhance effective implementation. The study was informed by the Activity theory and triangulated by the Technological pedagogical content knowledge framework (TPACK) and the Functionality framework. The study made use of the interpretive research paradigm, the qualitative approach and intrinsic case study design, to generate the necessary data. The participants of the study were purposively and quota sampled from the Textiles and Clothing department of the selected university of Science and Technology, and consisted of seven lecturers, three administrators, two ICT technicians and thirty-two students. Four methods were used to generate data namely in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. After coding, data were analysed for content using thematic analysis. The study established that there were no specific ICT hardware and software packages acquired by the universityfor the Textiles and Clothing programmes. Instead, general design related softwares such as CorelDraw, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Mac Paints were used to support the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning. The findings of the study further revealed that lecturers lacked thorough technological pedagogical knowledge to apply a variety of ICT in the teaching and learning of students. The study established that there was lack of an effective mechanism for providing monitoring and evaluation as the peer review and evaluation mechanism that was used in the Textiles and Clothing programmes did not identify the specific indicators for the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning. Among the conclusions emanating from the findings were that the Textiles and Clothing programmes suffered serious shortage of suitable ICT hardware and subject-specific ICT software applications to facilitate the teaching of practical components thereby compromising the effective implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning to foster effective skill acquisition in relation to ICT among students. It was also concluded that lecturers were finding difficulties in implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning as they lacked thorough technological-pedagogical-content knowledge and skills that would enable them to select appropriate technological resources and technological pedagogical strategies to teach students appropriate content. The study recommended that the Textiles and Clothing department, through the support of the university, should acquire subject related educational hardware and software like Gerber or Lectra to teach the practical courses of the programmes. The university should organise professional development programmes focussing on TPACK to assist lecturers to develop competences in ICT necessary for implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning. A model was proposed to enhance the effective implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning into the Textiles and Clothing programmes at the University.

This research examines, within the interpretive paradigm, how emerging educational policy in an in-service educator education programme, namely, a Further Diploma in Education (Technology), is implemented and practiced by educators in the classroom. Technology is a new learning area in the South African curriculum that aims to develop learners' technological skills and promote the practical application of Science and Mathematics. Technology is seen as a way of developing a productive workforce that can design, realise and evaluate technological problems in a global economy. Engestrom's version of Activity Theory was used as the conceptual framework. Activity Theory focuses on 'activity' as a unit of analysis that captures the individual in context. This research focuses on the lecturers' and the students' actions in the programme, and the educators' and the learners' actions in the classroom. The research design was an eclectic case study consisting of two embedded cases within a single larger case namely, in-service educator education. Multiple single cases were selected within the two embedded cases. Trustworthiness and authenticity were addressed through the triangulation of data using mUltiple sources and methods of data collection. Data were analysed and interpreted in a hermeneutic-like process that emerged through gradual induction over time. The findings of the research suggest that the in-service educator education programme did not promote the effective implementation of educational policy. Major challenges to the effective implementation of educational policy include: the formulation and implementation of an INSET programme during rapid educational policy change, the under-preparedness and language difficulties of the participating educators that constrained policy implementation in the INSET programme and the classroom, the role of organisational rules in shaping the activities in the INSET programme and the classroom, and the broader community'S contribution to resource constraints in the classroom. This research suggests that the participating educators are not likely to be major change agents in the transformation of education in South Africa. This concurs with other research findings that suggest that educator education is a weak intervention incapable of overcoming the shortcomings of the educators' own personal schooling or the impact of work experience.

Textiles and Clothing programmes in universities worldwide experience numerous challenges in effectively implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning. The aim of this study was to explore how ICT integrated teaching and learning was implemented in Textiles and Clothing programmes at one university of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, with a view to developing a suitable model to enhance effective implementation. The study was informed by the Activity theory and triangulated by the Technological pedagogical content knowledge framework (TPACK) and the Functionality framework. The study made use of the interpretive research paradigm, the qualitative approach and intrinsic case study design, to generate the necessary data. The participants of the study were purposively and quota sampled from the Textiles and Clothing department of the selected university of Science and Technology, and consisted of seven lecturers, three administrators, two ICT technicians and thirty-two students. Four methods were used to generate data namely in-depth interviews, focus group interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. After coding, data were analysed for content using thematic analysis. The study established that there were no specific ICT hardware and software packages acquired by the universityfor the Textiles and Clothing programmes. Instead, general design related softwares such as CorelDraw, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Mac Paints were used to support the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning. The findings of the study further revealed that lecturers lacked thorough technological pedagogical knowledge to apply a variety of ICT in the teaching and learning of students. The study established that there was lack of an effective mechanism for providing monitoring and evaluation as the peer review and evaluation mechanism that was used in the Textiles and Clothing programmes did not identify the specific indicators for the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning. Among the conclusions emanating from the findings were that the Textiles and Clothing programmes suffered serious shortage of suitable ICT hardware and subject-specific ICT software applications to facilitate the teaching of practical components thereby compromising the effective implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning to foster effective skill acquisition in relation to ICT among students. It was also concluded that lecturers were finding difficulties in implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning as they lacked thorough technological-pedagogical-content knowledge and skills that would enable them to select appropriate technological resources and technological pedagogical strategies to teach students appropriate content. The study recommended that the Textiles and Clothing department, through the support of the university, should acquire subject related educational hardware and software like Gerber or Lectra to teach the practical courses of the programmes. The university should organise professional development programmes focussing on TPACK to assist lecturers to develop competences in ICT necessary for implementing ICT integrated teaching and learning. A model was proposed to enhance the effective implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning into the Textiles and Clothing programmes at the University.

The study aimed at developing a curriculum for technology teacher education and training for technology teachers teaching Grade R-9 in South African schools. The study was motivated by the national implementation of Curriculum 2005 as well as the Revised National Curriculum Statements Grades R-9 to be implemented from 2004. The cognitive framework was illuminated by the conceptualisation of technology education and examined the philosophical foundation and theoretical context of technology education, including the historical background of technical education in relation to teacher training in South Africa. The Norms and Standards for Educators as a benchmark for teacher education and training programmes is explored. Moreover, a conceptual framework for the proposed curriculum was investigated. This involved an analysis of selected educational philosophies and their influence on curriculum development, various curriculum approaches and models, including outcomes-based education, a needs analysis and curriculum evaluation and assessment. A small-scale empirical investigation using qualitative and quantitative approaches was carried out. Questionnaires designed for educators of the Technology Learning Area and educators of technical subjects were used to gather data. The empirical investigation comprised a needs analysis of the curriculum development process. To ascertain validity and reliability of findings, instruments were subjected to a pilot study. Data were analysed by a MS Excell spreadsheet computer programme and findings presented in tables and graphs. The curriculum for technology teacher education and training, particularly curriculum content, was based on the empirical findings and the philosophical foundations discussed in the literature review. The proposed curriculum stresses the importance of partnership between schools and industry and resulted in the following outcomes: * knowledge of technology education; * applied and integrated teaching competence; * applied and integrated assessment; * recommendations for improving the school-industry relationships through partnerships programmes emphasising the design of technological projects. Finally, the following recommendations emanated: * improvement of technology teacher education and training programmes in higher education; * development of expertise in the teaching and learning of technology; * resurgence of research in the teaching and learning of the technological design process. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didatics)

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has taken over every aspect of our daily lives, from commerce to leisure and even culture. Today, mobile phones, desktop computers, hand-held devices, emails and the use of the internet have become a central part of our culture and society. ICT has made us a global society, where people can interact and communicate efficiently. In order for South Africa to be competitive in the global economy, it will need to develop a workforce with appropriate Information Technology skills. Of necessity, these skills will extend to using a computers and developing appropriate software and technical support skills (DOE, 2008). This thesis represents a critical analytical study in that it explores the online Sesotho Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It aims at analysing terminology development in this area. The study aims to determine how Sesotho and ICT correlate and how the linguistic aspect plays a role in online ICT terminology. The focus is not on creating new terms but to analyze the already existing ICT terms available, with regards to linguistic rules and principles and to critique if they are of quality. Furthermore, the thesis explores whether there are other strategies that can be used in the development of this terminology. It also seeks to determine if the terms are easily accessible to students and if they are used at all. Terms will be sourced from the Department of Arts and Culture ICT term list, and the focus will be on extracting only terms that have to do with computer literacy. Other online sources that list Sesotho equivalents will also be considered. The study also assesses the quality of the terms created by the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) together with the Department of Communications (DOC) for a multilingual ICT terminology list. Furthermore, the thesis explores whether the Sesotho equivalents adhere to the linguistic rules and principles of the language. The other question asked is whether the terms are used by the intended users and if they are easily accessible to the speakers of the language. This entire aspect of the thesis speaks to the notion of the intellectualization of African languages and in this case Sesotho in particular. Not only does the thesis engage with computer literacy terminology, it also presents a detailed literature review of studies and work that has been done in this field. The thesis engagement is also done by linking the backdrop of the history of Sesotho and the Basotho peoples.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Peninsula Technikon, 2005 / "This study was initiated to determine whether cost estimation is a necessary skill for an Information Technology (IT) consultant. The historic poor record in the software industry for delivering software projects within budget has highlighted a need for IT students to receive adequate preparation for future experiences in the world of work especially if they were to become self-employed. The literature revealed that a variety of employability skills are required when preparing students for entrepreneurship. In IT there is a particular need for project management skills when the entrepreneur is responsible for all aspects of the software project. Cost estimation is a key function of project management.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Education))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2005 / With the introduction of Outcomes Based Education (OBE), Technology became a new learning area which is compulsory in the General Education and Training band. Technology Education was not offered as a teaching subject in teacher education institutions and as a consequence most teachers received little or no training in technology education. The approach to the teaching of Technology, with its demands, could pose challenges or problems to teachers who did not receive adequate training in Technology Education. The purpose of this research is to investigate the manner in which technology teachers plan, teach and assess the technological process and the way the learners experience the teaching and assessment of the technological process. The main objective of the study is to enhance classroom practice by highlighting the challenges that face teachers and learners and by offering guidelines for teaching and assessing the technological process

Thesis (MTech (Further Education and Training))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012. / 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.