Browsing by Author "Masiya, Nomthandazo"

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    The influence of digital devices used by teachers on Grade 12 academic performance in Gauteng public schools
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Masiya, Nomthandazo; Magotsi, Keratiloe
    Technology in education has become a norm in today’s teaching and learning environment. This has seen the Gauteng Department of Education allocating substantial budgets toward the e-Learning projects in the province. Since its implementation in 2015, limited research has been conducted to establish and link the extent of Information and Technology Communication (ICT) integration to academic performance. Grade 12 results are celebrated nationally and given that a greater part of the school funding is by the state, there is pressure from the public and media for policy-makers to demonstrate benefits and value for money. The research objective aimed to evaluate the extent of technology adoption, its impact on academic performance and further identify challenges in technology integration. This quantitative study evaluated the influence of digital devices used by teachers in Grade 12 academic performance in Gauteng public schools. The study is intended to influence a revision of policies and processes on the project to enable full effective roll out, while getting by in from stakeholders involved. 15 full ICT schools were purposefully selected and a sample of grade 12 teachers participated in the survey which was administered both manually and online. The results revealed that technology affects academic performance through the large extent of technology adoption in schools. Interestingly, challenges in integrating technology was not found to impact academic performance. In addition, historical data revealed that Grade 12 academic achievements prior and post technology were not consistent over the period. This suggests that other factors outside the scope of this study contribute to performance. Full integration of devices to allow online facilitation of lessons and assessments fell short which prevented teachers from using technology to its maximum. The Gauteng Department of Education should be prepared to modernise and integrate technology devices in order to align to new technological developments. In this regard, continuous upskilling of teachers will be critical as technology changes. There is a need for further research to explore the factors that have impact on academic achievements where technology exist.