Science and Technology Education

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7144

Browse

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

E-Learning journeys using Moodle at a private higher education institution in South Africa = Ukusebenzisa i-Moodle ekufundeni nge-elekthronikhi ohambweni lokufunda esikhungweni esizimele semfundo ephakeme.
(2023) Jabar, Raessa.; Govender, Desmond Wesley.
E-learning tools and Learning Management Systems (LMSs), such as Moodie, have been in existence for decades. However, there has been an accelerated use of such platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries all over the world underwent hard lockdowns that limited face-to-face contact in everyday aspects of our lives. Higher Education Providers responded to ensure that education was accessible via online platforms to allow students to continue their studies during the pandemic. Thus, LMSs were not merely used for uploading or downloading content, but for completing online courses, including assignments, examinations and lectures. Using an LMS became the only means of survival for many educational intuitions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores these aspects from a student and lecturer perspective during COVID-19, using constructs from the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and Unified Theory of Use and Acceptance of Technology (UTAUT-3) theory. The aim of the study was: To understand the experiences of lecturers and students using Moodie for e-learning in a learning journey at a Private Distance Higher Education Institution in a COVID-19 environment. This study is based on the pragmatist paradigm, this methodology was deemed appropriate for this study as the study uses a mixed methodology for collecting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data. This study captures the experiences of lecturers and students using interviews as well as questionnaires. This study was conducted at a Private Distance Higher Education Institution and the sample population were students and lecturers who are part of the MBA programme. The final result of the research revealed that despite initial adaptation challenges in Moodie, lecturers performed as expected and were able to complete their job function during COVID-19 as the platform was accessible and user-friendly. The research further revealed, despite classes moving online, most of the lecturers did not change their teaching methods and that engagement during online sessions was limited. Regarding students, the results revealed that despite having initial adaptation challenges students found the system to be user friendly, pleasurable and beneficial. Students were already equipped for e-learning as they were already using Moodie prior to the pandemic, the research further revealed that students incurred a cost saving as they did not need to travel to lecture venues, the library or examination venues whilst using Moodie as a tool for e-learning. Some of the recommendations arising from the findings of the study for both students and lecturers included upgrading internet packages and making preparation for loadshedding to ensure that studies are not interrupted. Recommendations for the institution included improved communication with both students and lecturers regarding training and support available to maximise the benefits of online engagement and online teaching methodologies. Iqoqa. Amathuluzi okufunda nge-elekthronikhi nama-LMS, njenge-Moodle, sekungamashumi eminyaka ekhona. Kodwa-ke, kube khona ukusetshenziswa okusheshayo kwezinkundla ezinjalo ngenxa yobhubhane lwe-COVID-19. Amazwe kuwo wonke umhlaba abhekane nokuvalwa okuqinile okuvimbela ukuthintana ubuso nobuso ezingxenyeni zansuku zonke zokuphila kwethu. Abahlinzeki bezemfundo ephakeme baphendule ukuze baqinisekise ukuthi imfundo ifinyeleleka ngezinkundla eziku-inthanethi ukuze kuvunyelwe abafundi ukuthi baqhubeke nezifundo zabo ngalesi sikhathi sodlame. Ngakho-ke, ama-LMS ayengasetshenziselwa nje ukulayisha noma ukulanda okuqukethwe, kodwa ukuqedela izifundo eziku-inthanethi, okuhlanganisa imisebenzi eyabelwe, izivivinyo kanye nezifundo. Ukusebenzisa i-LMS kwaba ukuphela kwendlela yokusinda emibonweni eminingi yezemfundo ngesikhathi sodlame lwe-COVID-19. Lolu cwaningo luhlola lezi zingxenye ngokombono womfundi nomfundisi ngesikhathi se-COVID-19, kusetshenziswa okwakhiwa okuvela ohlakeni lwe-TPACK kanye nethiyori ye-UTAUT3. Inhloso yocwaningo bekuwukuthi: Ukuqonda okuhlangenwe nakho kwabafundisi nabafundi abasebenzisa i-Moodle yokufunda nge-elekthronikhi ohambweni lokufunda esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme esizimele ngesikhathi se-COVID-19. Lolu cwaningo lususelwe ku-pragmatist paradigm. Le ndlela yokusebenza ibonwe ifanele lolu cwaningo njengoba ucwaningo lusebenzisa indlela exubile yokuqoqa nokuhlaziya idatha yekhwalithethivu neyobuningi. Lolu cwaningo luzama ukuthwebula okuhlangenwe nakho kothisha nabafundi kusetshenziswa inhlolokhono kanye nohlu lwemibuzo. Lolu cwaningo lwenziwe esikhungweni semfundo ephakeme esizimele futhi isampula labantu bekungabafundi nabafundisi abayingxenye yohlelo lwe-MBA. Umphumela wokugcina wocwaningo uveze ukuthi naphezu kwezinselelo zokuqala zokuzijwayeza ku-Moodle, abafundisi baqhube njengoba bekulindelekile futhi bakwazi ukuqedela umsebenzi wabo ngesikhathi se-COVID-19 njengoba inkundla yayifinyeleleka futhi isebenziseka kalula. Ucwaningo luphinde lwembula, naphezu kwamakilasi ahamba ku-inthanethi, abafundisi abaningi abazange bashintshe izindlela zabo zokufundisa nokuthi ukusebenzelana phakathi nezikhathi ze-inthanethi kwakunomkhawulo. Mayelana nabafundi, imiphumela iveze ukuthi naphezu kokuba nezinselelo zokuqala zokuzijwayeza abafundi bathole uhlelo lusebenziseka kalula, lujabulisa futhi luzuzisa. Abafundi bebevele behlonyiselwe ukufunda nge-e-learning njengoba bebevele besebenzisa i-Moodle ngaphambi kwalolu bhubhane, ucwaningo luphinde lwaveza ukuthi abafundi bathola ukonga izindleko njengoba bebengadingi ukuya ezindaweni zokufundela, emtatsheni wezincwadi noma ezindaweni zokuhlolwa ngesikhathi besebenzisa i-Moodle njengesikole ithuluzi le-e-learning. Ezinye zezincomo ezivela kulokho okutholwe yilolu cwaningo kubafundi kanye nabafundisi zihlanganisa ukuthuthukiswa kwamaphakheji e-inthanethi kanye nokwenza amalungiselelo okukhipha ukunqanyulwa kukagesi (loadshedding) ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izifundo aziphazamiseki. Izincomo zesikhungo zibandakanya ukuxhumana okuthuthukisiwe kwakho kokubili abafundi nabafundisi mayelana nokuqeqeshwa nokusekelwa okutholakalayo ukuze kwandiswe izinzuzo zokuxoxisana nge-inthanethi nezindlela zokufundisa ku-inthanethi.
Swaziland pre-service teachers’ understanding and enactment of inquiry-based-science teaching: a case of a university in Swaziland.
(2019) Nhlengethwa, Khanyisile Brenda.; Govender, Nadaraj.; Sibanda, Doras.
The current study adopted a case study design to understand the knowledge and skills related to inquiry-based science teaching (IBST) held by pre-service teachers at the conclusion of their three years training in science courses in an educational institution in Swaziland. Placed in the pragmatism paradigm, the study used a multi-methods approach. The purposively selected study sample consisted of 34 pre-service teachers at the end of their 3-year teacher preparation programme. In the first phase of the study, the researcher assessed the 34 preservice teachers’ understanding of IBST using a teaching scenario based questionnaire in combination with individual interviews with eight of the participants. Six participants from the sample of eight also volunteered for the second phase of the study, where their lesson plans, classroom observation recordings, and lesson interviews were used to gather evidence pertaining to their enactment of IBST during teaching practice. Data were analysed using a conceptual framework of IBST that outlines two dimensions: the cognitive and guidance dimensions. Findings from the first phase indicated that at the completion of the training programme preservice teachers held inadequate but varying conceptions of IBST. They either regarded IBST as engagement of learners in constructing knowledge about phenomena themselves based on evidence; or associated the pedagogy with different forms of learner engagement during the teaching process. Participants only identified prominent characteristics of the cognitive dimension of IBST, particularly those of the procedural domain. Concerning the guidance dimension, they connected IBST more with teacher directed activities. In their enactment of IBST, the six participants focused more on the conceptual domain while the epistemic domain was least represented. Concerning the guidance dimension of IBST, they mainly guided learners in formulating evidence-based conclusions. In the main, their enactment of IBST was shaped by their comprehension of the cognitive dimension of inquiry and their pedagogical content knowledge for facilitating inquiry-based learning. Extensive recommendations for teacher education and educational leadership are given. The effectiveness of the conceptual framework for identifying the pre-service teachers’ conceptions is discussed. Iqoqa. Lolu cwaningo lwasebenzisa indlela yocwaningonto oluyikhwalithethivu ukubheka ukuthi othisha abasaqeqeshwa bayiqondisisa bayisebenzise kanjani i-Inquiry-Based Science Teaching (IBST) ekupheleni kokuqeqeshwa kwabo kweminyaka emithathu esikhungweni sokufunda Eswatini. Ababambiqhaza abakhethwa ngokwenhloso kwaba wothisha abangama-34. Uhlelo lokufunda lwaluqukethe isayensi ngqo kanye nezindlela zokuyifundisa. Engxenyeni yokuqala yocwaningo, umcwaningi wahlola ukuqondisisa i-IBST kothisha esebenzisa uhlumibuzo oluncike ezibonelweni zokufundisa kanye nenhlwayalwazi yomuntu ngamunye kubabambiqhaza abayisishiyagalombili. Ababambiqhaza abayisithupha kulabo abayisishiyagalombili bavolontiya ukuba yingxenye yocwaningo lwehlandla lesibili lapho kwabhekwa khona izinhlelo zezifundo zabo, ukufundisa okuqoshwe bukhoma, kanye nenhlwayalwazi okwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa imininingo ngokusetshenziswa kwe-IBST ekufundiseni kwabo. Imininingo yahlaziywa kusetshenziswa uhlakamicabango lwe-IBST eyavezwa uFurtak, uSeidel, u-Iverson kanye noBriggs (2012) okuchaza izinto ezimbili: okwengqondo kanye nokokuqondiswa. Imiphumela yehlandla lokuqala yakhombisa ukuthi ekupheleni kokuqeqeshwa othisha babenolwazi olunganele futhi olwahlukahlukene nge-IBST. Babuka i-IBST njengokubandakanya abafundi ekubunjweni kolwazi ngezinto ezigxile kubufakazi; noma bayamanisa ezokufundiswa kwabantwana nezindlela ezahlukene zokubandakanya abafundi ngezikhathi kufundiswa. Ababambiqhaza bathola izici ezigqamile kuphela kwezengqondo ngokwe-IBST, ikakhulukazi engxenyeni yenqubo. Kokuyamene nokuqondiswa, bayamanisa i-IBST kakhulu nemisebenzi ebhekiswe kothisha. Ekusebenziseni kwabo i-IBST, ababambiqhaza abayisithupha bagxila kakhulu kulokho okuhambisana nomqondo kanti okolwazi akubhekwanga kakhulu. Ngokwengxenye yokuqondiswa ngokwe-IBST, baqondisa abafundi ekwakheni isiphetho esincike kokunobufakazi. Yize ukuqondisiswa kwe-IBST kwababambiqhaza kwakunesandla ekusebenziseni kwabo i-IBST, inhlwayalwazi ngesifundo yakhombisa ukuthi indlela abamukele ngayo ukufundisa kwabo ezesayensi nezinkolelo ngabafundi kwaba nomthelela ekuhleleleni kwabo i-IBST. Ikakhulukazi, ukuqondisisa kwabo okuyamene nengqondo, ulwazi lwabo lwesifundo ekusizeni ngokufunda okuncike ekucwaningeni kwalekelela ekwethuleni kwabo izifundo ababezihlelile. Iziphakamiso ezinqala ekuqeqeshweni kothisha kanye nobuholi kwezemfundo zinikeziwe. Ukuphumelela kohlaka lwemicabango lokuhlonza ukuqonda kothisha abasaqeqeshwa ludingidiwe.
The effectiveness of kitchen chemistry in developing science process skills in high school physical sciences.
(2022) Mkhaliphi, Zimele Nonkanyiso.; Chirikure, Tamirirofa.
The purpose of the study was to explore the effectiveness of kitchen chemistry (KC) in developing science process skills (SPS) in high school Physical Sciences. KC refers to using the available tools, materials and household chemicals in performing practical work at home, that is, in the kitchen to provide familiar environments in which learners can participate in practical work without being bound to curriculum time. This study was stimulated by the persisting decline in performance in Physical Sciences in examinations requiring SPS competency. To answer the research questions, a mixed methods research was conducted. Thirty Physical Sciences Grade 12 learners of a rural secondary school in UMkhanyakude District were purposively sampled. Data were generated through pre-tests, post-tests, semi-structured questionnaires and analysis of the documents. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS. Qualitative data were analysed to isolate and understand salient themes comprehensively. KC was understood as a strategy where kitchen tools and materials are used in learning. It emerged that there was a significant statistical difference in performance after engaging in KC. The learners reported the KC activities as fun and meaningful ways in which learning and understanding of science concepts could occur. Besides, KC activities were effective in stimulating the development of SPS and encouraging knowledge construction. Therefore, it is recommended that Physical Sciences teachers integrate suitable KC activities into their science lessons teaching and planning. The researcher recommends that curriculum developers include the use of KC as one of the suggested alternatives to schools where laboratory resources are limited.

Browse

Browsing Science and Technology Education by SDG "SDG4"