Using computer-aided design to enhance student teachers’ ICT capacity: a critical participatory action research project in a private higher education institution in KwaZulu-Natal.

Abstract

This thesis analyses findings from a critical participatory action-research study documenting the integration of computer-aided design into an intermediate-phase ICT course in a private higher-education institution in KwaZulu-Natal. The research question was: How might the use of computer-aided design in a teacher education programme enhance intermediate-phase student-teachers’ learning and their capacity to use ICT in developing teaching and learning support materials for their classrooms? The critical participatory action-research methodology involved intermediate-phase student teachers and a sample of lecturers to address the question. Data generation involved workshops, online assessments, interviews, and WhatsApp group discussions. Socio-technical systems theory formed the framework for analysis. The findings suggest that the use of computer-aided design increased the capacity of student teachers to use ICT in teaching technological subjects in their classrooms. For example, most student teachers created a clock example for teaching time while some produced extra resources to augment teaching of mathematics and natural sciences. The findings indicate differences in students’ preferred modes of learning and application of computer-aided design in their teaching practice. Student teachers valued the flexibility of online and offline course material in multimodal blended online ICT courses, submitting online portfolio examples for assessment. Furthermore, the project enabled student teachers to collaboratively reflect on best practice and strategies for integrating computer-aided design into their teaching. However, not all students applied their knowledge to their teaching practice. Some of the factors that student teachers identified as hampering their use of computer-aided design included limited time for supported practice in using available software on campus, inadequate campus provision for ICT, and lack of ICT infrastructure and mentorship in their teaching practice schools. The findings have implications for institutional policy and practice. This includes curriculum development which integrates computer-aided design in an extended ICT course across the primary education programme. Such a course must enhance the students’ learning; and enable effective integration and teaching of computer-aided design in teaching practice to improve technology education and visual literacy. Finally, the institution must find and support creative and sustainable strategies to address unequal access to technology and related resources for student teachers and teaching practice host schools.