The use of information and communications technology (ICT) is gradually increasing in South African schools. In the Gauteng province, the Department of Education has prioritised the provisioning of electronic textbooks (ebooks) to public schools since 2014. However, to this day, there seem to be multiple barriers that hamper the adoption and use of digital technologies, and specifically ebooks. This study was premised on the technology acceptance model, and a mixed-method approach was used with an online questionnaire and a semi-structured interview protocol as the data collection instruments. For the qualitative data, thematic analysis was used to identify themes and patterns. For the quantitative data, descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, and inferential statistics, such as the two-proportions z-test and the chi-square test of independence, were utilised. Results indicated that although portable electronic devices that facilitate the reading of ebooks are readily available at public schools in Gauteng, the availability and use of ebooks are still very limited. The results also show that the participants found digital resources easy to use and easy to navigate and indicated that teachers would like to have more training to fully develop the necessary skills required to implement the ebooks effectively. Teachers do not seem to have adequate time to prepare teaching materials and learning activities using these ebooks. In this article, the barriers to the successful implementation of ebooks are explored, and the article culminates in putting forward some guidelines to create an enabling environment to support the successful adoption of ebooks in schools.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), a basic education department, is responsible for the management and administration of public educational institutions in the largest province in South Africa. The provision of learning and teaching support materials (LTSMs), including textbooks, is one of its core strategic obligations. GDE has introduced an information and communication technology (ICT) project through which schools are provided with LTSM in electronic format (e-LTSM). The first phase entailed the provision of smart-boards, laptops and tablets to grade 12 teachers and learners. This article addresses the research question on the envisaged advantages and disadvantages of electronic textbooks. A mixed method approach was utilised where 356 schools were selected to be given questionnaires and 35 schools would be interviewed. The theoretical framework applied was the technology acceptance model (TAM), with the focus on the perceived usefulness variable. The data analysis shows that the majority of schools regard the use of electronic textbooks as useful.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) is responsible for managing and administering public and registered private educational institutions within this South African province. The GDE has introduced a Paperless Classroom project where prioritised schools are provided with smartboards, laptops and tablets to teachers and learners in targeted grades. This study aims to add to the corpus of knowledge on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education by establishing whether schools in Gauteng are ready to adopt and implement electronic textbooks in their classrooms in terms of support and training. The focus of this study is on the training and support, as the GDE received an influx of requests from these teachers on receiving additional training and better support shortly after receiving the ICTs. The study followed a pragmatic approach using a parallel concurrent mixed-method design where quantitative and qualitative data were collected using an online questionnaire and an interview protocol. Purposively sampling was used to collect quantitative data and 55 responses were received, whereas both purposive and convenience sampling were used to collect qualitative data and 20 participants were interviewed. The study used the Technology Acceptance Model as a theoretical framework through which the study was conducted. The Perceived Usefulness construct focused on the usefulness of electronic textbooks, while the Perceived Ease of Use and the External Factors are constructs facilitating and enabling the use of electronic textbooks. Quantitative data analysis was done using SPSS. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Most respondents were not satisfied with the training they received. It was entry-level basic training and did not help schools use ICTs and address the technical glitches they experienced pedagogically. The quality of the devices was not up to standard. The e-textbooks had licensing issues, and only a limited number were available. Although technical support was provided, it was not adequate. Many systemic issues such as maintenance and replacement plans of the devices, safety, update, and the licensing of the electronic textbooks should still be addressed for successful implementation. The results of the study may offer some insights before the roll-out of electronic textbooks is done to the whole province. Furthermore, the study may also provide clues to the South African provinces that may envisage introducing ICT in education. Within the nine provinces in South Africa and in the education community worldwide, the information provided by this study can be of great significance for the envisaged training and the support needs of the schools on the use of ICTs in education.
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