Abstract
21st Century mapping solutions have changed from manual cartography to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) mapping applications, however in Further Education and Training (FET) Geography, map work pedagogies have remained paper-based (Fleischmann, Van der Westhuizen, & Cilliers, 2015). This study focuses on how Geography educators perceive the use of ICTs in teaching map work. The Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework is an ideal heuristic to theorise this research. The study presents findings based on a qualitative case study design, focusing on a “bounded system, under natural conditions, so that the system could be understood in its own environment” (Stake, 1995, p.2). The results of this study suggest that although educators embraced ICT and used ICT to enhance their teaching, each educator displayed some degree of anguish. Paper-based maps develop skills otherwise not realised through ICT such as: spatial perceptions, visual and graphic skills. Results further displayed obstacles, such as lack of resources and educator ICT training, which “outweigh teacher optimism and cause many to revert to textbook (GIS) teaching” (Mzuza, Van Der Westhuizen, 2019). The findings of this study suggest that a “blended approach” of combining paper-based maps and ICT can be effective. School management, districts, and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) can provide the necessary training and support for educators to foster positive ICT perception in map work teaching.
M.Ed. (Information and Communication Technology in Education)