Abstract
The aim of this qualitative research project was to understand and improve digital citizenship continuing professional teacher development (CPTD) in rural Mpumalanga. The unique context of education in South Africa suggests that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach may not meet the specific needs of educators (or their learners) in rural areas. Guided by design-based research (DBR) methodology, a pilot digital citizenship CPTD initiative was undertaken with the help of fifty-six rural educators as research participants. The data were captured via voluntary participation in an online survey comprised mainly of open-ended questions. Data were analysed using Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Software (CAQDAS), specifically Atlas.tiTM version 9. A deductive coding approach was used to understand ‘what worked well’ in the first iteration of the CPTD initiative. A more inductive approach, by way of in vivo coding, revealed emerging design principles that might guide future iterations of initiatives of this kind. The overwhelming findings of the study were that all (without exception) survey respondents had never encountered the concept of digital citizenship before this CPTD initiative. Equally so, all respondents expressed that they found the initiative helpful, and a significant number indicated keen interest in learning more. Ultimately, four new design principles were suggested through the thematic analysis of educator feedback: (1) Accommodate greater peer sharing, participation and practical application; (2) Engage participants in the process of creation and presentation; (3) Share information widely, maximising the affordances of ICT; and (4) Enable knowledge transfer and learner benefit where possible. With digital citizenship CPTD is in its infancy in rural Mpumalanga, this field of study offers a multitude of possibilities for further study.