Abstract
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has had a great impact on the education sector, as it has provided the education sector with a variety of digital resources, such as YouTube, online teaching platforms, and eBooks, that have proven to become more effective and innovative for transmitting the relevant skills and knowledge needed for this era. Due to this, there has been a great need to understand how the different stakeholders, particularly the teachers can understand how they can adapt and integrate these constantly introduced digital tools into their teaching methodologies and strategies. This study aimed to get the different perceptions of FET teachers on their digital literacy and the impact it had on integrating technology in the classroom. The question, “How do Grade 11 teachers in the Gauteng West District perceive their digital skills related to their integration of technology in the classroom environment?” guided this research study. Those opinions and views were collected using semi-structured interviews.
The ICT Competency Framework for Teachers was used to achieve the goal of this research study. The ICT-CFT assisted with the aspects that could assist in ensuring that teachers are digitally competent in a digitally advanced society. The selected framework was chosen because of its relevance in how it provides a detailed outline of how relevant skills and knowledge can be obtained.
The research study used a qualitative research approach to discover how the teachers view their digital competency, which then had an impact on how they use digital resources in the learning environments. The participants of the study were sampled from two public high schools that fall under the Gauteng West District. The study sampled six FET teachers who had varying educational backgrounds, work experience, and experience in using technology.
The findings of the research study have indicated that teachers associate digital competency with possessing basic computer skills such as switching a computer on and off, typing using Word, searching the internet, and using PowerPoint presentations for lesson delivery. It was apparent that the participants lacked comprehension of what digital competency entailed, and those that were aware had various factors such as lack of access to digital resources, which include the devices and infrastructure, and quality of professional development programs. Therefore, the study concluded that
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there is still a need for teachers to be equipped with relevant digital skills and knowledge that will enable them to adapt to the constantly evolving technological era. By so doing, they can be in the forefront of integrating technology and flexible to learning about new technologies that are yet to be introduced. The findings were followed by recommendations that could enhance teachers’ digital competency. The recommendations include offering quality and structured programs that will provide in-depth training to teachers with the relevant skills and knowledge that they can use in the learning environments.
Key words: digital literacy, digital competence,4IR, technology, teaching,