Abstract
Information and Communication Technology coordinators’ role in supporting delivery of the trimmed CAPS curriculum in Gauteng Secondary Schools
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become the most basic building block of modern society in a very short time. Mastering Information Technology (IT) and understanding basic Information and Communication Technology skills and concepts are now highly regarded in many countries. However, schools in South Africa, especially those that are disadvantaged in terms of appropriate infrastructure, face numerous constraints. Secondary schools in South Africa that do not use Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning have led to South Africa’s dismal status in the educational sector, resulting in the South African education system being ranked 75th out of 76 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)OECD in 2015.
However, recently the advancement of Information and Communication Technology in high schools have challenged the processes of teaching and learning and contributed to improving the management of education to ensure flexibility and simplicity. Information and Communication Technology is fast becoming viewed as a holistic contributor to high quality education to create a knowledge-driven, technologically skilled 21st century society. Nevertheless, teachers’ Information and Communication Technology skills are not being developed meaningfully during training and the role of Information and Communication Technology coordinators in effectively delivering the trimmed Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) CAPS curriculum is unclear. This led to this research paper exploring Information and Communication Technology coordinators’ role in supporting the delivery of the trimmed CAPS curriculum in Gauteng secondary schools.
The study presents findings based on a qualitative coding approach that used specific information extracted from the responses of the Information and Communication Technology coordinators to present findings on how they view their role of supporting the delivery of the trimmed CAPS curriculum in Gauteng secondary schools. It also makes recommendations for Information and Communication Technology coordinators to further contribute to and support the delivery of the trimmed CAPS curriculum more effectively. Should the recommendations be actualised, it will result
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in Information and Communication Technology coordinators more effectively supporting curriculum delivery that is in line with 21st century teaching and learning.