Abstract
The pedagogy employed is equally as crucial as the technology itself. This study looked at how competent lecturers thought they were at incorporating technology into their pedagogical practices. Its theoretical footing was the Technology, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. Some components of the difficulty addressed locally were similar to previous research, which revealed existing problems with integrating online learning in Southern African Development Community (SADC) Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). A lack of training to improve the pedagogic practice of using Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as Moodle and other Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) was one among several.
This was a case study conducted at a dual-mode HEI in Eswatini. Using the full population of 365 lecturers on the research site, the purpose of this study was to conduct quantitative survey research. Seven constructs were provided by TPACK as the lens. This helped confirm the lecturers’ frequency, competence, satisfaction, acceptance, and challenges as they integrated technology into their teaching. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data from a web-based survey.
Lecturers' self-perceptions of their technology integration competency skills correspond with six of the seven TPACK knowledge domains. The results showed that lecturers were typically competent in their use of Moodle; their frequency of use was above average, as was their satisfaction rate. The high proportion of adoption of Moodle as a teaching tool among respondents was encouraging. The main issue was poor connectivity, which negatively impacted technology integration and pedagogy. It is recommended that proper mechanisms be put in place to enhance appropriate continuous professional development related to online teaching methods for lecturers.
KEYWORDS: Blended learning programmes, competence, ICT Integration, Learning Management systems, lecturers, self-perception, teaching, TPACK.