Abstract
This paper examines educators 'strategies to teach Robotic Skills in the demanding context of overcrowded classrooms in one township-based primary school in Gauteng, South Africa. Although Coding and Robotics are a part of the national curriculum, most schools are not equipped with the necessary physical and digital infrastructure and adequately trained educators to meet the curriculum requirements. Based on a qualitative ethnographic approach guided by the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and theories on pedagogical reasoning, the research analyses qualitative data from observations of educators teaching Robotic Skills in overcrowded classrooms and follows up with interviews. The research findings suggest discrepancies between curriculum objectives and goals articulated in the Coding and Robotics curriculum and educator realities of teaching the Robotics Skills topic in the curriculum, under overcrowded classroom conditions. Educators sometimes worked with large groups in the classroom and adopted educator-centred strategies such as whole-class instruction or tool-sharing rotations to narrow their focus. While observing hands-on interactions was uncommon, there were indications of student interest and educator creativity that showed some promise for Coding and Robotics education to still be feasible even in overcrowded classroom environments. While the study highlights the creativity of educators, it highlights the need for further research on teaching strategies of educators in challenging teaching environments to expand on the findings of this study. There is also a need from a national policy and strategy perspective to broaden Coding and Robotics educator professional development and training alongside the actualisation of available resources and responsive pedagogical support suited to the realities of primary schools.
The study calls for further comparative studies on a larger scale, across multiple districts within Gauteng and other South African provinces. Studies must be conducted on the pedagogical practices of overcrowded township schools versus those of urban and suburban schools with relatively better resources.