Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the availability and potential utilisation of
educational technology in the teaching and learning of Geography in Grade 12 in
Mankweng Circuit, in the under resourced area of Limpopo Province. The researcher
used the constructivist theory with an emphasis upon constructivism as a theoretical
framework. A qualitative research approach and a case study design were adopted for
this study. Furthermore a purposive sampling strategy was used to sample seven
teachers and four principals. In this study all the Secondary Schools fall under Quintile
one-the Department of Basic Education’s classification category for no fee paying
schools. There are no private or independent high schools that are privately owned,
governed or funded in the Circuit. Government has made several attempts to improve the
results by providing policies, resources such as infra-structure like classrooms and books,
extended additional training of teachers and in some cases, schools took learners to
camps for further studies. However, despite these efforts, the problem of the declining of
results continues unabated.
Data was collected through three methods, namely interviews, observation and document
review. Data was analysed through the use of thematic content analysis method. The
study came up with three major findings on availability and the use of computers in Grade
12 Geography, namely: (a) inadequate supply of and access to computers in schools and
lack of security,(b) Lack of skill on the use of computers by teachers and (c) intermittent
power interruptions at these schools influence the performance of learners negatively.
These findings have major implications for the use of computers in the teaching of
Geography in schools. Firstly, there is an urgent need to supply schools with computers if
teachers and learners are to use them to enhance their teaching and learning of
Geography and other subjects. Secondly, there is a need to train teachers in the use of
computers in the teaching of subjects like Geography otherwise the demands of the
Fourth Industrial Revolution will overtake these schools and performance of learners will
not improve. Thirdly, principals should attend training workshops to learn about their
responsibility as ICT leaders at schools moreover there is a need to tighten security at
schools in order to safeguard computers and other valuable equipment that support
teaching and learning
