The effectiveness of smartboards in enhancing technology teachers’ creativity

Abstract

In the classroom, creativity is crucial because it forces learners to focus intently on the material being taught. Hence, the purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a smartboard in enhancing Grade 6 Technology teachers’ creativity at Nkomazi East Circuit in Mpumalanga Province. The theory of creativity was used as a lens in the study, and the 9E instructional model was used to guide and understand classroom activities. The qualitative research approach and the case study design were used to gather and analyse data. Data collection involved both non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews. Four schools with smartboards were purposively sampled. The participants of the study included four Technology teachers. All four teachers were interviewed and observed while teaching using the smartboards. This study used deductive content analysis to analyse data. The findings of the study revealed that smartboards are effective in enhancing teachers’ creativity, as they were able to make their lessons more interesting, exciting and effective, and developed learners’ creative thinking skills. The teachers could access the internet to search for online resources which include but are not limited to diagrams, pictures, online quizzes and YouTube videos to creatively present their lessons in the classroom. Different smartboard programmes such as the smart notebook, animation, PowerPoint presentations, as well as the show-and-hide features were also used to enhance creativity. With the help of the smartboard, teachers were also able to use a variety of teaching methods to correct learners' misconceptions and subsequently develop their creative thinking skills. The study recommends that smartboards be constantly used as a tool to enhance teachers’ creativity, which ultimately develops learners’ creative thinking skills. Future research may focus on investigating the extent to which smartboard features improve learners' creative thinking skills and understanding of various topics