Educator Perceptions and Use of Technology in South African Schools

ABSTRACT

South African schools experience diverse access to educational technology. Further, South African educators have limited opportunities to attend educator professional development workshops focused on technology integration. These differences can have a tremendous impact on students’ educational experiences and educators’ levels of self-efficacy toward implementing technology in their school settings. To provide further support and training opportunities to educators in South African township schools, administrators are able to partner with nongovernmental organizations and institutions of higher education. This article provides an overview of South African educational contexts and how partnerships can be formed to provide educator support to integrate educational technology in township schools.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kelly M. Torres

Kelly M. Torres is Department Chair of the Educational Psychology and Technology program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She has taught numerous university-level courses in content areas such as educational psychology, foundations of education, assessment, curriculum development, linguistics, and culture. Her research interests are focused on the implementation of technology into educational settings to enhance student academic outcomes and on various aspects of the motivational influences that may impact second-language learning and culture.

Lord Giddie

Lord Giddie is Senior Learning Experience Designer at TCS Education System (TCS). He collaborates with academic leaders, subject matter experts, and instructors to find creative, innovative, and effective learning solutions to help design and deliver rich and engaging content for students across TCS affiliate colleges and universities. He is also an Associate (adjunct) Professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) where he has taught graduate-level programs utilizing face-to-face, blended, and online delivery modalities. Through TCS Global Engagement and TCSPP International Programs and Services, he has led international field experience and study abroad programs to several countries, including São Paulo, Brazil; Lima, Peru; Hong Kong; and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.