COVID-19, education and access to digital technologies: A case study of a secondary school in Gauteng

Abstract

The first South African case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in March 2020 escalated to the national lockdown by the end of March 2020. This caused serious repercussions for learners, as there is a lack of infrastructure in South Africa to support online teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of digital technologies during COVID-19 by teachers. A case study was used and data were collected using a desktop literature review and a semi-structured, open-ended, qualitative questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to teachers at a secondary school in the Gauteng province, South Africa (SA) and Atlas.ti was used for data analysis. We conclude that online learning was affected by socio-economic problems, the high cost of data and the lack of devices and parental supervision. The recommendations include ways in which government could prepare for future crises that could arise, as well as promoting ongoing attention to digital technology use in teaching and learning to address the digital divide in South Africa. With this study we add to the body of knowledge regarding COVID-19 and the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning, which will assist the government and teachers in understanding the problems and solutions for the use of digital technology in teaching and learning.