Enhancing teachers’ digital skills in teaching of economics in south african secondary schools

Abstract

The ICT integration in teaching and learning of economics survey indicates that it is only in seven countries that 40 % to 50 % of learners in grades four to twelve were taught by digitally skilful teachers who had minimum access to ICT, with very minimal difficulties to use ICT tools in schools, (EU-LLP, 2020). This contributes largely to learners’ lower academic performance and hinders the effective teaching of economics in South African schools and thus forfeits the objectives of ICT usage in teaching and learning. Little is known about how teachers’ ICT skill deficiency can be addressed. In closing this knowledge gap, we investigated how can teachers’ digital skills be enhanced and how the Economics CAPS document can be amended to guide teachers towards a successful ICT integration. Guided by an interpretive paradigm, this qualitative study employed a case study design. Four schools were purposively sampled, document reviews and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. We found professional learning communities, continuous professional development and the introduction of ICT champions as contrivances in enhancing teachers’ digital skills. CAPS was reported imperceptible on how teachers can resourcefully utilise ICTs, thus restructuring, such that direct video conferencing links, and Moodle be incorporated to support teachers becoming techno-savvy and self-motivated individuals who innovative facilitators of ICT mediated lessons were recommended. Furthermore, policymakers, department and government should outsource funding to ensure that equipment needed for ICT integration is available and consider ongoing training for economics teachers which has implications for addressing worldwide ICT learning challenges.