Perspectives of GIS Education in High Schools: An Evaluation of uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Walter Musakwa,Felicity Aphiwe Mkhongi

doi:10.3390/educsci10050131

Walter Musakwa, Felicity Aphiwe Mkhongi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10050131

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Journal: Education Sciences	Publication Date: May 7, 2020
Citations: 9	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Johannesburg

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) education in South Africa and elsewhere has been envisioned to be a strategy that can contribute to new ways of teaching, learning and understanding. However, very few studies have assessed how GIS is taught in South African high schools. Consequently, this study aims to analyze GIS education dynamics and perspectives in uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. A survey with both open and close-ended questions was conducted with geography educators and geography students. Questions focused on GIS content, how the content is taught, challenges in GIS education, educators’ GIS proficiency and GIS education perspectives. The sample was guided by purposive sampling that intentionally selected schools with the desired qualities. From the results, it was evident that GIS is progressively taught in secondary schools. However, the full potential of GIS education has been restricted by challenges such as inadequate resources and limited exposure of students to GIS’s practical uses. Subsequently, the study recommends that GIS education in South African schools should be accompanied by appropriate hardware, software and opportunities for exposing students and educators to practical methods of teaching and learning GIS. Furthermore, educators should also be trained to be able to adequately equip students with GIS skills and knowledge.

Highlights

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has been globally recognized as a multifaceted technology with a powerful visual dimension that carries great potential for enhancing and creating highly informed spatial decisions [1]
A delimited case study approach where we focused on geography students and geography educators in schools within uMgungundlovu District, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa was applied [47]
27% in of the schools had computer labs whileschools the other reveal that out of African public schools, only remain in dire need. This digital divide is deeply rooted in the high number of South African schools have computer equipment thatfrom supports computer computers, advanced without computer equipment

Summary

Introduction

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has been globally recognized as a multifaceted technology with a powerful visual dimension that carries great potential for enhancing and creating highly informed spatial decisions [1]. Management (UN-GGIM) called for the integration of GIS into education. GIS is as a computer system for capturing, storing, analyzing, managing and presenting data and associated attributes which are spatially referenced to Earth [6,7,8]. GIS integrates hardware, software, data, methods and people to enable preparation, interpretation and presentation of spatial data [6]. Through the application of geospatial tools, a prospective visual dimension of data is enabled by maps that facilitate discourse and communication between different stakeholders [5]

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