Mobile Smartphones as Tools for ICT Integration in Geography Teaching
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background
2.1. MSPs Herald a Paradigm Shift in the Educational Space
2.2. MSPs as an Alternative to Geography Textbooks
2.3. Theoretical Framework
- Sound knowledge of the subject;
- Customization of teaching pedagogies to meet learner needs;
- I am mastering highly developed ICT skills while conversing with the seven roles of a teacher, which include the teacher being a life-long learner, subject specialist, assessor, researcher, interpreter, leader, and communicator.
- Be prepared to explore and experiment with ICTs, to enhance their teaching;
- Use digital tools to reflect on the challenges and successes of each lesson;
- Know when to use ICTs to enhance learning;
- Willingly form part of professional learning communities (PLCs);
- Use relevant ICTs to produce documents and present lessons;
- Integrate ICTs in various learning environments;
- Develop learners’ skills so that they may be benchmarked at the local and global levels;
- Use technology to facilitate learning that would otherwise have been impossible;
- Use ICTs to assess, monitor and give feedback to learners;
- Inculcate a culture of using ICTs ethically;
- Ensure the buy-in of the province, district, and school by implementing their ICT integration strategies;
- Be a team player who plans for and implements digital learning in the school;
- Be the digital learning champion at the school, earning peer support [18].
- (1)
- How can MSPs be used to learn and teach geography in South African schools?
- (2)
- What are the reasons for a paradigm shift towards adopting MSPs as critical tools for geography learning and teaching?
3. Materials and Methods
3.1. Research Approach
3.2. Research Design
3.3. Data-Collection Instruments
3.3.1. Interviews
3.3.2. Formal Observation
3.3.3. Document Review
3.4. Ethical Compliance
4. Results
5. Discussion of Findings
- o
- MSPs, as a teaching tool, contribute to teamwork;
- o
- MSPs improve learner interest in geography;
- o
- MSPs promote virtual learning in geography.
5.1. MSPs, as a Teaching Tool, Contribute to Teamwork
[ICT integration in the teaching of geography] during the hard lockdown assisted me in many ways, such as not being asked by my teachers to submit group activities. Such activities are problematic in the sense that we work as a team. We are forced to wait for other learners to contribute to data collection, analysis of the data presented, and compilation of the whole project for submission. […] I managed to use my smartphone to research using […] online platforms such as Google and the Wi-Fi router from my mother. These gadgets enabled me to do a lot of work quickly.]
5.2. MSPs Improve Learner Interest in Geography
[During the hard lockdown, I spent three months away from school, but with the introduction of WhatsApp learning in geography teaching, I managed to cover all the work that our teachers wanted us to do for the year. Without it [ICT integration in learning geography], our 2020 academic year would be wasted. Our teachers managed to send us activities to our smartphones, which we managed to submit within a specified time. They even ensured that we accessed the remedial work for our submitted activities. Our teachers used WhatsApp and emails to assist us with geography lessons.]
5.3. MSPs Promote Virtual Reality in Geography
[Online geography learning turned out to be the missing link as a supporting tool for my studies. I used digital gadgets to access visual images of what my geography teachers taught me in class. [It] allowed me to be alone and do things individually before I could ask for help from my teacher. There are times when I manage [d] to [gain a] better understanding of concepts from my [mobile] since such concepts [showed] colour and dimensions that would have given my Geography teacher […] difficult times when asked to present the concept in question. Before the hard lockdown, I used to fail to submit tasks to my teachers and they [were] not […] in a position to reprimand me [for] doing that. Now that there are smartphones that can even send emails, my parents […] check [on] the progress of my studies by communicating directly with my subject teachers instead of asking me.]
[Online learning enabled me to create a safe space to study without the fear of being mocked by my classmates each time I […] answered Geography questions my teacher posed incorrectly. This kind of behaviour ended [up] affecting me negatively, to such an extent that I did not ask my teacher any clarity-seeking questions in class. With the arrival of the hard lockdown, I had no alternative but to learn a new skill of asking teachers questions [from] the comfort of my home. In short, through ICT, I managed to use my home as an alternative space for learning how to use Google Maps to find directions and develop [ed] a culture of self-discipline, such that I continue learning even in the absence of my teachers.]
[I feel that the Department of Basic Education must pass a policy to make ICTs […] compulsory in all schools. This will lighten […] the load on our shoulders, meaning that the government will automatically finance its implementation. This is because not all learners are privileged enough to own digital gadgets, let alone to maintain them. The hard lockdown has put a lot of pressure on us, as parents, because we were forced to try to purchase such gadgets, even if it meant we go to bed on [an] empty stomach. Other geography teachers prefer to get their submissions done via email, and that makes my life difficult, as there is no laptop or […] smartphone at home, let alone the money for buying […] data bundles. This makes me feel I am not part of the ‘new normal’ [post-COVID]. Such challenges make us […] feel as if we are just spectators instead of adding value to the education of our children.]
[I find it challenging to ensure that learners strictly follow […] ICT integration during my lessons. Our ICT policy at school indicates [s] that learners will only use their mobile gadgets under the supervision of teachers and that learner gadgets should be in […] plane mode. Surprisingly, I get disturbed by learners’ mobile phones that ring in class during lessons. This leads to unnecessary disciplinary measures [being] taken against such a child. From there, the time that should have been used for teaching is spent dealing with […] disciplinary issues that add no value to the school’s curriculum.]
6. Projections of This Study
7. Limitations of This Study
8. Conclusions
9. Recommendations
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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ICT Application | Number of Users | Percentage | Benefits of Using the Application |
---|---|---|---|
YouTube Videos | 08 learners | 80% | Watching videos to simplify abstract concepts |
11 teachers | 85% | Downloading videos for lesson presentation | |
06 parents | 75% | Watching videos to assist children with homework | |
WhatsApp Portal | 10 learners | 100% | Communicate with teachers |
13 teachers | 100% | Upload activities and support material to learners | |
08 parents | 100% | Receive and submit activities to teachers | |
Digital Cameras | 10 learners | 100% | Capture high-resolution images for our projects |
13 teachers | 100% | Capture images to facilitate content taught to learners | |
06 parents | 75% | Able to zoom into images of activities sent via online platforms | |
Google Earth | 09 learners | 90% | Able to view three-dimensional images |
11 teachers | 85% | Able to capacitate learners on how to measure distances on digital maps | |
06 parents | 75% | Able to view different locations and features needed for school activities | |
Writer Plus | 10 learners | 100% | Use Writer Plus to write the notes |
12 teachers | 92% | Able to write critical items that are needed for lesson presentations | |
00 parents | 0% | Education is needed in this aspect | |
Sketch It | 07 learners | 70% | It enables me to draw simple sketches on my device |
08 teachers | 62% | Assist in sketching customized diagrams | |
02 parents | 25% | Helps to draw rough sketches of images downloaded from online platforms | |
GPS/Navigator | 10 learners | 100% | Helps to locate places in real time |
13 teachers | 100% | Assist in finding places | |
08 parents | 100% | Handy in ensuring that parents are well-positioned to assist children with homework |
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Share and Cite
Gubevu, B.W.S.; Mncube, V.S. Mobile Smartphones as Tools for ICT Integration in Geography Teaching. Educ. Sci. 2024, 14, 930. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090930
Gubevu BWS, Mncube VS. Mobile Smartphones as Tools for ICT Integration in Geography Teaching. Education Sciences. 2024; 14(9):930. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090930
Chicago/Turabian StyleGubevu, Bongumusa Welcome Selby, and Vusumzi Sthembiso Mncube. 2024. "Mobile Smartphones as Tools for ICT Integration in Geography Teaching" Education Sciences 14, no. 9: 930. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14090930