Engaging the 4th Industrial Revolution: Learning to use ICTs for science teaching in Southern Africa
Abstract: The ability to use modern technologies, and particularly the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into subject teaching, has become one of the fundamental graduate attributes for many teacher education (TE) programmes as they prepare future teachers for the 4th industrial revolution (4IR). Research suggests, however, that to date, many graduates from TE programmes continue to struggle with integrating ICTs into their teaching. This is particularly so in developing countries. How the opportunities to learn (OTLs) in different TE programmes are structured for success remains an open question. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse data from 524 final-year preservice teachers in nine different TE programmes across three Southern African countries. Analysis of the participants’ responses to the TPACK survey shows an uneven distribution of OTLs to use ICTs for science teaching within and across programmes and countries. This may account for the differential levels of competence among new graduate teachers.