Conference article

The extent of South Africa’s (SA) un- and under- qualified teachers amongst technology senior phase teachers has intensified and reinforced that action research (AR) be regarded as a tool for emancipation in the teaching of technology as is apparent from this study. The purpose of the paper is to report DEd inquiry findings from the action research activities that took place in selected schools of Limpopo Province. For technology education – a foreign concept to many teachers and a new learning area in the school curriculum both nationally and internationally – has found its way into the school environment successfully and effectively through engaging informants with the action research approach. In all the spiral activities of planning; observation; action and reflection during the AR cycle contact sessions with participants; the main goal was to address the following research question: How can an action research intervention be used to improve the teaching practice of senior phase technology teachers who are under qualified? The presenters argue that inadequate training of technology teachers impacts negatively on their teaching practice. The study did identify the gaps and an appropriate progressive intervention was embarked on.

The research was designed from both a critical theory perspective and a participatory paradigm. The following instruments were used as a means to gather data: observations; interviews; questionnaires; field notes; video recording of lesson plans and logs of meetings. The research findings reveal that most technology teachers were not trained or qualified to teach technology with confidence and every chance of success until an intervention in the form of action research was introduced which has successfully change their situation.

Technology education; technology teachers; action research; reconnaissance study; curriculum transformation/reform; emancipation/empowerment