Abstract
For decades, Geography as a discipline has adapted information communication technology applications such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to address its needs. GIS is a system of a computer used to capture, store, check and data located on the earth’s surface. Since 2006, GIS has formed part of the South African secondary school geography curriculum. However, there has been controversy ever since the Department of Basic Education introduced GIS in secondary schools. Scholars have identified both opportunities and challenges in introducing GIS. The challenge this paper responds to is related to pedagogy, as research reveals that many teachers were not provided with adequate training to teach GIS. As a result, they resort to teaching GIS concepts rather than engaging learners during lessons. Therefore, this paper probes how GIS can be taught in a way that adopts a learner-centred approach in a rural context. The methodology we used in this study was participatory action research and it focused on sequential planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. We conducted this qualitative study with a team of seventeen participants. The main finding of this study is that inquiry-based learning is a suitable approach for teaching GIS in a resource-constraint environment as it allows learners to be engaged during the lessons.
Presenters
Thabile ZondiProfessor, Geography Education, University of Kwa Zulu-Natal, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
GIS, ICT, Geography, Inquiry-based Learning, Secondary schooling, Rural education
