Exploring Blended Learning for Science Teacher Professional Development in an African Context

Authors

  • Bopelo Boitshwarelo University of Botswana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i4.687

Keywords:

ICTs, Pedagogy, Professional Development, Teacher Training

Abstract

This paper explores a case of teacher professional development in Botswana where a blended learning solution was attempted. The analysis of the implementation environment reveals deficiencies in policy, schools (workplaces), and training providers. The paper concludes with three recommendations: 1) Schools should support ongoing teacher learning in the workplace and should manage ICT resources for use by both teachers and students; 2) Government should support participatory and localised learning and institutionalise ICT access and use; and 3) Training providers should use blended methods and should model good ICT practices. The author also notes that change is needed in the culture of teaching and learning so that ongoing, situated, participatory, and collaborative approaches are accepted. Finally, collaboration between the training providers and the schools is necessary as is a change in beliefs about the use of ICTs in education.

Author Biography

Bopelo Boitshwarelo, University of Botswana

Bopelo Boitshwarelo holds a PhD in Education (specialising in Instructional Technology and Flexible Learning) from Deakin University, Australia. He currently works for the Department of Distance Education, Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Botswana where he coordinates the development and delivery of distance education programs. He is primarily involved with the development of an Online Master in Project Management, which the university hopes to use as a pilot project to inform online delivery of programs. He is also involved in the training of academic staff in the area of Instructional design for eLearning. His research interests are in the area of online communities of practice, blended learning, course design and development, quality assurance issues in online learning and the use of activity theory in learning settings. He has also explored issues of International collaboration in the use of ICT-supported ODL, particularly in the African context.

Downloads

Published

2009-09-23

How to Cite

Boitshwarelo, B. (2009). Exploring Blended Learning for Science Teacher Professional Development in an African Context. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i4.687

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 4 (2009): Regional Focus Issue - Open and Distance Learning in Africa

Section

Research Articles

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. The copyright of all content published in IRRODL is retained by the authors.

This copyright agreement and use license ensures, among other things, that an article will be as widely distributed as possible and that the article can be included in any scientific and/or scholarly archive.

You are free to

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms below:

  • No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.