Educators’ Teaching Strategies in eLearning Environments

Abstract

The benefits of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning is a subject of ongoing debate. In terms of the benefit of improved students’ performance, there has been a major focus on educators with regards to proficiency, acceptance, intentions and actual use of ICTs for teaching and learning. However, the effect of these educators’ teaching strategy on how they use ICTs for teaching and learning is less well studied. The purpose of this paper is to examine educators’ teaching strategies in order to identify those educators who agree with educational approaches which are compatible with the learning advantages associated with elearning. This will enable the proposal of a suitable teaching and learning strategy that will facilitate the improvement of students’ performance through e-learning. A survey of 65 educators in Camperdown schools in the Pinetown district of KwaZulu-Natal province was conducted. The survey was based on a literature review of teaching and learning theories. The results showed that constructivist and progressivist educators have a positive perception of e-learning. Such educators are therefore recommended to pilot elearning projects in schools.