A Nexus between students’ habitus and its implications for the pedagogic integration of ICTs in a university TVET context
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Abstract
The use of technology in the workplace has increased employers’ expectations of their employees. Therefore, it is crucial to have training programmes that focus on developing various skills. However, to produce well-rounded and skilled Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) trainers, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skill development cannot be overlooked. The economy’s procedural dispositions, such as technical innovation, soft skills, and pedagogy, are integral to ICT skill development. This study focused on the impact of students’ habitus on ICT integration in the classroom, as per Bourdieu’s concept of habitus. The comprehension of students’ perceptions of ICT integration, formed by their past and present experiences, directly affects the quality of teaching and learning with digital tools. The study utilised open-ended questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and written reflections to evaluate the habitus of a specific group of TVET students. The sample was purposively chosen from former and current TVET Trainer Diploma students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) between 2020 and 2023. The thematic content analysis revealed similar themes across all three data collection sets. The findings showed that participants were open to using technology for teaching and learning and that ICT skill development improved the quality of their learning. However, participants had varying levels of ICT skills at the beginning of their study programme, ranging from non-existent to average competence. Participants with limited ICT skills expressed negative emotions such as shame, fear, and nervousness when it was anticipated they knew how to use online learning platforms. Emotions directly affect students’ classroom performance.
The students’ habitus revealed diverse levels of ICT skills, developed by the quality of education before joining the university. Therefore, while it is crucial to develop ICT skills, providing instruction on using digital learning tools before incorporating them into teaching and learning is equally important.
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