Abstract:

The Information Communication Technology (ICT) has become the basic building block of the modern society. Many countries regard the understanding of ICT and mastery of basic concepts as a fundamental component of education. The study sought to explore the use of ICT in the teaching and learning of Life Sciences in three rural schools in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This study is underpinned by the Technology Acceptance Model which proposes that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness predict the acceptance of information technology. It is positioned in an Interpretivist paradigm as it followed a qualitative research approach in an interpretive mode with Action research as the research design. The purposive sampling strategy was used to select three Grade 10-12 Life Sciences teachers and nine learners from three rural schools. The content and narrative analysis wherein responses were categorized into themes based on research questions and objectives. The availability of the ICT and the condition of those available are limiting the use, access of in the classroom for both teachers and learners; teachers are reluctant and prefer to use the traditional methods; Lack of training is also a limiting factor to the implementation of ICT integrated teaching and learning of Life Sciences. The utilisation of ICT in teaching and learning of Life sciences in rural schools can bring a significant improvement in the teaching practices in secondary schools in Eastern Cape, South Africa and internationally.

Keywords:

Information Communication Technology, Life Sciences, rural schools.