Abstract:

Progressed learners often advance to next grade despite not achieving the expected competencies which result in diverse academic and psychosocial support needs. These needs are shaped by varied reasons for progression such as persistent learning gaps, inconsistent attendance, socio-economic challenges as well as barriers related to language or cognitive processing. Traditional curriculum support strategies in South African schools are frequently insufficient to address these complexities, particularly in overcrowded classrooms with limited teacher capacity. This study explores how technology-driven interventions can be leveraged to provide differentiated, responsive and scalable support for progressed learners. The study is guided by the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework, which provides a lens for understanding how teachers combine technology, pedagogy and subject content knowledge to design effective learning experiences. Placed within interpretivist paradigm, this qualitative enquiry employed exploratory case study to engage School-Based Support Teams (SBSTs) in implementing technology-based support strategies to ensure progressed learners bridge the content gap. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews and observations from 5 selected schools in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns related to how specific technologies support remediation, improve engagement and enable continuous assessment. The findings reveal that technology-enhanced curriculum interventions have the potential improve learner motivation, support self-paced learning and offer immediate feedback particularly through gamified tools like Kahoot and Quizizz. Digital platforms such as Google Classrooms and Whatsapps provide structured opportunities for revision, targeted reinforcement of foundational skills and differentiated learning tasks. However, anticipated challenges include unequal access to devices, teacher confidence in using technology, data costs and infrastructural limitations. Despite identified barriers technology-enhanced interventions contributed meaningfully to curriculum support towards closing learning gaps and increase learner confidence. This study concludes that the integration of educational technologies into curriculum support programmes strengthened the inclusivity, responsiveness and effectiveness of teaching and learning for progressed learners.

Keywords:

Curriculum support, technology, Pedagogical content knowledge, progressed learners.