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HP study reveals mammoth task for African educators to futureproof learning

This week HP revealed the findings of its first education-focused study looking at the African region – South Africa and Nigeria in particular. The study specifically zeros in on educators, their sentiment towards technology, the critical soft skills needed and a concerning lack of support.

HP adds that the findings of the study are supported by its education programme, which is currently active in several countries in the region, with 802 educators in SA and Nigeria surveyed between April and May of this year.

One of the key findings, which has been intensified as a result of the pandemic, is the fact that many educators are now having to play catch up in terms of meeting the requirements of an already bloated curriculum.

Added to this is the pressure to futureproof classrooms and deal with the need for hybrid learning environments. As such, if you did not know how tall a task educators faced previously, it has only gotten worse.

Playing catch up

Here the survey found that 45 percent of teachers ranked ICT skills as a challenging aspect of their roles. This outpaced other elements like active teaching, homework marking and lesson planning.

“Beyond technology, at least 50% of teachers report having too many learners in their classrooms which impedes quality learning, and 71% say they require more time to assist individual learners,” notes HP in a press release sent to Hypertext.

There is still cause for optimism, however, as, “at least 95% of teachers are optimistic about their jobs and roles in shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.” This is significant given the task that lay before educators currently.

Looking at the feedback from the survey, HP has identified 10 critical soft skills for educators to possess or add to their set. The soft skills, also found in the infographic at the end of this story, are:

  • Critical Thinking;
  • Creative Thinking;
  • Innovative Thinking;
  • Entrepreneurial Thinking;
  • Digital Literacy;
  • Design Thinking;
  • Change Leadership;
  • Instructional Coaching;
  • Leadership;
  • Blended Learning Techniques.

These skills are viewed as being crucial in terms of futureproofing classrooms and having better equipped educators, according to HP.

“Crucially, one in three teachers say they could benefit from additional training to improve their skills in the above-mentioned areas, and that the development would have an enormous impact on the pedagogy,” the company adds.

This is where it hopes technology, and the reliable access thereof, can play a key role.

“82% of teachers surveyed noted access to instructional materials and supplies as a problem, and a further 89% said access to adequate technological resources is an issue – a crucial aspect of teaching that has been overlooked for over a decade but has been brought to the fore by the pandemic,” the study explains.

“Still, an overwhelming majority, 95%, believes that technology can have a positive benefit in the teaching environment and can raise learners’ engagement in lessons,” it continues.

A potential bridge

On this front HP is highlighting its Innovation and Digital Education Academy (HP IDEA) programme as a potential bridge for the skills and technology gap. This teacher development programme is designed to enable educators to develop and access new learning modalities in select schools in South Africa, Nigeria and other 14 markets across Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

“Teachers perform a pivotal function in our society, not only in shaping the minds of future leaders and preparing students to take on the jobs of the future, but also inspiring and enabling better learning outcomes,” says Brad Pulford, MD of HP Africa.

“Through the HP IDEA programme, our aim is to ensure that educators are equipped with the latest tools and best practices in teaching and learning, and ensure they too are ‘future-fit’. Understanding the educational landscape and where we can provide support and expertise is key to its success,” he emphasises.

While it indeed an important programme and it is great to see HP putting investment into ICT skills development in the local education sector, it is clear from this survey that more private sectors players need to come to the party with their expertise and support.

As the survey highlights, educators facing a mammoth task as parts of the world begin to exit the pandemic.

[Image – Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash]

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