The use of digital media in enhancing teaching and learning in a secondary school in the Pinetown District.

Master of Education in Educational Psychology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2017.Technology is slowly but surely taking over the world and almost all of life’s activities require technological intervention. Technological gadgets like cellular phones can be relatively small and mobile storing a host of information like emails, videos, photographs, etc. A cellular phone is primarily utilised to communicate via verbal conversations and with text messages. Almost every child utilises a cellular phone to facilitate their everyday life activities and they store and carry the device everywhere they go. This study aimed to explore the enhancement of teaching and learning using digital media in a secondary school. The study was carried out at a South African secondary school in the Pinetown district in KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative approach was the centre of the research methodology for this study. Six teachers and six learners participated in the study. The six teachers were given a questionnaire and were interviewed as well. The six learners were given a questionnaire. The theoretical framework that underpinned this study was John Dewey’s Experiential Learning Theory. The analysis of the data revealed that digital media devices in the classroom played a significant role in enhancing teaching and learning. Teachers utilised digital media devices in their lessons, which had a major influence on the learners as they related well. According to the study, learners’ academic results also improved. Learners related well to the use of digital media devices, they had fun and enjoyed lessons. Furthermore, the data clearly revealed that the utilisation of digital media devices in the classroom was extremely essential due to the fast pace and technologically advanced world that we live in today. The way forward for the future is definitely for digital media devices to be utilised in the classroom. Learners need to be exposed to these digital media devices from an early age as we live in the digital age. Digital media devices definitely enhance teaching and learning for both the teachers and learners. In this internet era they seem comfortable and enjoy the usage. There is enhancement and educational benefits of teaching and learning utilising digital media in the classroom