TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF USING THE BLENDED LEARNING APPROACH FOR STEM-RELATED SUBJECTS WITHIN THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Globally, as society enters the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we require a transformation in pedagogy. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related subjects are vital to succeeding within the Fourth Industrial Revolution. To provide quality STEM education, teachers' perceptions related to the teaching and learning of STEM-related subjects is essential to understand. This qualitative research took place at one university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and explored teachers' perceptions of using blended learning for STEM-related subjects. Wenger's Communities of Practice Theory framed this research. Data were generated from workshops and semi-structured interviews. The results of this research indicated that blended learning is impeded by the lack of technology-based tools; is hampered by teacher professional development; offered the use of virtual hours for consultation and feedback and increased engagement and collaboration within STEM-related milieus. These results provide a glimpse of what teachers perceive regarding the use of blended learning for secondary school mathematics and technology. Globally, these results have relevance when considering the importance of teachers' perceptions of using blended learning for STEM-related subjects, as society embraces the Fourth Industrial Revolution.