Abstract:
The rapidly changing world necessitates a shift from traditional to modern teaching methods.
Integrating Information Communication and Technology (ICT) into the classroom
environment fosters dynamism and engagement. This study sought to explore the use of
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) to advance digital literacy in the
teaching and learning of French as a foreign language (FFL) in Lesotho secondary schools.
This qualitative study was underpinned by two theories namely, TPACK and the Resources and
Appropriation Theory. It was anchored on the critical paradigm. This was an emancipatory
action research design comprising two phases: the problem identification phase and the
therapeutic phase. The study purposively and conveniently selected and worked with four FFL
teachers from four different schools. Four methods of data generation: document analysis,
reflective journals, observations and semi-structured interviews were triangulated to generate
authentic and insightful data. The data were to be analysed using thematic analysis entailing
deductive and inductive analysis to encompass the predetermined and newly emerging themes.
For deductive datasets, four themes were predetermined from the theories and the phenomenon
of the study: attitude/motivation access, physical/material access, skills access, and usage
access. However, there were no inductive data sets. The findings of the study revealed that
there was a variation between the first and the second phase. In the first phase, participants
were unaware of how TPACK could advance their digital literacy for improved practices.
Therefore, as an intervention, participants were capacitated on how TPACK could be used to
advance their digital literacy and attain learning goals. Resultantly, the second phase brought
about an improvement as participants demonstrated awareness of TPACK, digital literacy and
how they could use TPACK to advance their digital literacy and reinforce learners’
comprehension. Therefore, this study proposes that the Ministry of Education and Training
(MoET) revise the Lesotho Basic Education Curriculum Policy (LBCEP) to include practical
guidelines on how teachers should equip learners with digital literacy. Moreover, French
teachers should be provided with continuous professional training workshops on the
integration of digital literacy into their practices
