Abstract:
In the wake of technology affecting all facets of our lives, development of learners’ technological skills has become more crucial in different countries’ education systems. This study employed passive, interactive, creative, replacement, amplifying and transformative model (PICRAT) to geospatial technological skills of geography students. Purposively, pre and post-tests, interviews, observations were used to generate data from 28 Grade 10 Geography students in one school in Maseru. The data was thematically analysed, and the findings reveal that PICRAT has a positive influence on the development of geospatial skills of learners. The reason being that PICRAT allow learners to passively and actively interact with the technology. The study has discovered that PICRAT enhances students’ motivation, participation and productivity. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training, through the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), should consider including technology models such as PICRAT in the Lesotho Education Policy as one the approaches that can be used to promote the development of technological skills. In addition, teachers should consider using PICRAT to guide their technology integration practices in classrooms. This may be possible by varying classroom activities when integrating technology in their teaching. Again, as a way of introducing learners to GIS, it is recommended that Geography teachers use google earth and google map in their teaching.
