The Kayamandi Children’s Possibilities and Conditions for Digital Learning : An Ethnographic Minor Field Study Investigating the Digital Learning and Edtech Opportunities for the Primary School Children Living in a South African Township

Sammanfattning: The educational system is going through a rapid shift towards digital learning, a phenomenon happening all over the world. This thesis examines the possibilities and conditions for digital learning amongst primary school children living in the township Kayamandi in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The project was carried out as a case study and has used a focused ethnographic approach. The objective was to conduct an explorative study of digital learning in a smaller township and to provide an understanding of the educational system, technology adoption in schools and among children, children's and teachers' digital literacy, and what opportunities for digital learning exist today. Three Kayamandi schools in Stellenbosch have been visited for observation: Kayamandi Primary School, Ikaya Primary School, and A.F. Louw Primary School. In addition, interviews have been conducted with different stakeholders within education, as well as focus groups and a survey with the children. Among the findings this master’s thesis shows that a digitalisation is ongoing but that there is an uneven accessibility to digital technologies and data which could be tackled with a tailored digital strategy. This study also notes on positive effects from using edtech programs and indicates that personalised learning and gamification might be key to success for digital learning in a township. A preliminary conclusion is that there are possibilities for digital learning, but the conditions are complex and various contextual factors need to be addressed in a collective and mindful manner.