INTRODUCTION
Rationale
There are some reasons for conducting this research First, in many English language teaching (ELT) environments around the world, the role of technology has rapidly evolved The use of technology has become a trend in the field of language education (Çakici, 2016) Asian developed countries firmly believe that ICT is a necessary element of advanced, student-centered teaching, and they support and encourage this belief (Albion, Tondeur, Forkosh-Baruch, & Peeraer, 2015) As noted by Peearer and Van Petegem (2011), the rationale for educational reform in Vietnam also points to that direction with Directive 55 (MOET, 2008) Within the framework of the MOET (2009) movement for friendly schools and engaged students, ICT is seen as having a role in supporting the transformation of education into a creative learning society Furthermore, as part of fresh and creative approaches to teaching and learning, Vietnamese educators were encouraged to use ICT applications in a responsible manner (MOET, 2008)
The second reason is the significant role of teachers‟ perceptions in the field of English language teaching Barcelos (2003) claims that what teachers do in the classrooms is influenced by their perceptions Teachers' perceptions, according to Moloi (2009), cause how teachers deal with shortcomings in their teaching situations In addition, because thought drives conduct, investigating teachers' perceptions and beliefs helps to gain a deeper understanding of teachers' behaviors in classrooms and guides for improving teachers' practices (Jia, 2004) In consequence, teachers' perceptions have played a crucial role in the teaching and learning process because they have a huge impact on teachers' decision-making and current classroom teaching methods, as well as providing important insight into various facets of education When seen from the other perspective, teachers' negative beliefs and attitudes regarding the use of ICT are considered as a significant barrier to its integration into the teaching and learning process (Teo, 2008) In such a context, effectively integrating ICT into English instruction is regarded to be a viable approach
However, Vietnam has not caught up to other nations in terms of ICT realization and educational performance (Cuban, Kirkpatrick, & Peck, 2001; Dang, 2013) The low adoption of ICT in the classroom is demonstrated by Hong's (2014) research This is corroborated by Nguyen (2016), whose research indicates that poor ICT use among Vietnamese language instructors falls short of the demands of socioeconomic development, which is mostly dependent on the expansion of global communication and services (Vu & Burns, 2014)
All the above reasons have inspired me to choose the topic "EFL primary school teachers' perceptions and practices of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in English teaching" for my M.A thesis This study aims to explore teachers' perceptions towards integrating ICT as well as their practices in English classroom The findings of the study are hoped to provide valuable insights and pedagogical implications for teachers to enhance the effective implementation of using ICT.
Aim and objectives of the study
This study aims to investigate EFL primary school teachers‟ perceptions and practices of using ICT in their language teaching
In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives were fulfiled:
To investigate the EFL primary school teachers‟ perceptions of the benefits of using ICT in their language teaching
To examine the EFL primary school teachers‟ perceptions of the difficulties in using ICT in their language teaching
To explore the EFL primary school teachers‟ practices of ICT in their language teaching
Research questions
In an attempt to achieve the above-presented aims, the study seeks to answer the following research questions:
1 What are the EFL primary school teachers‟ perceptions of the benefits of using ICT in their language teaching?
2 What are the EFL primary school teachers' perceptions of the difficulties in using ICT in their language teaching?
3 What are the EFL primary school teachers‟ practices of using ICT for their language teaching?
Scope of the study
The research was carried out with the participation of 32 English teachers who were teaching English at 11 primary schools in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh Province This study just focused on EFL teachers‟ perceptions about the benefits, the difficulties and their practices in using ICT in their language teaching The data was collected through the questionnaires interviews and observations.
Significance of the study
This research is considered to be important for some reasons
In theory, the study will be helpful in establishing a knowledge base on teachers' perceptions of the use of ICT in the classroom by incorporating data on ICT use in teaching English
In actuality, the study aims to illuminate both teachers' opinions of the advantages of ICT integration and the challenges they encounter while implementing it in the classroom The research's conclusions will thus offer crucial new perspectives on how to see ICT as an efficient instructional tool in the language teaching-learning process, which encourages teachers to include ICT into their practices In addition, a better understanding of EFL teachers' challenges that teachers face may serve as a guide for different stakeholders, i.e policy-makers, decision-makers, educators, and ICT theorists to design ICT policies and develop technology- based educational programs or strategies to make learning more effective, applicable, and enjoyable
Finally, the findings of this research can act as a useful source of reference for future researchers who are interested in the field of ICT in the English teaching-learning process.
Structure of the study
The thesis will consist of five chapters
Chapter 1, Introduction , gives a brief introduction about the background of the research, rationale, aim and objectives, research questions, scope, and significance as well as the structure of the thesis
Chapter 2, Literature review , provides a fundamental overview of literature surrounding ICT use in teaching foreign languages as well as connects relevant studies to this study
Chapter 3, Methodology , explains the research method Firstly, it presents the research questions and the hypotheses of the present study Secondly, it describes the research design and participants Thirdly, it introduces the research instruments used to collect data Lastly, this chapter comes to an end with the procedure to conduct the study and the methods of data analysis
Chapter 4, Findings and Discussion , illustrates and analyzes the data collected to provide the answers to the research questions
Chapter 5, Conclusion and Implications , makes a conclusion of the report of the study First, it summarizes the main findings Then, it suggests the research implications Finally, the limitations of the study and the suggestions for future research are the last part of this chapter.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definition of ICT
ICT stands for Information and Communication Technology and refers to 'the diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create, disseminate, store, and manage information' (Blurton, 1999; Albirini, 2006) ICT is defined in some different ways in the context of education The term 'ICT' is defined as “forms of technology used for creating, displaying, storing, manipulating, and exchanging information” (Donnelly, McGarr, & O‟Reilly, 2011) It can relate to gear like computers, projectors, digital cameras, and so on, as well as software like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (Wang & Woo, 2007) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is nothing but it includes computers, software, special hardware, Multimedia enabled devices and a wide range of communications facilities To sum up, ICT is essentially a tool However, in the scope of this paper, ICT is defined as computer, and the internet-based technologies that include both generic software applications (e.g., word processors, presentation software, email packages, web browsers, search and download) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software applications as well as useful websites for foreign language teaching (Davies et al, 2012).
Teachers‟ perceptions
It is believed that encouraging successful teaching requires teachers' attitudes and perceptions According to Bull (2011), perception is the capacity to recognize, sense, or comprehend an object Hoffman (2008) provided three definitions of perception: the way you perceive or comprehend someone or something; the ease with which you may comprehend or notice something; and the way you use one of your senses to perceive or comprehend something However, according to Webster's Pocket Dictionary (2010), perception is the capacity to use one's senses to see, hear, or become aware of something
Because teachers continuously observe their classrooms to gauge students' knowledge, their opinions of a teaching strategy and/or the learning environment can be trusted (Brown, 2007) Teachers' impressions are based on how they understand and interpret what is happening in the classroom Although their views do not constitute convictions, they can influence their beliefs, which are a group of presumptions or theories that are held consciously or unconsciously (Borg, 2001; Bracey, 2016) According to Boulton (1997), perceptions are the attitudes, behaviors, self-beliefs, and/or viewpoints that an individual has formed toward anything The perceptions or attitudes of teachers are seen as being crucial in implementing effective teaching In other words, perception is the capacity of the total stimulus process to react once something has been seen and understood (Diniah, 2013) According to Pajares (1992), teachers' perceptions are closely related to teachers' beliefs Furthermore, Kurniawati (2006) claims that teachers' beliefs can be used to learn more about their classroom practice and ideals As a result, teachers must be aware of their own beliefs about the teaching and learning process
According to some of the above explanations, perception is the way that one thinks about or understands someone or something The term
"English teachers' perceptions" in this study refers to EFL teachers' opinions of the use of ICT in their language teaching Teachers' perceptions are important in the teaching and learning process because they not only affect teachers' behavior and decision-making, but they also offer crucial insights into many elements of education
According to Irwanto (2002), there are two types of perception which result from the interaction between person and object They are negative and positive perceptions, and the following description explains both of them:
1 Positive perceptions: It is a perception that describes all information and responses positively Besides, someone who has a positive perception will accept and support the object that is perceived
2 Negative perceptions: This type of perception includes all information and responses that are in conflict with the perceived object
It can be stated that a person's perception, both positive and negative, will always influence how they carry out an action And how a person defines his full understanding of an observed thing is wholly responsible for the development of a positive or negative perspective
2.2.3 Teachers’ Perceptions on ICT Use
According to Hepp, Hinostraza, Laval, and Rehpain (2004), the adoption rate of ICT is influenced by teachers' attitudes and ideas about it Indeed, they note that those who see the potential of ICT will rapidly investigate technologies in their work and consider computers to be "valuable tools" and "useful" (Hepp et al, 2004)
Regarding positive perceptions, teachers are more likely to incorporate ICT into their lessons if they believe the training was useful (Galanouli, Murphy, & Gardner, 2004) Their impression that technology can bring about innovation, such as an impact on higher thinking skill and on content acquisition for language learners, is another factor contributing to their openness toward potential technological improvements (Baylor & Ritchie, 2002) Cope and Ward (2002) also discovered that instructors' perceptions of technology include "how" and "what" affects it can have on pupils, such as whether or not they can directly interact with computers and use specialized software to alter language Teachers can also recognize how technology has the ability to inspire kids
On the other hand, instructors' negative perceptions highlight ICT usage limitations According to many studies (William et al., 2000; Leaks, 2001; Samuel & Bakar, 2003; Pelgrum, 2001), these issues typically entail a lack of resources (facilities, expertise, time, support, materials, and training) For instance, Pelgrum (2001), who explicitly examined perspectives of educational practitioners from schools in 26 countries, discovered that a lack of infrastructure, such as an inadequate number of computers, was the most common issue Although teachers may be aware of how to use ICT in the classroom, a lack of computers may hinder them from doing so Additionally, a lack of resources may also signify a lack of access Users may experience difficulty accessing the small number of computers because they are frequently booked (Samuel & Bakar, 2005).
Teachers‟ acceptance of ICT
David, Bagozzi, and Warshaw (1989) proposed the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which states that four aspects determine an individual's desire to use technology: perceived usefulness (U), perceived ease of use (EoU), attitude toward utilizing (A), and behavioral intention to use (B)
According to Davis et al (1989), perceived usefulness (U) measures consumers' approval of utilizing a particular item because they believe it will improve their performance Users are aware of the advantages that the product they use has to provide, both to other users and to themselves A user is more likely to employ a technological tool if he feels that it will improve his performance A teacher may believe that if he employs ICT in the classroom, it will improve his performance This encourages him to agree to the use of technology in the classroom
The degree to which users believe the target system to be effort-free is determined by perceived ease of use (EoU) (Lederer et al., 2007) The literature points out that both technical and non-technical factors can contribute to a technology's usability issues Teachers may encounter technical issues such as insufficient electrical support, limited Internet connectivity, equipment shortages, or other issues However, instructors may also be unwilling to use ICT because they believe the pedagogical approach to teaching is inappropriate for them or because they are unable to handle the system or the classroom These circumstances lead educators to feel that utilizing technology requires a lot of work, which lowers their enthusiasm for its adoption
Moreover, attitude toward usage (A) can be seen as the user's assessment of the value of using a specific information systems application This has to do with how people feel about using a specific piece of technology A teacher may use ICT in the classroom if he has a good attitude toward it A teacher may refrain from using ICT if he has negative feelings about it
Lastly, behavioral intention to use (B) highlights the probability that an individual will utilize a technological application (Lederer et al., 2000) A user is more likely to utilize ICT in the future when he has a pleasant experience with its implementation, and vice versa
The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theory has been chosen as the conceptual framework for this research because it is pertinent to the investigation of teachers' perspectives of using ICT in their language instruction Although this theory was introduced in 1989 and revised several times, the two factors, namely perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are still valid in understanding the use of technology The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is a widely used framework for predicting the adoption of information technology and is thought to be one of the most significant models of technology acceptance They concentrate on how adoption intentions are impacted by opinions about how convenient and useful technology is (Luarn and Lin, 2005; Lai & Zainal, 2015) Furthermore, TAM was created expressly to address the aspects of users' acceptance of system technology (Chau & Hu, 2002) Thus, it is favorable for examining challenges referred to as external variables in TAM.
Benefits of using ICT
In today's technologically advanced world, ICT integration in education is defined by the use of technology tools to support teaching and learning activities ICT integration in schools, especially in classrooms, is a crucial component since learners are comfortable with technology and will learn better in a technology-based setting There is no doubt that ICT is a useful and cutting-edge teaching instrument that has a good impact on all facets of the language-learning process
According to Chuah Yoon Fah (2000) the impact which has been brought by this media, is very visible and stiffening This new technologies instrument has changed and innovated the way we learn ICT provides a variety of learning opportunities for students to learn language (Melor MD Yunus, 2007) The Internet and the World Wide Web was able to provide supplemental language activities which can help students with additional practice in specific areas of language learning These include reading tests and comprehension questions, grammar exercises, pronunciation exercises, vocabulary tests, cloze tests, and so forth Students can search the Web for such web sites for their own learning As a result, this can help them to enhance their English language learning It is also believed that technology- enhanced learning has the potential to revolutionize the educational environment and increase student performance, according to Swan et al (2005) By giving students the opportunity to explore, create, and evaluate information in a way that views problems as a part of the real, relevant world rather than as abstract concepts, ICT tools undoubtedly help students achieve the intended aims
Additionally, two-way communication is essential for second language acquisition, according to Ariza, Eileen, and Hancock (2003) Before, only interactions between students or between professors and students could take place in this way The interactions that ICT can support in the learning environment include those between learners and content, learners and learners, learners and teachers, and learners and interfaces Students become more active and engaged as a result of these kinds of interactions, which increase the interactive nature of the learning process (Wong et al., 2006)
The Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) software programmes which have been designed for the purpose of language teaching despite other tools such as the Internet, e-mail, and others also promote student-centred language learning and help students develop their communicative skills as well (Gonglewski, 2003) This CALL programmes also provide students with a variety of choice in terms of which aspects of the target language such as grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, they want to practise or what skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) they want to develop, and topics which they are interested Students can manage their own learning at their own speed and based on their own choice This helps learners to take more responsibility for their own learning, which leads to greater autonomy and more learner-centred
There has been numerous research done on CALL and how it influences the growth of language learners' four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) Because of the current state of computer technology, the majority of CALL programs are designed to focus on these receptive abilities, and most report significant gains in reading and listening On the other hand, speaking capabilities with CALL technology have drawn a lot of interest Some success has been seen in utilizing computer-mediated communication, or CALL, to support controlled interactive speaking practice outside of the classroom and improve speaking abilities that are closely related to "communicative competence" (the capacity to hold meaningful conversations in the target language) (Warschaur, 1998) Research indicates that students can enhance their speaking abilities by mastering frequently used terms through chat rooms, which in turn promotes the formation of automatic structure Even in the case of a text-only chat, this is accurate When speaking with a real person, video conferencing not only provides instantaneous communication but also enhances the authenticity of the exchange by displaying facial emotions and other visual indicators
Furthermore, having a net connection gives students access to a wealth of real materials that make learning English more pleasant According to the findings of studies on ICT use in education by Dang, Nicholas, & Lewis (2013) and Pham, Tan, & Lee (2018), students are more inspired and engaged as a result of the wide range of fascinating, contextualized subjects covered with the use of video clips and pertinent instances
The Impact Report 2006 on Schools in Europe (Balanskat, 2006) drew support for ICT from 17 impact studies conducted throughout the continent These studies show overwhelming majority of studies reviewed in the report confirm wider positive benefits of ICT for learning and learners in such areas as motivation and skills, concentration, cognitive processing, independent learning, critical thinking, and teamwork, all important skills for the language learner
In summary, ICT is now a vital tool in language learning in the digital age Strong digital activities can be used to enhance students' language proficiency, subject acquisition, linguistic performance, and interpersonal interactions while also encouraging both autonomous and collaborative learning and making learning more fun.
Challenges in the use of ICT
Although numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of applying ICT in raising the quality of teaching and learning, not all teachers employ this technology in the classroom since there are numerous barriers for teachers to overcome It is a well-known fact that integrating ICT into teaching and learning is a challenging task It might present chances for innovation as well as difficulties and demands for alterations to current procedures According to Schoepp (2005), these issues are also known as barriers when referring to these difficulties The proper incorporation of ICT in the classroom is being hampered by a number of challenges Integration initiatives may be unsuccessful from the start if issues are not recognized and handled Several researches on barrier of ICT in education have been conducted by previous researcher to identify the genuine factors on ICT usage
Becta's research (2004) classified barriers into two categories: those that affect the individual (barriers at the teacher-level), such as lack of time, lack of confidence, and resistance to change, and those that affect the institution (barriers at the school-level), such as lack of access or insufficient training According to Pelgrum (2001), non-material barriers include things like a lack of knowledge, confidence, or time, while material barriers are things like a lack of actual, physical equipment
One of the most significant factors to take into account when evaluating the success or failure of any ICI integration endeavor is the opinions of the teachers Many researchers have found that teachers' use of ICT in the classroom is limited by time limitations and the challenge of scheduling technology-based classes (Becta, 2004; Beggs, 2000; Pelgrum, 2001; Schoepp, 2005; Sicilia, 2005) One of the top ten issues with ICT integration in schools, according to Pelgrum (2001), is the lack of time allotted to teachers Teachers worry that they won't have enough time to plan new lesson plans and grow accustomed to new software and technologies According to Becta (2004), one of the main obstacles to the use of ICT in the classroom is a lack of confidence Many educators who don't think they are very good with ICT are afraid to use it in front of students who might be more knowledgeable These educators lack the ability or desire to employ ICT in the classroom In addition, another challenge closely related to teachers' confidence is their ability to integrate ICT into pedagogical practice (Becta, 2004) Integration of ICT in education is seen to be significantly hampered by teachers' lack of expertise or understanding According to Tezci (2010), there will be more ICT use in the classroom if teachers possess a high degree of ICT understanding Lastly, Beggs (2000) identifies the top three obstacles to teachers using ICT in the classroom as being a lack of training According to recent Turkish study, teachers' lack of in-service training is the primary obstacle to using modern ICT in the classroom (ệzden, 2007) According to Toprakci (2006), one barrier is the lack of ICT use training provided to teachers in Turkish schools Untrained teachers feel inadequate and irritated by their lack of experience
Regarding to school/ administration-related barriers, Sicilia (2005) discovers that teachers complain about the challenges associated with computer access Because the ICT resources are shared with their colleagues, the majority of teachers are unable to access them Teachers and pupils consequently do not always have the chance to use ICT when they are in need The difficulty in making new technology accessible to educators is pervasive and differs across national borders Also, a lack of technical support may prevent teachers from properly integrating ICT According to Pelgrum (2001), one of the biggest obstacles to the use of ICT in education, as perceived by primary and secondary teachers, is a lack of technical support Teachers cannot be expected to overcome the challenges of adopting ICT if there is not both adequate technical support in the classrooms and resources available to the entire school
In conclusion, there are many different factors which challenged teachers in their process of teaching by using ICT It can be seen that these studies looked at barriers include the teacher-related barriers and school/ administration-related barriers As a result, factors related to the use of ICT need to be identified so solutions can be undertaken to improve teachers‟ usage of ICT in helping them to be a better educator.
Previous studies
There have been numerous studies concerning perceptions about ICT use in EFL classrooms Tengku and Yunisrina (2015) study the EFL teachers‟ perceptions on the use of ICT in English Language teaching among 42 EFL teachers from two state universities in Indonesia The results show that 31 teacher users are highly motivated to use ICT because they think it is essential for ELT since it improves learning outcomes such as enjoyment, curiosity, and effectiveness The other 11 teacher non-users, meantime, are aware that using ICT is becoming more and more necessary, but their enthusiasm is still low Their challenges evolve from a lack of training and assistance from their workplace, both financial and non-financial As a result, institutions should prioritize removing these barriers, and teachers must be ready to handle brand-new issues with both education and technology In the same way, Ghavifekr & Rosdy (2015) and Pardede (2020) examines teachers' perceptions of ICT integration to support the teaching and learning process in classrooms in public secondary schools They both discover that the teachers had a good level of perception of ICT use in EFL learning and teaching activities However, regarding the issues related to facilities and technical expertise they sometimes encountered, they either asked for help from technicians or colleagues
Additionally, Panigrahi (2011) conducts a study on the perceptions of teachers towards extensive utilization of ICT One hundred senior secondary school teachers from Haryana are selected through a simple random sampling technique To gather the information, a questionnaire about teachers' opinions of ICT is created According to the survey, there is no substantial difference between male and female teachers' opinions of how well ICT is used in the classroom
In Viet Nam context, regarding using ICT in English teaching, Hong (2014) conducts a study titled "Factors Affecting Secondary-School English Teachers' Adoption of Technologies in Southwest Vietnam" This comparative case study is carried out with EFL teachers from secondary schools in two provinces: Dong Thap and Can Tho which investigates EFL secondary teachers‟ perspectives regarding information and communication technology (ICT) adoption and integration in the context of English language teaching (ELT) The result of the study indicates that teachers are motivated by factors related to ICT enhancing the effectiveness of teaching pedagogies The primary source of motivation for the teachers' use of ICT in the classroom at both locations is their optimistic beliefs Finally, the results indicate that these teachers' motivation to incorporate ICT into the classroom is most strongly influenced by their ICT experience and interest in innovation
Additionally, Dang (2013) did a study titled "ICT in Foreign Language Teaching in an Innovative University in Vietnam: Current Practices and Factors Affecting ICT Use" that is connected to the use of ICT in the teaching of foreign languages The major theoretical frameworks for the study are Lin, Wang, and Lin's pedagogy technology model (2012) and Venkatesh et al.'s unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) from 2003 to better understand and explain what teachers are doing with ICT and which factors encourage or discourage their ICT usage The study finds that the majority of instructors utilize ICT for planning lessons and instructing in the classroom, but their use is restricted to a few common behaviors and apps including word processing, PowerPoint presentations, Internet searching, and downloading Besides, teachers will become more conscious of the difficulties if they use ICT more frequently Therefore, "barriers" to ICT use need to be reclassified as challenges that users overcome
Most recently, Bui (2020) carried out a study named “English majors‟ perceptions of their teachers‟ use of ICT in teaching of Listening-Speaking courses at Ho Chi Minh City Open University” This study examines how English majors at Ho Chi Minh City Open University felt about their lecturers' usage of ICT in their Listening-Speaking lessons The subject is taught by nine different teachers to around 700 freshmen and sophomores, and 28 of them volunteered to take part in semi-structured interviews The results showed that, on the whole, the students' attitudes about their professors' use of ICT in English Listening-Speaking classes were favorable
It can be seen that the reviewed literature shows that ICT as a teaching tool has been used widely To the best of my knowledge, there have been a number of studies that have extensively examined the use of ICT in English language teaching in the Vietnam context, but few studies that have focused solely on teachers' perceptions of ICT, despite the fact that they are one of the most important factors influencing ICT integration Additionally, the most recent data is required to provide a clear picture of the current situation with relation to instructors' perspectives of using ICT to teach EFL students in primary schools Considering that none of the reviewed studies focused on the perceptions of teachers in the use of ICT in this area, this research was carried out The researcher expects that employing a different theoretical framework in a different time and context will give them a more varied perspective on this problem.
Summary
Overall, the use of technology has become a trend in the field of language education As a result, teachers‟ attitudes towards ICT and their perceptions on ICT use play an important role in their making use of ICT in their teaching activities This chapter shaded light on the definition of ICT as well as teachers‟ acceptance of ICT Despite having a variety of benefits, challenges teachers facing when integrating ICT have also been pointed out
The following chapter will deal with the research design employed, variables under study, the study locale, target population, sampling procedures and sample size, research instruments, piloting, data collection techniques, data analysis and lastly ethical and logistical considerations.
METHODOLOGY
Research approaches
The mixed method design, defined as “the combination of at least one qualitative and at least one quantitative component in a single research project or program,” served as the foundation for the current study in order to collect enough data for the research objectives (Bergman, 2008, p 1) Creswell (2012) states that the fundamental premise driving mixed methods research is that "a better understanding of the research problem and question is provided by the uses of both quantitative and qualitative methods, in combination, than by either method alone" (p 535) This aligns with the perspective of Johnson et al (2007), which states that mixed methods research is characterized by the combination of qualitative and quantitative research aspects by an individual researcher or team of researchers
This study is a descriptive design and it employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches in a single phase Accordingly, quantitative data was collected through questionnaires and qualitative data through interviews Creswell (2014) postulated that “the combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches provides a more complete understanding of a research problem than either approach alone" (p.4) Because each approach has its strength and weakness, a combination of these two methods in my research method to make use of the advantages as well as to reduce the disadvantages of each method and is expected to supply reliable and valid data and information for investigating process.
Research setting and participants
The researcher chose this study location for two reasons: first, it was highly convenient for her to perform an inquiry over an extended period of time, and data were easily collected Its second goal was to support Quy Nhon's young learners in their effective English teaching and learning
The study was implemented with the participation of 32 EFL teachers who were teaching English at 12 primary schools in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh Province from June 2023 to October 2023 All the teachers have a lot of experience in teaching English at primary schools Nearly all of the teachers who were asked to participate in the study freely and anonymously accept the invitation Before the study began, the researcher properly told them of the objectives and significance of the study The research was carried out remotely through the online questionnaire using Google Forms, the online interview using Google Meet and the classroom observation
Interestingly, the participants for this study were mostly female teachers (100%) who had received English language training at various colleges and universities In this study, 59.4% of teachers who participated have ages between 31 and 40 years old With regards to teaching experience, most of the teachers (53.1%) had rendered between 6-10 years in teaching and 15.6% of the teachers have been teaching for more than 10 years
Table 3.1 below summarizes the background information of the participants
Ly Thuong Kiet Ngo May
Ngo Quyen Nguyen Khuyen Nhon Binh 1 Nhon Phu Nhon Ly
Data Collection Instruments
To carry out this research, the researcher used three research instruments: 1) the questionnaires to collect quantitative data, 2) the interviews to find out qualitative data to further and deeper information about teachers' perceptions about using ICT, and 3) classroom observation to explore the EFL primary school teachers‟ practices of ICT in their language teaching
The questionnaires for teachers are preferred in the study because they are the best instruments to gather information about peoples‟ opinions and attitudes and also efficient in collecting facts and easy to administer” (Baker and Westrup, 2003)
The survey questionnaires include 3 sections:
Section A consists of questions that were asked to find out teachers‟ background information including gender, age, and teaching experiences
Section B is about the EFL primary school teachers‟ perceptions about the benefits of using ICT
Section C is about the difficulties that EFL high school teachers perceive in using ICT in their teaching
In Section B and Section C, there are questions designed using the Four- Likert Scale ((1) strongly disagree (SD), (2) disagree (D), (3) agree (A), and (4) strongly agree (SA))
Despite its potential benefits, the use of questionnaires as a data collection instrument in this research still has certain limitations Although an extensive review of the literature had been carried out before the construction of the questionnaires, there might still be ideas that the participants could potentially have, but since such opinions are not mentioned in the questionnaire, the participants do not feel the need to expand on them On this ground, another instrument, the interview, was also employed besides the questionnaire to compensate for its potential drawbacks
Individual interviews were used besides the questionnaires for the reasons listed below One of the most popular techniques for qualitative research is the interview The interview, according to Richards (2003), is a crucial instrument for qualitative research since it gives the framework flexibility to delve further The open-ended nature of the interview questions allows the researcher to offer the interviewee the opportunity to explore and elaborate on his or her ideas As a result, it aids the researcher in reinforcing the data gathered through the questionnaires, obtaining more trustworthy information, and motivating the respondents to share their opinions and interests As a result, the researcher can gain a deep understanding of the issues that the questionnaires are unable to capture
In this study, teachers' opinions about using ICT in the classrooms were obtained through a semi-structured interview Semi-structured interviews are useful as they fall between structured and unstructured interview formats
Conducting observations gives the researcher the opportunity to observe what the teacher and pupils actually do, as opposed to just what they claim to do Observations can be made in real life situations, allowing the researcher to access to the context and meaning so real-life data is collected
Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007), emphasize that “observational data are attractive as they afford the researcher the opportunity to gather „live‟ data from „live‟ situations” (p.305) As suggested by Mackey and Gass (2005), observations are useful for collecting large amounts of rich data on the participants‟ behavior and actions within a specific setting Moreover, with the use of “over time and repeated observation, the researcher can gain a deeper and more multilayered understanding of participants and their content” (Mackey & Gass, 2005, p.176) In other words, classroom observation enables the researcher to gain thorough understanding into how the participants engaged in the classroom by providing direct evidence of the eye to witness events first hand Therefore, observation in the actual classroom teaching and learning process was used as a collecting data instrument to obtain more information A checklist was used to keep track of what was being observed A checklist is a list of different aspects of a lesson that teachers complete while watching a lesson Checklists provide a clear focus for observation; however, they can only be used for certain aspects of a lesson, such as easy-to-count features, and should focus on only one or two aspects of the lesson There are several published checklists that can be used in classroom observations (e.g., Wajnryb, 1992), but these may need to be modified to meet the needs of the teachers Alternatively, the teacher and his or her cooperating teacher can create their own checklists
In this research, the researcher played a role as a non-participant observer
It means that the observer is not directly involved in the situation being observed (Gay, 2000) The researcher observed classes of four teachers The classroom observation was applied in order to explore EFL primary school teachers‟ practices of ICT in their language teaching The observations focused on classroom conditions, the tools teachers apply in their class, ICT activities of teachers and students, the problem teacher may face, and how they solved them while recording all classroom activities, both verbal and nonverbal The recording was required to assist researchers in obtaining accurate data.
Data Analysis
In this research, both quantitative and qualitative methods were utilized to analyze information gathered from the data collection instruments For the survey questionnaires, data was collected, sorted out, and then the answers in each question were counted and noted carefully Information from the questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively according to statistical frequency and percentage Then, they are presented in tables and charts to give the liveliest picture of the issue investigated Besides, the qualitative data collected from the interviews is used to supplement and illustrate the results of the questionnaires
The classroom observation data was analyzed thematically, thus effectively using “segmentation, categorization and relinking of data” to explore and interpret themes relevant to the research questions (Grbich, 2007, p 16) There were some steps involved in analyzing the observation data The researcher uses observation to produce numerical data, which let them compare things and formulate frequencies, interpretations Hence, the researcher determines frequencies of each item The descriptive statistics provides certain insights about the EFL primary school teachers‟ practices of ICT in their language teaching.
Summary
This chapter provided a detailed description of the methodology, participants, instruments, and data collection and analysis procedures: Data was collected using instruments such as questionnaires, interviews, and observation, as well as qualitative and quantitative approaches The findings and data analysis will be discussed in the following chapter.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
EFL Teachers‟ perceptions about the benefits of using ICT
4.1.1 Teachers’ perceptions about ICT usefulness for students’ learning
To answer the first research question, there are 19 items in the questionnaire focused on EFL teachers‟ perceptions about the benefits of using ICT in learning and teaching
In detail, in terms of ICT usefulness in students‟ learning, the findings showed that the participants perceived ICT employment very useful In other words, they have a positive perception of ICT use to facilitate students in learning Surprisingly, 100% of the respondents stated that using ICT not only made learning activities more interesting and engaging but also made students more interested in learning
The teachers‟ opinions on the ICT usefulness for students‟ learning are presented in Table 4.1 below
Table 4.1 Teachers’ perceptions about ICT usefulness for students’ learning
1 The use of ICT improves student learning efficiency 0 6.2 75 18.8
2 The use of ICT makes students more interested in learning 0 0 21.9 78.1
3 The use of ICT helps students acquire knowledge and skills of IT devices 0 9.4 68.8 21.8
4 The use of ICT makes students more active in learning 0 3.1 56.3 40.6
5 The use of ICT makes learning activities more interesting and engaging 0 0 59.4 40.6
6 The use of ICT supports student- centered teaching methods 0 12.5 65.6 21.9
7 The use of ICT helps to improve young learners' listening, speaking, reading, writing, and especially vocabulary skills
8 The use of ICT enables students to access to learning activities wherever and whenever they like
9 The use of ICT makes learning activities easier to carry out 0 6.2 62.5 31.3
10 The use of ICT allows learners to be more creative and imaginative 0 3.1 75 21.9
11 The use of ICT adds opportunities for students to communicate with teachers and classmates
12 The use of ICT encourages collaboration among students and facilitates them working collectively
Besides that, the majority of teachers agreed that the use of ICT enhanced students' ability to learn (93.8%) while only 6.3% disagreed with this In the interview, a teacher reconfirmed: “My students feel excited whenever I turn on the LCD and start my period with Power Point slides The activities, of course, are more interesting and attractive to my students” (T2, October 5 th )
Williams (1999) and Nation & Newton (2009) also claimed that with regards to a language environment, ICT is a very powerful factor in providing more interesting learning environment which in turns helps to stimulate better learning outcomes
Next, nearly 97% of the teacher participants thought that the use of ICT made students more active in learning and helped to improve young learners' listening, speaking, reading, writing, and especially vocabulary skills, whereas 3.1% disagree with these items Those findings support Grant, Moss
& Epps, (2010) finding that learners can feel more relaxed and they can learn a language in a more authentic manner thanks to the use of ICT
It is clear in the table that most of teachers (96.9%) supported that the use of ICT allows learners to be more creative and imaginative whereas a few teachers disagree (3.1%) Similarly, Thamarana‟s (2017) highlighted the benefits of using ICT that teachers believe ICT helps better thinking and learning process of their learners
Following this number, 93.7% of the respondents thought that using ICT made learning activities easier to carry out, while just 6.2% did not agree According to T1 in the interview:
“There are some complicated content in the text book so I have to find appropriate materials to help my teaching better By watching videos or pictures and documents related to the lessons, my students can understand the content and do the tasks easily.”
Additionally, 90.6% of the teachers reported that the use of ICT both added opportunities for students to communicate with teachers and classmates and encouraged collaboration among students and facilitates them working collectively There are 9.4% disagree with this opinion In the same vein, Thomas & Keinders (2010) supported that with the use of ICT utilizing images and videos through computer screens or projectors, students have more discussion opportunities in class and are more encouraged to express themselves Besides, Sanchez & Aleman (2011) also claimed the benefit of using ICT in teaching and learning, stating that it improves access to course materials and encourages communication between students and classmates and teachers
It can also be observed from the Table that while over 90% of the respondents agreed using ICT helped students acquire knowledge and skills of
IT devices, 9.4% showed their disagreement For example, through using ICT tools in teaching and learning, students can know how to do tasks or play games on the online applications
Lastly, as presented in the Table, 87.5% of the participants believed that the use of ICT supported student-centered teaching methods as well as enabled students to access to learning activities wherever and whenever they like, meanwhile, 12.5% disagreed with those items It means students can learn with the teacher in class or self-study at home They can personalize their process of learning The interviews also highly rated the contributions of ICT in supporting student-centered learning They agreed that using ICT to find relevant material and knowledge could help students study more independently of their teachers All we need to do is assign them work and make things easier for them if we have resources like the Internet A teacher further explained:
“I created a Zalo group chat for all members of my class They are only children so their parents help them access to the online activities At weekend, I often give them assignment on Kahoot so that they can do it like playing a game at home”
In summary, Table 1 demonstrates that participants thought using ICT was highly helpful for students' learning They view the use of ICT to support students' learning positively The majority of them believed that the use of ICT may enhance learning process, encourage student engagement, and increase students' awareness of how technology influences their daily lives They also believed that ICT may improve the excitement even efficiency of learning activities
4.1.2 Teachers’ perceptions about ICT usefulness for teachers’ teaching
The results of the next part of the questionnaire, with 7 items relating to teachers‟ perceptions about ICT usefulness for teaching English, are shown in Table 4.2 below
Table 4.2 Teachers’ perceptions about ICT usefulness for teaching English
1 The use of ICT (referring generally to computers, videos, hardware, software, and networks) encourages me update new digital skills regularly
2 The use of ICT helps me provide students with learning resources quickly and conveniently
3 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to present and deliver lesson content 0 3.1 46.9 50
4 The use of ICT helps me diversify the assessment for students 0 6.2 56.3 37.5
5 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to control student learning 0 12.5 68.7 18.8
6 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to store teacher and student documents 0 0 43.7 56.3
7 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to evaluate my students' learning progress 0 15.6 71.9 12.5
According to Table 4.2, all of the respondents agreed that the use of ICT helped them provide students with learning resources quickly and conveniently, as well as, made it easier for them to store teachers‟ and students‟ documents The majority of the interviewees also highly appreciated the usefulness of ICT in helping them organize and keep documents They supported that it is easier to find an audio or a video that they have used before This was clarified by both interviewees as follows: “It makes it easier for us to develop materials and improves how well we perform our instruction All we need is something like Power Point, which is more entertaining and which we can use repeatedly” (T4, October 8th)
“I uploaded the materials using in teaching on Google Drive and also saved it in my smartphone This would shorten the time for opening an audio, for example, whenever I needed it.”
The same number of teachers (100%) reported that the use of ICT (referring generally to computers, videos, hardware, software, and networks) encouraged them update new digital skills regularly Besides, the majority of the participants (96.9%) stated that they agreed that it easier for them to present and deliver lesson content by using ICT tools while only 3.1% disagreed with this statement This is explained by both interviewees as below:
“Well, I mean I can present materials better to my students Students can learn more and remember more, for instance, by using a projector since it is more engaging Compared to just giving out copies of the materials, it is preferable”
“ICT makes it easier in teaching One reason for this is that we know that some students are better to learn via visual or audio, and they can get this via technology”
EFL Teachers‟ perceptions about difficulties in using ICT in English
The study's next objective is to investigate ICT usage challenges that EFL teachers have reported having in their classrooms The findings of the survey are displayed in Table 4.3 below
Table 4.3 Teachers’ perceptions about difficulties in using ICT in English teaching
1 My school does not have the Internet for teaching 16 50
2 My school has Internet for teaching, but the speed is not guaranteed for teaching 22 68.8
3 ICT devices are not easily accessible at my school 6 18.8
4 My school does not have enough computer for teachers to use during class time 14 43.8
5 My school does not encourage teachers‟ use of
6 I have limited time to integrate ICT in my teaching lessons 21 65.6
7 I have had difficulties in time management when using ICT in my class 17 53.1
8 I have not enough experiences and training to apply ICT in my teaching 15 46.9
9 I think that purchasing technological tools is too expensive 14 43.8
10 I have had to share the ICT devices with other colleagues 12 37.5
It is clear in the Table that 68,8% of the teachers thought the most difficulty that they have faced was the speed of Internet in their school is not guaranteed for teaching In the interview, T5 also claimed about the limitation of WIFI connection that:
“The fact that technical issues still occur sometimes annoys me a lot For instance, the Internet connection in the classroom is intermittent due to the extremely slow school Wi-fi There are times when the connecting cable between the teacher's laptop and the school projector is incompatible”
Following this number, the second challenge stated by 65.6% was they have limited time to integrate ICT in their teaching lessons as the reason they did not have enough time to prepare lessons that incorporated ICT in schools This agrees with Bingimlas' (2009) statement that a shortage of time prevents educators from researching and preparing ICT resources for their classes As a result, they are less likely to want to fully employ ICT and include it into their lessons The interview's findings confirmed that teachers were certainly challenged by the time limit they were given
“I still don't use technology in my lessons much since I don't have the time Time limitations have been highlighted by a large number of teachers as one of the challenges in their usage of ICT in their teaching-learning”
Next, one of the obstacles to using ICT was teachers‟ time management ability 53.1% of the respondents thought that they have had difficulties in time management when using ICT in my class This challenge is most likely caused on by the EFL teachers' pressure to finish the curriculum They prioritized time management as a result in order to finish the session on time
Similarly, the interview results were also aligned with the questionnaire data
“Many teachers lack the skills necessary to use ICT in teaching effectively ICT usage takes up a lot of my time, which is a serious issue I am unable to manage my time in class”
Another problem of using ICT in English teaching was the lack of qualified technical staff 50% of the teachers stated that there was no one to support them in integrating technology From the interviews, complaints about the lack of qualified technicians which may influence the teachers‟ use of ICT in the classroom were recorded
“It took a lot of time to prepare a quality lecture If there is an electrical problem, I will be passive about it because I don't know how to deal with it Since there aren't enough qualified technicians to support teaching, using ICT is quite challenging for me”
“Electricity, computers, and other machines are all essential to teaching technology, yet I frequently experience some difficulty with them Unfortunately, I can never seem to locate any technical assistance when I run into issues”
As can be seen in the Table, the lack of experiences and training was considered as a challenge when using ICT in teaching English Up to 46.9% of the teachers stated that they had not enough experiences and training to apply ICT in teaching The findings also supported Pham (2018) discovering four issues and challenges related to “Subjects” of using ICT, and one of them is the low qualified ICT training T2 further claimed: “In addition, a few teachers engage in a high-quality ICT training program They therefore are unable to use ICT in the classroom.” (T2, October 5 th )
It can also be observed from the Table that there were 43.8% of the respondents who thought that their school did not have enough computer for teachers to use during class time Besides, the same numbers of teachers stated that purchasing technological tools was too expensive Both these issues were highlighted as the challenges teachers had face when using ICT in English teaching
“Sometimes I cannot use the computer in the lab because it had problems I had to bring my own laptop to the classroom Unluckily, it also took me lots of time as my equipment was really outdated and I can’t manage to buy a new one”
Additionally, although there was a lack of ICT equipment in many schools, 37.5% of the teachers still had had to share the ICT devices with other colleagues Lastly, only a small portion of responders selected this item
“ICT devices are not easily accessible at my school” and “My school does not encourage teachers‟ use of ICT in teaching” (with 18.8% and 12.5%, respectively)
In conclusion, the previous findings outline the challenges that the teachers had to face when they tried to integrate technology into their teaching The lack of ICT accessibility and facilities, a lack of time, a lack of ICT competence, a lack of ICT training, a lack of technical assistance, and unfavorable attitudes toward ICT integration in the classroom were some of the most frequent difficulties experienced by teachers.
EFL Teachers‟ practices of using ICT in English teaching
This section is devoted to presenting the findings on the practice of ICT in teaching English made by four primary school teachers (T1, T2, T3, T4) Their actual practices were reported from 4 observed lessons The researcher followed a checklist and made field notes while on the field trip to conduct observations, paying special attention to how technology was incorporated into the lesson plan, the teaching process, and assessments that were conducted
4.3.1 The use of ICT tools
Regarding the availability of different ICTs, each school had very basic ICT facilities and only a few classrooms equipped with computers, LCDs, projectors and speakers The number of computers is not available enough for teachers‟ uses It was also observed that the majority of teachers have their own laptop for classroom use to support their teaching since the accessible computers in the classroom did not work effectively Sometimes they were even forced to borrow computers from friends or family (T2) In some occasions, there were also insufficient projectors and speakers for them to use and the lab was overlapped The researcher also noticed that the loudspeakers in some classrooms are often buzzing
In the term of the Internet connection, all of schools had their own Wi-
Fi According to field notes created from the class observations, Wi-Fi connectivity was unstable because of a weak internet connection Due to the incredibly slow school Wi-Fi, there are gaps in the classroom's Internet access
Additionally, field notes jotted based on classroom observations reveal that the teachers who took part in this study employed a number of resources, including those for lesson planning and classroom instruction The main uses of ICT tools of the teachers were limited to PowerPoint slides and audio (3 teachers) Interestingly, the other ICT uses relating to online applications There was a video on YouTube using by T1 to show a real conservation related to the topic of Greeting for her students Also, in the presentation stage, T1 used the online dictionaries to instruct students on how to pronounce certain vocabulary Besides, the students from class of T4 played a game on Quizizz application for the first stage of the lesson – Warm up
Field notes jotted based on classroom observations revealed that the teacher participants integrated at a certain level when teaching English Most of teachers can manage if the ICT tools had problems It can be observed that T1 and T4 had use the ICT tools in their presentation effectively by both offline and online applications The two teachers gave students motivations and engagement by using ICT tools in their lessons Besides that, the researcher found T2 encountered a problem relating to the Internet connection in the beginning Because T2‟s lesson using simple Power Point slides, the poor connection did not effect to the whole performance
It can also be found that only one of four teacher participants in the classroom observation had low ICT competence T3 had the problem with time management in teaching since the ICT integration was used unreasonably There were some lessons in the new curriculum of Grade 3 including to many contents so it was hard for her to cover all of it Nearly all of the period time had been used to introduce the new vocabulary, grammar and let students practice the new language items Finally, T3 cannot let her students play a game in the last stage due to the lack of time
About using ICT tools in order to evaluate students' learning progress, findings obtained from the observation showed that the majority of teachers still use the traditional ways to mark and assess their students The use of ICT to evaluate students' learning process only occurred in small numbers, large numbers such as an entire class had not yet been found
Field notes derived from the school observations reveal that the use of ICT promote students‟ motivation and involvement, nurture students‟ positive attitudes towards learning Besides, the use of ICT encourages collaboration among students and facilitates them working collectively In other words, the ICT uses can facilitate students in their learning process For example, the game in the Warm up stage T4 had applied demanded group work so students had to cooperate randomly with others classmate It can be showed that the use of ICT made students more active and encouraged them to work collectively.
Summary
The results of interviews and questionnaires about how EFL teachers perceive about integrating ICT into their classroom instruction are presented in this chapter Besides that, the findings from class observation to explore the practices of EFL primary school teacher in using ICT in English teaching is also showed First of all, the majority of participants expressed a favorable view regarding the usefulness of using ICT in English teaching and learning The results also point to the challenges teachers reported while employing ICT in the classroom On these foundations, the following chapter will discuss the implications, limitations, and some recommendations for future researches.
CONCLUSION
Conclusions
The study made an effort to shed light on EFL high school teachers‟ perceptions about using ICT in their language teaching There are three particular questions were brought up in the study to achieve this objective:
1 What are the EFL primary school teachers‟ perceptions of the benefits of using ICT in their language teaching?
2 What are the EFL primary school teachers' perceptions of the difficulties in using ICT in their language teaching?
3 What are the EFL primary school teachers‟ practices of using ICT for their language teaching?
In order to address research concerns, this study adopted descriptive design in which quantitative data were collected using questionnaires whereas qualitative data were gained through follow-up interviews and classroom observations
In response to the first question concerning the teachers‟ perception of using ICT, the study confirmed that the teachers advocated the importance of ICT in EFL classroom The majority of EFL primary school teachers had a positive perception of ICT use in English teaching They openly acknowledged that using ICT had considerable advantages in language teaching as well as language learning Regarding the benefits of using ICT in students‟ learning, the EFL teachers believed that the use of ICT simplified, varied, and enjoyed lessons in the classroom, which motivated their students to engage in an active and motivated learning environment Besides that, technology made teaching easier by delivering resources, managing student activities, tracking learning progress, and storing teachers‟ and students‟ documents
Additionally, the results of this study show that the EFL teachers encountered significant challenges when utilizing ICT The main obstacles were a slow Internet connection, the lack of ICT accessibility and facilities, a lack of time, a lack of ICT competence, and a lack of technical assistance According to this study, these challenges were seen as among the biggest barriers preventing EFL primary school teachers from incorporating ICT into their lessons Insufficient training and expertise of ICT was another prevalent issue Some educators needed more training to advance their ICT knowledge and abilities since they had limited experience integrating ICT into the classroom Lastly, teachers‟ poor financial conditions for ICT facilities was issue impeding teachers' use of ICT in the classroom
With respect to the last research question concerning the real practices of teachers‟ in using ICT in English teaching, the examination of the classroom observation checklists has revealed a number of results Regarding the ICT tools, all of the schools surveyed in this study lacked ICT facilities to support ICT integration In the term of the Internet connection, each school had their own Wi-Fi, however, it was unstable About the use of ICT resources, the researcher discovered that ICT uses related to both offline (Power Point, audio) and online (YouTube video, Quizzizz, dictionaries) applications What is more, the teacher participants integrated to a certain extent when teaching English, according to field notes made based on observations made in the classroom If there are issues with the ICT tools, most teachers can handle them The use of ICT to evaluate students' learning process only occurred in small numbers, large numbers such as an entire class had not yet been found Finally, the usage of ICT promotes students' positive attitudes about learning and increases their enthusiasm and involvement Additionally, ICT use promotes student teamwork and makes group work easier for them In other words, the ICT uses can facilitate students in their learning process.
Implications
After carrying out an analysis of teachers‟ perceptions and practices of using ICT in English teaching, certain implications can be drawn as follows:
The first practical contribution of the present research is that, there should never again be a challenge regarding the lack of technical assistance for teachers using ICT in the classroom There are various methods for doing this On the one hand, it is necessary to regularly check all of the facilities to ensure that they are in good working order On the other hand, each school should have a sufficient number of technicians on staff at the language lab to ensure that teachers receive timely help Teachers will then be more willing to employ ICT in the classroom as a result of feeling more confident
Second, the other issue in utilizing ICT in the classroom, as evidenced in the findings section, was the slow Internet connection In light of this, the school ought to provide wireless Internet connectivity so that both teachers and pupils can access the web whenever they need to
Third, it is possible for MOET to initiate the forming of professional learning community together with suitable transformational models for teacher training for teachers to exchange ideas and improve their skills and knowledge It is important for teacher training programs to be carefully thought out and executed so that instructors may apply what they learn in the classroom and get support in enhancing their instructional strategies
Regarding to teachers‟ ICT competence, the findings showed that the EFL teachers‟ knowledge of ICT was at a moderate level Therefore, in order to effectively use ICT to improve the quality of teaching and learning, teachers should be encouraged to take on new roles and responsibilities Teachers now have additional responsibilities in order to enhance their ICT- related knowledge, skills, and abilities For example, they must attend ICT training programs even though neither the Department of Education and Training nor the school offer them Moreover, while they wait for the MOET to establish a more professional network, teachers themselves can try more to share their thoughts and experiences through publicly accessible social media and learning platforms like Facebook or blogs
Finally, in light of the previous conclusion, local organizations such as Parent Teacher Associations could play an effective role in supporting ICT facilities for teachers by raising funds or calling for donations from local companies.
Limitations
Despite the fact that a lot of work has gone into gathering and analyzing the data, there will always be some limitations due to a lack of resources, including time and materials for the surveys, difficulty discovering reliable sources of information, and the researchers' limited expertise
The scope of the study is one of the limitations The study was carried out on a rather small scale of 32 teachers in Quy Nhon city Therefore, if the study was conducted on a large scale with more participants and over a longer period of time, the results would be more reliable An additional limitation of the research is to the length of time devoted to classroom observations However, there is so much to cover in the process of performing this thesis that it is not possible to dedicate more time to this activity Finally, there is a huge difference in the number of male and female teachers participating in the study Consequently, the study could not compare the differences between the two genders regarding their perceptions.
Suggestions for further studies
The limitations discussed in the previous section might offer some ideas for additional research that could help fill the gaps this study was unable to address First and foremost, one of the limitations of this study is because of the small size of the sample As a result, further studies can be conducted to investigate the perceptions and practices of EFL teachers in using ICT with larger size of participants and choosing them randomly at the beginning Second, the study carried out an investigation into teachers‟ perceptions but did not include students‟ perceptions Therefore, future studies may expand to explore students‟ perceptions and practices in using ICT Last but not least, the study is carried out at primary school level; further study can also be conducted at different levels
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This survey was conducted to collect data for the topic "EFL Primary school teachers‟ perceptions and practices of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in English teaching" Your answers are very important for this study All data obtained is for research purposes only All information you provide will be kept confidential during the study as well as after the end of the study
You need about 15 minutes to answer the questions
Thank you for your cooperation!
Definition: ICT is hardware such as computers, projectors, interactive whiteboards, TVs, physical projectors, the internet and applications and software such as Word, PowerPoint, web browsers, Google Classroom, Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc and computer-aided language learning applications/software (CALL) as well as useful websites for foreign language teaching
Please tick ( ) the appropriate options for your answers
● How long have you been teaching English?
Section B: EFL Teachers’ perceptions about the benefits of using ICT
Please tick () the appropriate options for your answers
Statements S tr o n g ly D is a g re e D is a g re e A g re e S tr o n g ly A g re e
I Teachers’ perceptions about ICT usefulness for learning English
1 The use of ICT improves student learning efficiency
2 The use of ICT makes students more interested in learning
3 The use of ICT helps students acquire knowledge and skills of IT devices
4 The use of ICT makes students more active in learning
5 The use of ICT makes learning activities more interesting and engaging
6 The use of ICT supports student-centered teaching methods
7 The use of ICT helps to improve young learners' listening, speaking, reading, writing, and especially vocabulary skills
8 The use of ICT enables students to access to learning activities wherever and whenever they like
9 The use of ICT makes learning activities easier to carry out
10 The use of ICT allows learners to be more creative and imaginative
11 The use of ICT adds opportunities for
Statements S tr o n g ly D is a g re e D is a g re e A g re e S tr o n g ly A g re e students to communicate with teachers and classmates
12 The use of ICT encourages collaboration among students and facilitates them working collectively
II Teachers’ perceptions about ICT usefulness for teaching English
13 The use of ICT (referring generally to computers, videos, hardware, software, and networks) encourages me update new digital skills regularly
14 The use of ICT helps me provide students with learning resources quickly and conveniently
13 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to present and deliver lesson content
15 The use of ICT helps me diversify the assessment for students
16 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to control student learning
17 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to store teacher and student documents
18 The use of ICT makes it easier for me to evaluate my students' learning progress
Section C: EFL Teachers’ perceptions about difficulties in using ICT in English teaching
The difficulties when you use IT in English teaching activities are:
(select all the reasons that appropriate for you) a My school does not have the Internet for teaching b My school has Internet for teaching, but the speed is not guaranteed for teaching c ICT devices are not easily accessible at my school d My school does not have enough computer for teachers to use during class time e My school does not encourage teachers‟ use of ICT in teaching f I have limited time to integrate ICT in my teaching lessons g I have had difficulties in time management when using ICT in my class h I have not enough experiences and training to apply ICT in my teaching i I think that purchasing technological tools is too expensive j I have had to share the ICT devices with other colleagues
Do you have any suggestions or suggestions to encourage teachers to use ICT in English teaching activities? If so, please write it down below
Thank you for your cooperation!
1 What is your viewpoint about ICT use in teaching? Do you often use ICT in your teaching?
2 Do you think teachers should use ICT in teaching English?
3 Do your school and relevant authorities support your use of ICT in teaching? In what ways?
4 What are the benefits of using ICT in teaching English?
5 What do you consider to be some of the challenges of using ICT in teaching English?
6 What should be done to promote teachers using ICT in teaching English at school?
Thank you for your cooperation!
The purpose of this observation is to access the practices of ICT in teaching English and also to find out the problems faced by the teacher in English teaching and learning process The activities will be marked in the category of YES/NO on the basis of whether they happen or not in the classroom
Numbers of students in the class: ………
1 The use of ICT tools Yes No Notes
1.1 There are LCD and projectors equipped in the classroom for their teaching presentations and practices
1.2 There are available computers or laptops in the classroom for teachers
1.3 Teachers have their own laptop for classroom use to support their teaching
1.4 The Internet connection is stable
1.5 Teachers mostly use Microsoft Office applications, such as Ms Word and Ms PowerPoint for their teaching
1.6 Teachers use online applications for their teaching
2.1 Teachers can easily use the ICT tools in their teaching
2.2 Teachers give students motivations by using ICT tools
2.3 Teachers have difficulties in time management when using ICT in their teaching
2.4 Teachers can manage if ICT tools have problems
2.5 Teachers can deliver the lessons easier by using
2.6 Teachers can evaluate students' learning progress easier by using ICT tools
3.1 The use of ICT makes students more motivated in learning
3.2 The use of ICT makes learning activities more interesting and engaging
3.3 The use of ICT helps students acquire knowledge and skills of IT devices
3.4 The use of ICT improves student learning efficiency
3.5 The use of ICT allows students to be more creative and imaginative
3.6 The use of ICT encourages collaboration among students and facilitates them working collectively.