[LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ] Attitudes towards and perceptions of the use of edtech apps in english language learning among EFL students at Dinh Tien Hoang High School

-NGUYEN THI HONG DUNG

ATTITUDES TOWARDS AND PERCEPTIONS OFTHE USE OF EDTECH APPS IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG EFLSTUDENTS AT DINH TIEN HOANG HIGH

MASTER’S THESIS

Ba Ria - Vung Tau, March 2023

-NGUYEN THI HONG DUNG

ATTITUDES TOWARDS AND PERCEPTIONS OFTHE USE OF EDTECH APPS IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG EFLSTUDENTS AT DINH TIEN HOANG HIGH

Supervisor’s name: Dr TRAN QUOC THAO

Ba Ria - Vung Tau, March 2023

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled:

ATTITUDES TOWARDS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE USE OF EDTECH APPSIN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG EFL STUDENTS AT DINHTIEN HOANG HIGH SCHOOL

In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master’s programs issued byHigher Degree Committee of Postgraduate Institute, Ba Ria Vung Tau University

Ba Ria-Vung Tau, March 2023

NGUYEN THI HONG DUNG

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Nguyen Thi Hong Dung, being a candidate for the degree of TESOLaccept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’sThesis deposited in the Library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s Thesis deposited inthe Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance withthe normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and reproduction forthesis.

Ba Ria - Vung Tau, March 2023

Nguyen Thi Hong Dung

Secondly, I am grateful for the assistance and support of the school board staff includingthe principal and the Postgraduate Institute of the University of Ba Ria - Vung Tau inVung Tau City, who have helped me greatly to complete this M.A course.

Thirdly, I would like to take the opportunity to thank examiners for reading my proposalfor their in-depth comments and suggesting future steps they gave during the thesisdefense.

I am also deeply grateful for the support of administrators, teachers and students at DinhTien Hoang High School, the enthusiastic participation of the students in this researchproject This study would not have been possible without the valuable data they provided.Last but not least, I owe my family wholehearted thanks for the everlasting support andencouragement I received I might not have gone that far on my academic path withoutthem.

Technology has grown to be a crucial component in education overall and in Englishlanguage learning in particular The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to anincrease in online teaching over the past few years in order to track the learning process.Thus, educational technology apps (Edtech Apps), namely Nearpod, Quizizz and Padlet,are supposed to be essential during lockdown restrictions and social distancing Thisstudy aims to explore students’ attitudes toward the use of Edtech Apps as well as theirperceptions of the effectiveness of Edtech Apps in the context of Dinh Tien Hoang HighSchool In the academic year 2021-2022, a total of 122 students conveniently chosen fromgrade 10 to grade 12 at Dinh Tien Hoang High School, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria - VungTau province, participated in the study To gather the data, the researcher used bothquantitative and qualitative methods The study used questionnaire and semi-structuredinterview as its two primary instruments SPSS was used to process the quantitative datafrom the questionnaire, while the qualitative data from interviews were analyzed using thecontent analysis approach Using SPSS 20, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was determinedto assess the validity and reliability From the results of the data processing, it was foundthat the research participants had positive attitudes and perceptions towards the use ofEdtech Apps in English language learning Among the three components of attitudes,research participants showed better attitudes in the aspect of affective They had a strongunderstanding of how Edtech Apps could help them improve their vocabulary, grammarand reading skills (cognitive attitudes), and they would like to continue using EdtechApps for their future language learning (behavioral attitudes) The findings also showedthat the majority of research participants perceived the effectiveness of Edtech Apps.Students agreed that the use of Edtech Apps helped to enhance their English skills andknowledge (usefulness) They felt convenient, confident and enjoyable to engage inlearning activities with Edtech Apps (ease of use) The findings of the study indicated thatEdtech Apps such as Nearpod, Quizizz and Padlet not only have improved students toformulate their positive learning habits but also have promoted their motivation.

Additional pedagogical recommendations have been made for administrators, teachersand students to improve teaching quality in the best possible methods.

Keywords: attitude; perception; EFL students ; technology; Edtech Apps

LIST OF TABLES xi

LIST OF FIGURES xii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the study 1

1.2 Statement of the problem 3

1.3 Aims and objectives of the study 5

1.4 Research questions 6

1.5 Scope of the study 6

1 6 Significance of the study 6

1.7 Definitions of the Terms 7

1.8 Organization of the study 8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 10

2.3.1 Definitions of attitudes 18

2.3.2 The components of attitudes 20

2.4 Students’ perceptions of the use of Edtech Apps in learning English 22

3.6 Data collection procedure 41

3.7 Data analysis procedure 41

3.8 Validity and Reliability 42

5.3.1 Implications for the administrators of Dinh Tien Hoang High School 59

5.3.2 Implications for the teachers of Dinh Tien Hoang High School 59

5.3.3 Implications for the students of Dinh Tien Hoang High School 60

5.4 Limitations 60

5.5 Recommendations for the further research 61

REFERENCES 62

APPENDICES 72

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

4 EDTECH APPS Educational technology applications

11 SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Participant’s background information 35

Table 3.2: Participant’s general perceptions about Edtech Apps 36

Table 3.3: Cronbach’s Alpha of the questionnaire items 42

Table 4.1: Perceptions of the use of Edtech Apps in English language learning 44

Table 4.2: Participants’ perceptions of using Edtech Apps in terms of Usefulness 45

Table 4.3: Participants’ perceptions of using Edtech Apps in terms of Ease of Use 47

Table 4.4: Participants’ perceptions of using Edtech Apps in terms of Motivation 48

Table 4.5: Attitudes towards the use of Edtech Apps in English language learning 49

Table 4.6: Participants’ cognitive attitudes towards the use of Edtech Apps 50

Table 4.7: Participants’ affective attitudes towards the use of Edtech Apps 52

Table 4.8: Participants’ behavioral attitudes towards the use of Edtech Apps 53

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1: Nearpod 13

Figure 2.2: Padlet 14

Figure 2.3: Quizizz 16

Figure 2.4: Learners’ Attitude Model (Solomon et al 2010) 20

Figure 2.5: Learners’ Perception Model (David et al.,1989) 22

Figure 2.6: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (adapted from Davis, 1989) 23

Figure 2.7 Conceptual framework 25

Figure 3.1: Sequential explanatory design (Creswell, 2009) 33

Figure 3.2: Frequency of using Edtech Apps 38

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1.1 Background to the study

For decades, one of the most popular ideas in students’ attitudes towards their learningprocess literature is the idea that uses some motivational factors like games andtechnology-based approaches so as to master their knowledge and features learners’autonomous collaborations in the process of their use of educational technologies Themethods for teaching and learning English have changed significantly as a result of theexpress development of ICT (Mazman & Uslue, 2010) Mobile learning programshave been carried out in schools to foster students’ five core competences(collaboration, communication, complex problem-solving, critical thinking andcreativity) in Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand (Binsaleh & Binsaleh, 2013; Looi et al.,2010) According to Stepp-Greany (2002), students’ motivation can be raised bymodern technologies equipped in the classroom Wang and Hannafin (2005) reportsthat language students with attractive and genuine correspondence components canfoster their language abilities in the classroom He further proceeds to say that utilizingcomputers and innovative hardware gives students the feeling of opportunity andsupport Technology may help students experience the real world, and they can bemotivated easily Zengin (2007) indicates that the technological classroom has becomecrucial nowadays because students are more excited about lessons via multimedia.Donahoe et al (2019) underline the significance of having an initiating methodologyfor every class so the student has a chance to acquire an interest in the subject in apleasant and interactive way By employing Edtech Apps (Educational technologyapplications) in an activating strategy, teachers can bring students into their exercisesby using devices that students are familiar with and possibly enthusiastic about.

Perceiving the above trend, teachers and students need to be more encouraged to usetechnology in language learning and teaching in the 4.0 revolution era Most EdtechApps provide a more flexible learning environment that can accommodate individualneeds and preferences and are seen as a method for adopting individualized instructionin the classroom Since learning that is enjoyable seems to be more effective, EdtechApps must play a crucial part in the teaching and learning of English (Lepper &

Cordova, 1992) Indeed, as can be seen, today, the role of using Apps to encouragestudent collaboration and creativity is highly emphasized in most English teachingcurriculum Kearsley and Shneiderman (1998) express that the usage of email, onlineconferencing, and video conferencing considerably increases the quantity and comfortof communication as well as the accessibility of information Thanks to technology,students may learn in a setting that encourages the kind of collaboration andcommunication needed to assist dedication The demand for transference conventionalteaching and learning activities has become a pressing necessity during the Coronacrisis To have a transformable impact, e-learning and digital online education havebeen strengthened (Renz et al., 2020).

As mentioned above, recent dominant trends in applying Edtech Apps in teaching andlearning English have led to a proliferation of studies that highlight the integral role oftechnological knowledge in the EFL field both in the world and in Vietnam In theVietnamese context, in alignment with improving the quality of English languageteaching, the installation of computers in all of the nation's schools has been funded,and educators are urged to use technology in their instruction rather than rely oncustomary practice (Peeraer & Tran, 2012) EFL learners can manage the interactionof their own learning and gain access to a wealth of helpful internet resources, studysoftware, and online dictionaries by using technology to learn the English languagemore effectively and quickly Students will in general, have uplifting perspectivestowards modern technologies and think that technologies make them capable oflearning EFL and EFL acquisition Recent studies show that using technology bringsmany benefits to the teaching and learning process For instance, in the study of Leand Vo (2014), applications, the Internet, and other technologies are widely employedin all facets of society, especially in the field of education According to this report,teachers are excited about ICT learning, and it affects the students’ perceptions.Teachers want to create a friendly and creative educational culture, and technology isconsidered one of the most effective methods In addition, Tran (2015) states thatteachers should use instructional strategies that encourage students to actively learnand practice English Moreover, teachers must be taught and practice applications to

increase students' motivation or engage them in a social media interaction, learn anduse ICT It is also seen that using technology in the classroom should be suitable tofacilitate students’ learning.

Turning now to the current context of using Edtech Apps in teaching and learningEnglish at Dinh Tien Hoang High School, it is from the author’s observation andexperience that teachers are found to be skillful and willing to exploit these moderntools to stimulate students’ motivation and attitudes towards learning a foreignlanguage, especially in the time of pandemic Virus corona outbreak Because mobiledevices can supply rapid access to knowledge, they may also be able to supportpermanent learning The researcher’s school has the Internet installed and equippedwith Whiteboard, which is convenient for teachers and students to apply games andactivities through Apps during the lesson However, the frequency and effectiveness ofusing Edtech Apps in English teaching are seen differently among teachers A smallnumber of teachers are supposed to be much successful in this kind of activity Incontrast, the majority of teachers are observed to give lectures only, and they wouldlike to follow the traditional teaching methods In comparison, the use of Edtech Appsamong students has become popular as many of them have their smartphone, laptop ortablets Modern technology has played a crucial part in the life of students and isincreasingly used at our school as well as their homes The vast majority of studentsare found to be willing to study actively by shifting from the traditional approach tothe new one As the result of the above-mentioned problems, which leads to theinevitable mobile learning among students at Dinh Tien Hoang high school, which isbecoming more prevalent in revolution 4.0 and particularly effective in promotingactive learning and giving feedback at once This current study set out to investigatelearners’ views towards the use of Edtech Apps at Dinh Tien Hoang High School, andthe impact and effectiveness of Edtech Apps in learning English.

1.2 Statement of the problem

English has become an international language It is the reason why students fromprimary education to secondary education have to learn English as a core subject in thenational curriculum In this digital era, most students concentrate on smartphones, and

they have high expectations of the teachers who will provide blended learning, whichcombines online learning materials using technology with conventional methods,especially in English.

Dinh Tien Hoang High School is equipped with technology-based facilities such asinternet system, interactive whiteboard, etc Besides, the school has two additionalexercises educated by local educators to assist students with fostering their talking andlistening abilities in the early evening Obviously, students have numerousopportunities to upgrade their English learning Nonetheless, students are found toexperience significant hardships in actuality First and foremost, they have a low-levelof English capability, and they may not deal with any obstructions without help fromanyone else, particularly how to comprehend the two sets of the parallel curriculawhich are being utilized in instructing at Dinh Tien Hoang High School Manystudents show that they are teacher-dependent learners and they need support fromtheir teachers Secondly, students must endure the monotonous, traditional ways ofteaching in a regular class setting Sometimes, students get the materials by listening tothe explanation and doing translations from the teachers Some learn when beingforced to learn, and they have relatively low motivation in ELL, so they cannotaccomplish their learning tasks as required.

Although allowing students to use Edtech Apps in an activating strategy in theclassroom has been increasingly more and more common as technology advances andturns out to be more universal, many students just use their phones to look up themeaning of new words or for interpretation on Google Many students may use Appsto practice the lesson more at home, but some students like playing games, and havetrouble using their mobile phone due to the small screen and hard to operate devices.In reality, how easy or difficult it is to utilize the technology has a big impact on thewillingness of learners to participate in classroom activities Before the time of theCovid-19 epidemic, the application of IT (Information Technology) in contentinnovation and teaching methods had been expanded, disseminated, and directed byschools to improve the effectiveness of lectures However, there are still contrastsbetween teachers in this work The Covid-19 pandemic has altered the way how many

individuals obtain and impart education, and it has temporarily forced manyuniversities, institutions and schools to remain closed to avoid the spread of thispandemic In order to prevent the spread of the Covid -19, online learning has beenimplemented in a focused, continuous manner since April 2020 Following the practiceof social distancing, The Ministry of Education let students learn online throughapplications such as Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Nearpod, Padlet, or Quizizz,which can successfully be used as an alternative for face-to-face classes This type oflearning environment can build the learning potential of the students, and it is a goodsolution for students to continue studying without going to school Students canacquire new abilities at any time and anywhere However, some teachers and studentsare still stuck in applying new methods because they have many difficulties whenworking on these EdTech Apps to know how to start using it, how to decreasedistractions, how to sharpen students’ skills via EdTech and it requires someinvestment for planning another exercise Moreover, small group of students are stilllearning passively and get distracted in learning when they use Edtech Apps.Furthermore, the use of Edtech Apps for a long time may prevent students from realcommunication with others as they lack social contact and face-to-face interaction.Besides, the time limitation of class, and the school facilities for teaching English arealso needed to take into consideration The lack of time, the mixed-level studentpopulation, the large class sizes, the outdated and inadequate teaching materials, andthe genuine motivational environment are some additional major issues that may makeit difficult for teachers and students to use Edtech Apps in real teaching context atDinh Tien Hoang High School With a forty-five-minute period and an average offorty-five kids in each class, it is impossible to avoid the inefficiency of usingtechnology in the classroom.

1.3 Aims and objectives of the study

This study aims at exploring the EFL Students’ attitudes towards the use of EdTechApps for English language learning at the context of Dinh Tien Hoang High School inVung Tau The specific objectives are as follows:

+ To examine EFL Students’ perceptions of the use of EdTech Apps in learningEnglish at the context of Dinh Tien Hoang High School;

+ To find out EFL Students’ attitudes towards the use of EdTech Apps for Englishlanguage learning at the context of Dinh Tien Hoang High School

1.5 Scope of the study

This study was carried out at Dinh Tien Hoang High School, Vung Tau City, Ba RiaVung Tau Province Participants were 122 students from grade 10 to grade 12 at DinhTien Hoang High School Students were conveniently chosen The mixed method(quantitative and qualitative) was applied to gain the results The researcher employeda questionnaire and semi-structured interview to collect the data In terms of dataanalysis, Google Forms was used to get students’ answers and then the researcher usedSPSS to analyze the data.

1 6 Significance of the study

Nowadays, technology is widely used in the teaching and study of the Englishlanguage, and this led to a substantial innovation in Vietnam education Technology isincreasingly being incorporated into classroom instruction to enahnce learners’motivation and learning context Students have additional opportunities to master theirlearning process via the use of current technology Instead of getting knowledgepassively from teacher with conventional method, they may take more responsibilityfor their leaning and they are more active in their lesson with the help of the EdtechApps However, a little research about the use of Edtech Apps has been available atour school This study is significant because it provides profound understandings onthe use of Edtech Apps, the challenges that teachers and students may encounter when

implementing it as well as how it affects students’ attitudes It will help to investigatethe perceptions of students about the effectiveness when they implement Edtech Appsin their learning.

This study has been implemented in an effort to discover the impact of Edtech Apps,specifically Nearpod, Quizizz and Padlet, in English language acquisition among EFLstudents at Dinh Tien Hoang High School and investigate the perceptions of studentstowards the use of Edtech Apps in their education It is believed that this study givescontributions to people involved in pedagogical fields, both theoretically andpractically, as well as English teaching and learning.

With respect to the theoretical contribution, the study's findings are anticipated toenhance theoretical evidence and research on the use of Edtech Apps as atechnological tool for learning English In addition, the findings of the study will alsobe beneficial for English educational researchers who are interested in the adoption ofonline platforms to learn more Apps usage for language instruction.

Regarding practical contribution, it will educate teachers on how to use Edtech Appsin the classroom It may be a viable option for an English teaching technique todevelop students' knowledge and skills From the results of the questionnaire as wellas the student's interview, teachers can identify the benefits and shortcomings of theirown actual teaching As a result, it is hoped that the teachers' instruction will improve.The findings of this study will be useful as a reference for Vietnamese EFL policymakers and faculty members as they adapt and implement the integration of Nearpod,Quizizz, and Padlet, as well as other Edtech Apps, into their teaching practices toimprove student’s English proficiency and understanding Additionally, Edtech Appsare thought to be a useful tool for students to enhance their learning process both inand outside the classroom The investigation should help EFL students at Dinh TienHoang high school overcome their challenges with English language acquisition.1.7 Definitions of the Terms

To provide a specific perspective on the issues addressed, several terms must bespecified for the purpose of this report.

EdTech Apps refers to hardware and software designed to upgrade teacher-ledlearning in classrooms and improve students' education outcomes (Cook andEllaway, 2015) In the context of the study, the term EdTech Apps refers toapplications designed for language learning such as Nearpod, Quizizz, and Padlet.EFL students refer to students who are learning English as a foreign language atDinh Tien Hoang high school, Vung Tau City.

Motivation: Motivation in language learning is defined as a mix of effort thatincludes both a desire to attain the goal and positive attitudes toward learning thelanguage (Gardner, 1985)

Attitude is identified as the way one thinks or behaves towards someone orsomething (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary) In this study, attitudes refer to thebehavior and actions to the use of Edtech Apps in English language learningamong EFL students at Dinh Tien Hoang High School

Perception is an idea, a belief, or an image students have as a result of how theyperceive or comprehend something (Learners’ Perception Models, David etal.,1989) In this study, perceptions refer to the point of view of the use of EdtechApps in English language learning among EFL students at Dinh Tien Hoang HighSchool

1.8 Organization of the study

This current research is organized as follows into five chapters:

As for chapter 1, the introduction of the research, including background to the study,statement of the problem, aims and objectives of the study, research questions, scopeof the study, the significance of the study and definitions of key terms are discussed inthis chapter.

Chapter 2 deals with the review of the literature, which involves attitudes towards theuse of technology in English language teaching and learning, definitions of attitudes,components of attitudes, students’ perception about the effectiveness of the use ofEdtech Apps, review of previous studies and research gaps.

Chapter 3 presents the research methodology utilized in this research, which includesresearch setting, research design, sampling procedures, research instruments, datacollection and analysis procedures, validity and reliability, and ethical considerations.Chapter 4 presents the results of the collected data from both questionnaire andsemi-structured interview Analysis and discussions are included in this chapter.

Chapter 5 presents the conclusions, pedagogical implications, limitations, andsuggestions for further research.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 Introduction

This chapter presents a comprehensive literature review relevant to the present study.The first section is concerned with the discussion of the relationship between theintegration of technology and the use of Edtech Apps in English language learning.The second section presents students’ attitudes toward the use of Edtech Apps,including definitions of attitudes, the components of attitudes, and attitude modelsfrom considerable researchers worldwide The third part involves students’ perceptionsof using Edtech Apps It then goes on to the conceptual framework, followed by theoverview of previous relevant studies The final section draws upon the research gaps.2.2 The use of EdTech Apps in English language learning

2.2.1 Definitions

There are many relevant definitions of Edtech Apps Goodyear and Retalis (2010)defined Edtech as instructional activities that used technology to increase theeffectiveness, efficiency, or enjoyment of learning Another definition of Edtech camefrom Cook and Ellaway (2015) is that Edtech can be characterized as the use oftechnological processes and resources to support and direct educational activities.According to the Australian Society of Educational technology, the development offrameworks, strategies, design applications and materials to enhance human learning isreferred to as educational technology.

Considering all the above-mentioned points of view, Edtech Apps in this current studyare NearPod, Quizizz, and Padlet All Edtech Apps enable students to access onlinecourses, especially during the outbreak of Corona virus pandemic; NearPod, Quizizzand Padlet help students engage into classroom activities by providing them with manyopportunities to play games, give feedback and practice lessons; they also allowstudents to discuss with teachers and interact with the subject matter as well as theopinions expressed by their peers, which enhances the learning process overall.

2.2.2 Characteristics

Scholars have identified the characteristics of TELL, especially Edtech Apps, inEnglish language learning According to Lutsch (1999), TELL is characteristically

able to enhance students’ creativity and motivation by offering them many forms offeedback, fixing errors, conducting experiments and playing with language Due toTELL's ability to teach the same content repeatedly without getting bored and itsability to provide students with non-judgemental feedback, students reported that theyfelt terrific after using the computer.

Chou et al (2012) insist that the majority of ‘Edtech Apps’ are thought of asinstruments for implementing differentiated instruction in the classroom Utilizingstudent-centred activities and apps that align with the curriculum to promote studentcollaboration and creativity would create a student-centred, socially interactiveclassroom - all crucial 21st-century skills.

Cook and Ellaway (2015) mention that with Edtech, the educator is supplemented witha powerful tool that they can use both synchronously in the classroom andasynchronously outside to better assist student learning Teachers can employ Edtechintegration in the school to involve students in the subject matter, encourage deeperlearning, observe and monitor students’ progress and provide timely feedback byincorporating formative or cumulative assessments Outside of the classroom, studentsmay get texts, audio, photos, animations, streaming videos, and other materials toprovide content and foster deeper learning Thus, based on their individual needs,students can practice, create and self-evaluate at their own pace, which makes Edtech avital tool for personalized learning Moreover, through various tools like onlinediscussion forums, interactive platforms, and virtual classrooms, Edtech also makescollaborative learning possible.

Likewise, Luong et al (2022) state that when we compare the conventional form ofteaching (face-to-face learning) with online education accompanied by the help ofInternet and Edtech Apps, there are some advantages we can mention as follows:Firstly, using Edtech Apps in teaching and learning is very convenient For students,Edtech Apps provide increased flexibility and access to learning experiences byallowing students to work independently and at their place online Students can usethem many times and anywhere throughout the lecture or teacher’s presentation at lowcost or cost-free Many Apps, which are designed with colorful visual pictures, and

music and are easy to play, have functions scoring the test and helping teachers givefeedback to students so they can recognize their learning progress.

Secondly, educational technology assists in learning important subjects increasesstudents’ interest, and helps in understanding the scope of various subjects studied.With the spread of teaching software such as Padlet, Nearpod, Quizizz, etc., studentscan be stimulated to share learning content, share feelings or join in games, whichmakes lessons more enjoyable Also, teachers may easily edit their content with thehelp of Edetch Apps Learners may customize their experiences to match theirpersonal learning goals since they can manage the content, learning process, learningspeed, time, etc E-technologies allow for the widespread distribution of digital contentto numerous users together, anytime and anywhere, without carrying heavy textbooksor notebooks.

Thirdly, educational technology boosts learners’ interaction with their teacher andtheir peers before, during, and after class In online group, students could cooperatewith their partners to discuss and consult in a variety of ways, including giving directanswers, making comments, working on assignments or presentations, and doingprojects.

In general, Apps are typically free to use in classes with the basic accounts Teachersand students that pay for operators can access the professional account for schools.The popularity of apps has proliferated throughout the world and is now seen as anessential tool to enhance students’ motivation in class and has a significant impact onthe learning process with positive attitudes In the context of the present study, theterm “Apps” refers to applications designed like Nearpod, Quizizz and Padlet Thecompletely free version for schools is the subject of this study.

In the era of digitization, teaching and learning activities can be supported by a varietyof learning aids, each of which has distinct purposes and roles that help to increasestudent engagement in the classroom.

2.2.3.1 Nearpod

According to Donahoe et al (2019), Nearpod is essential to support studentengagement and incorporate technology in the classroom A free website calledNearpod transforms common presentations like PowerPoint into more engaging ones.Besides, there are drawing features and quizzes available on the Nearpod To startNearpod, people can sign up for free at http://www.nearpod.com and log in with emailaccount Then, they can join or create teams, classes, and add members Students cansketch, take a quiz, interact with 3D models, participate in a discussion board, and thelist goes on when the lecturer creates new slides from their presentation Moreover,students can visit the website Nearpod.com on their smart devices and enter the codeprovided after the teacher makes the Nearpod lesson live The free version and thepaid version are both available.

Schoen (2007) stated that Nearpod is seen as a professional research instrument thatteachers are capable of using to monitor and analyze individual practices with the goalof enriching the teaching process Buttrey (2021) studied the use of Nearpod as aninnovative method for teachers and pre-service teachers in K-12 to present informationas well as boost engagement and comprehension in the classroom Moreover, Wangand Chia (2020) expressed the benefits of Nearpod that it is accessible, user-friendly,and supportive Nearpod can be used for relating to video conferencing devices toeffectively connect with students in a simultaneous online class It suppliesinformation on how a lesson can be established, including how a lesson will becapable according to an understudy's viewpoint.

Figure 2.1: Nearpod

2.2.3.2 Padlet

Padlet is a collaborative tool where posts, files, videos, or embedded links can bepinned on a wall Many scholars have claimed that English instruction and learning inschools in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam have used Padlet (Churchill et al.,2018; Ngo, 2016) To operate a Padlet, teachers first sign up with https://padlet.com/for an account Second, they must log in, choose a template, and raise questions Afterthat, students will be invited to share their ideas on this unlimited wall Students’responses can be seen as well as those of other students Some functions include voicerecording, file posting, and connection to other websites When creating lesson plans,giving assignments to students, or taking notes, Padlet is employed Teamwork andgroup projects are available A Padlet wall can be embedded in a blog post or website,shared via social media (Facebook, Twitter), exported to a file, or converted into a QRcode Previous research demonstrates that utilizing Padlet increases students'motivation to learn (England, 2017; Kimura, 2018) This inspiration allows students tointeract and participate in class activities According to Ellis (2015), Padlet offersopportunities for students to interact with the subject matter and opinions shared bytheir peers, which lowers the obstacles students encounter while speaking withlecturers and improves the overall learning experience Additionally, Padlet isbeneficial for brainstorming exercises (Kimura, 2018) With all that being said, Padletis a practical tool that can be utilized in both traditional and non-traditional teachingand learning situations.

Figure 2.2: Padlet

2.2.3.3 Quizizz

Quizizz, a free web-based formative assessment tool accessible at www.quizizz.com,provides learners with many special features through game setting and questions.Quizziz is considered an easy tool to use and provides data for teachers to assistteachers in getting students involved in classroom activities and evaluate students’understanding with a fun review Quizizz uses a multiple-choice quiz format thatrestricts learning to facts and recollection Quizizz allows teachers to alter the settingsbased on their needs or intentions, and it can significantly boost student engagementand organize valuable data on students (Reid, 2016) Students can sign up for a freeaccount with their name, or join in the quiz designed by the teacher accompanied by a6-digit code to access the quiz Memes, avatars, themes, music, and leader boards areavailable on this platform to make studying fun and exciting There was a 30-secondloading period for each question Students sitting near one another will not get thesame question simultaneously, with questions and answers jumbled Students may bepermitted to complete their homework once or more to improve their performancecompared to themselves Also, students have the option of seeing the right response atthe end of the entire quiz or after each question As a result, there may be greateradvantages to give students Quizizz assignments According to Rajendran et al.,(2019), the quizzes can be used to formatively evaluate each student's understandingand tailor their instruction accordingly Individuals' progress can be monitored overtime, and learners will be inspired to study more by making their tests As soon asstudents have access to the software online, they can build their questions dependingon their interests and needs, set the time, and play it for many students, providing asocial, entertaining, and game-like learning environment Quizizz is an effective toolin the classroom for assessing student involvement Teachers can promise that allstudents will be actively participating because their responses are displayed on thelarge screen's real-time players table (Doug, 2015).

Figure 2.3: Quizizz

To sum up, there is no doubt that online teaching is an unavoidable trend incontemporary teaching, particularly in the time of the fourth industrial revolution intechnology Not only is it a temporary solution of schools during the Covid -19pandemic, but in any case, its outstanding benefits relating to face-to-face teaching.The Edtech Apps employed in this study at Dinh Tien Hoang High School includePadlet, Nearpod, and Quizizz since they can all be used for online and face-to-facelearning inside and outside classroom Three Edtech Applications are free, easy to use,helpful, and user-friendly These can be advantageous to take online examinations,gather students’ feedback, and create a more flexible learning environment that cantake into account different learning styles and needs Additionally, they increasestudents’ participation in class and improve peer-to-peer interactions.

2.2.4 Effectiveness of the use of Edtech Apps in English language learning in theWorld and Vietnam

Educational Technology, also known as ‘EdTech’, undoubtedly has become the centraldrive for the evolution of our education system It has changed in all aspects ofeducation, and it has turned into an essential instrument for teaching and learning Theuse of Edtech Apps has caught much attention from researchers all over the world.More specifically, researchers have extensively investigated the effectiveness of using

Edtech Apps in English language learning, not only in developed countries but also inVietnam.

According to Bordbar (2010), Information and communication technology (ICT)provides a high number of language education opportunities It equips students withpractical skills that can contribute to broader national development Wang and Chen(2013) and Polok and Harezak (2018) carried out many studies about the effectivenessof using Edtech in English teaching and learning They have revealed that online socialnetworks greatly influence students’ attitudes and perceptions Their findings statedthat using social networks raised students’ accomplishments in their learning process.Kitchakarn (2015) conducted a study about students’ attitudes toward the use ofcomputers as a learning tool at a university The results of the study reported thatstudents had positive attitudes towards using computers as a learning tool, and theywould like to use computers in their language learning to look for necessaryinformation for their studies.

Numerous studies have shown that mobile applications and other forms of multimediacould be used to enhance English language proficiency in areas such as learningvocabulary (Klimova, 2020; Wu, 2015; Nguyen & Nguyen, 2021; Srisakonwat, 2022),pronunciation (Cavus, 2016), listening (Read & Kukulska-Hulme, 2015; Rahimi, &Soleymani, 2015), reading and grammar (Smith & Wang, 2013; Conza & Salvador,2021).

In particular, many researchers have shown that Quizizz has a positive effect on alltypes of learning engagement and improves students’ motivation in class Studentsperceive that Quizizz is a wonderful app to enhance learning performance throughfriendly competition (Rajendran, 2019) Wang and Chia (2020) said that Nearpodprovides a good integrated teaching–learning space for video conferencing devices forconnecting with students in a simultaneous online class Besides, Buttrey (2021) statedthat Nearpod is categorized as an innovative method for teachers in K-12 to presentinformation and boost engagement and comprehension in the classroom Many studieshave shown that students' participation in class activities is significantly improvedthrough active learning through Padlet (England, 2017; Kimura, 2018; Zainuddin et al.,

2020) Deni (2018) has revealed that Padlet helps to decline the obstacles that studentsencounter while speaking with teachers, and Padlet improves the overall learningexperience.

Another research focusing on the effectiveness of the use of Edtech Apps in thecontext of Vietnam has been done Tran, et al (2019) reported that Nearpod is animpressive and user-friendly tool with intriguing slide shows along with various visualeffects Consequently, students can be motivated and pay more attention to classroomactivities with the help of Nearpod Besides, Quizizz can help teachers extremelyimprove student engagement, while Padlet promotes students inspiring and motivation.Overall, the three Edtech Apps reviewed make teaching and learning more effective,flexible and convenient Luong et al (2022) conducted research on the present onlineteaching situation They revealed that due to several supportive software such asPadlet.com, Nearpod.com, etc., teachers could carry out many group work activitiesand control the progress of work effectively On taking part in classroom activities setup by the teacher, the active role of the learner’s increase Learners can share feelings,play learning games, self-evaluate and evaluate each other The lectures become morelively, attractive, and less time-consuming.

2.3 Students’ attitudes towards the use of Edtech Apps in learning English2.3.1 Definitions of attitudes

Many researchers have carried out a wide range of studies on learners’ attitudestoward the use of technology to gain success in their language learning The resultsdemonstrate that to succeed in learning a second language; there is a necessarycombination of positive attitudes and motivation (Gardner, 1985) Oxford Learner’sDictionary defines attitude as how people think or feel about something or behavetoward someone or something According to Gardner (1980), attitudes are "the sumtotal of a man’s instincts and feelings, prejudice or bias, preconceived notions, fears,threats, and convictions about any specified topic" (p.267) Attitudes are the way onefeels or acts, a dynamic mental state that includes emotions, beliefs, and the ability tobehave in other ways Attitude influences the ability of a student to learn but is notlinked to abilities Attitude may reflect positive or negative views towards a person,

something, or an event; these views may be contradictory at times Learners havebeliefs about language learning, teaching, learning tasks, etc Such views are referredto as behaviors of the learners In many ways, they affect learning and quite oftendecide their learning progress For instance, a student who lacks inadequate computerliteracy abilities may have unfavorable opinions about using technology in theclassroom or participating in e-learning language programs Therefore, attitudesinfluence the amount and level of encouragement of a learner Gardner (1980) statedthat “individual motivation to learn a second language is controlled by his attitudestowards the other group in particular or by his orientation to learning itself” (p.7).Students’ attitudes play an essential part in determining their language learningsuccess Attitude is the students' perceptions, understandings, beliefs, or experiences oflearning English as a foreign language According to The Longman Dictionary ofApplied Linguistics and Language Teaching (2002, p.297), “the attitudes whichspeakers of different languages or language varieties have towards each other’slanguages or to their own language Expressions of positive or negative feelingstowards a language may reflect impressions of linguistic difficulty or simplicity, easeor difficulty of learning, degree of importance, elegance, social status, etc Attitudestowards a language may also show what people feel about the speakers of thatlanguage Language attitudes may have an effect on second language or foreignlanguage learning The measurement of language attitudes provides information whichis useful in language teaching and language learning.” Eagly and Chaiken (1993)suggested that attitude is a psychological arrangement demonstrated by contrasting aspecific person with varying degrees of advantage or disadvantage Individuals havesome forms of attitudes, but since each attitude is a psychological reality, they are allundetectable Attitudes are, therefore, subjective and hard to quantify; They arepersonal qualities Tran (2018) maintains that in order to speed up the autonomy oflearners, there must be a combination of learners’ positive attitudes and a supportivelearning environment.

The concept of language learning attitude is used as the main theory of this study asthe researcher will base on its models to develop the questionnaire for survey andinterviews

2.3.2 The components of attitudes

Wenden (1991) divides attitude into three categories: cognitive, affective, andbehavioral According to McGroarty (1996), attitude is classified into three interrelatedcomponents: cognitive, affective and behavioral components; it involves beliefs,emotional reactions and behavioral tendencies related to the object of the attitudes.

Figure 2.4: Learners’ Attitude Model (Solomon et al 2010)

Solomon et al., (2010) state that an attitude is made up of three parts: affect, behavior,and cognition; this concept is known as the ABC model Each element is succinctlyexplained:

Affect is known as the way a customer feels an attitude object This element is focusedon how we feel about an object: our feelings, sentiments, moods and emotions.

Behaviour refers to a person’s intentions to do something in terms of an attitudeobject

Cognition refers to the beliefs a customer has regarding an attitude object.Cognitive components

Cognitive Aspect of Attitude includes the language learners' perceptions of theirLearner’s attitude

comprehension and knowledge that they receive in the process of language learning Inother words, the cognitive component is the combination of the experiences of attitudeobjects and the information in different courses, which are called information andperceptions as Schiffman and Kanuk (2004) defined The four stages of cognitiveattitude in language acquisition are producing new knowledge, checking newknowledge, applying new knowledge in various contexts, and linking the newknowledge with the prior knowledge The cognitive component of TELL handlesstudents’ perceptions about the usefulness and ease of use while utilizing mobiledevices to learn English as well as their perceptions about the trouble they face whenusing technological devices to learn English.

Affective components

According to Feng and Chen (2009), the process of learning is an emotional one thatinvolves a wide range of emotions There are various emotional activities whichstudents and teachers can join in to achieve several emotional outcomes Choy andTroudi (2006) presented that attitude can assist the learners in expressing whether theylike or dislike particular objects or environmental circumstances The idea that an EFLlearner's inner thoughts and emotions have an impact on their opinions and attitudestoward the target language is widely acknowledged The emotional part of the TELL isconcerned with the feelings that students have while using technology-based learningresources, such as enjoyment, excitement, and worry.

Behavioral components

The behavioral component of attitude is concerned with how one acts and responds inspecific circumstances In fact, successful language learning makes it easier forstudents to identify with the language's native speakers and acquire or adopt specifichabits that are typical of the target language group Kara (2009) showed that positiveattitudes caused positive behaviors toward courses of study The more strive to learnthe students are, the more eager students are observed to deal with problems, developpractical knowledge and abilities, and to engage themselves emotionally Thebehavioral component of TELL offers information about the student’s decision tocontinue using technology for learning in the future.

2.4 Students’ perceptions of the use of Edtech Apps in learning English2.4.1 Definitions of perceptions

According to the Oxford learner dictionary, perception is defined as “an idea, a beliefor an image students have as a result of how you see or understand something.”

Qiong (2017) stated that perception is known as the set of processes in drawing on thegeneral climate, the method involved with understanding the significance of theupgrade while detecting the item, occasions, or connection between side effects whichare then handled by brain process To sum up, students’ perception can be thought ofas students’ interpretation of their experiences and their point of view towardsomething that comes up in the learning process.

Parr (1999) asserts that student perceptions of learning settings have an impact ontechnology integration and how learning technologies are used More specifically, it isthought that student opinions influenced how much technology was utilized, how itwas used, and teacher and student expectations for learning According to Marzano(1992), learners who do not have positive attitudes and perceptions have fewopportunities of learning proficiently Perception in learning brings about changes inbroadening knowledge as a result of experience, which can be achieved by looking,listening, touching, and walking Thus, perception includes the actions of the perceiverand the knowledge of information expanded.

Davis (1989) devised a scale that learners’ perceptions comprise two cognitive beliefs;learners’ perception of the usefulness of an object, which is the degree to whichtechnology improves one’s skill or result on a task and the perception of the ease ofuse as shown in Figure 2.5.

PerceivedEase of Use

UsageBehaviorIntention to

Figure 2.5: Learners’ Perception Model (David et al.,1989)

2.4.2 The perceptions of the use of Edtech Apps in English language learningAccording to Learners’ Perception Models, perception refers to the ability to becomeaware of using Edtech apps in English language learning throughpractice, memory, expectation and achievement, and this includes the perception of therole of the TELL tool and learner perception of the individual TELL tool's usefulness(benefit from using TELL tool).

The TAM (Technology Acceptance Model), proposed by Davis (1989, 1993), is anapplied model of attitude (Figure 2.6) in which a person's intention to use technologyis impacted by their judgments of the usefulness and ease of use The perception ofease of use of a technology is determined by how little effort is required to utilize it,while the perception of the usefulness of a technology is measured by how much it canbe used to improve task performance.

Perceived Usefulness

Perceived Ease of Use

Continued IT Usage Intention

Figure 2.6: Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (adapted from Davis, 1989)As proposed by the TAM model, the use of IT tools among users vigorously reliesupon their perceived usefulness It is suggested that perceived ease of use has a strongimpact on certain components like perceived usefulness, behavioral attitude, intentionand actual use Perceived ease is an essential factor influencing user acceptance andusage behavior of information technologies (Davis, 1989, Mathieson, 1991,Venkatesh & Davis, 2000) Because of the use of active collaborative learning andengagement, the development of technology utilization models is increasing (Davis,1989) Brady et al (2010) have announced that the use of social media among studentshas expanded In social media, students have used a wide range of applications tosatisfy their command of entertainment and learning Digital technologies play anessential role in the success of teaching and learning Learning tools are important to

enhance students’ participation and motivate them to learn (Ahmed et al., 2016).Crump (1995) believes that the primary components of motivation are excitement,interest, keenness, and enthusiasm for learning In addition, Williams and Burden(1997) notes that motivation might consist of cognitive and emotional arousal, whichresults in a deliberate decision to act and triggers a period of persistent mental andphysical effort to accomplish a predetermined goal Rifai (2010) shows that motivationand aim to learn any language are fundamental concerns to stimulate students’ spirit inlearning language Those who approach a task with motivation want to understand thecontext presented to make it their implication.

In conclusion, no none can turn a blind eye to the importance of technology in schools.In the 21st century, with the development of advanced technology, the needs andexpectations of learners are rather different and technology-oriented The TELLtools make learning English practical, adaptable, enjoyable, beneficial, effective,satisfying, and collaborative (Barker et al., 2005) The experience of learning withtechnology is more enjoyable for the students.

Inside the Vietnamese setting, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) (2008)put incredible emphasis on the change of education through implementing of ICTapplications at any degree of schooling At the end of 2016, the MOET proposedconcentrating on online and learning technology for language learning TELL toolsimprove and foster better insights for understudies towards English language learning.Students these days are profoundly associated with technology devices and use them tolook for data to help their learning Therefore, it is important to use technology toolsoften in English to improve students' growth opportunities.

2.5 Conceptual framework

It should be noted that in this research, the two new components are comprised of: (1)Attitude towards the use of Edtech Apps: Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral; (2)Perception of the effectiveness of Edtech Apps: Usefulness, Ease of use andMotivation The attitude towards the TELL framework in this study adapted from theworks of Wenden (1991), McGroarty (1996), Egly and Chaiken (1998), Van den Berget al (2006), and Solomon et al (2010) The perception framework is adapted from

the TAM model, suggested by David (1989), Venkatesh and Davis (2000) and Rifai(2010) The conceptual framework of these two components of the use of Edtech Apps,which has been developed and employed in the current study, is shown in Figure 2.7.

Figure 2.7 Conceptual framework2.6 Previous studies

Prior studies have indicated that different aspects of technology in relation to Englishlanguage learning have been studied Rifai (2010) carried out research to explorestudents’ attitudes, motivations and difficulties engaging in learning the Englishlanguage and the factors influencing their motivation to learn it The study has shownthat motivation and aim to learn any language are essential issues in designingcurriculum materials and teaching strategies to stimulate students’ spirit in learninglanguage Many students lack interest in what they have learned, and obviously theyget the lesson in a passive way just because they have to finish assignments designedby the teacher to pass the exams but not as a desire to broaden their knowledge orboost their skills Whereas others who approach a task with motivation think aboutwhat information they gain and want to understand the context presented to make ittheir own implication Monerah (2014) conducted a study to examine college ESLstudents' attitudes toward classroom-based technology There were fifty students

Learner’s attitudetowards the use of Edtech

Apps (Solomon et al.(2010)

Cognitive(Solomon et al,

The use of Edtech Apps inEnglish language learning

Affective(Solomon et al,

Learner’s perception of theuse of Edtech Apps(Venkatesh & Davis, 2000)

(Venkatesh &Davis, 2000)

Ease of use(Venkatesh &

Davis, 2000)

Behavioral(Solomon et

al, 2010)

taking part in answering the questions This study indicated that participants’ attitudeswere generally positive towards the use of technology in the classroom, and theybelieved that technology was an effective tool to improve the learning process in theschool and help them increase their knowledge and skills in English In addition,Kalanzadeh et al (2014) explored the impact of using technology on Iranian EFLstudents’ motivation The participants were a group of 60 Iranian EFL universitystudents The researcher used questionnaire to gather data Findings revealed thatIranian EFL university students had a positive attitude towards the use of technologyin their English classes It was also found that there was a relationship betweenlearning English and using technology in EFL classrooms Izadpanah and Alavi (2016)investigated the use of technology by high school students and their attitude towardtechnology use in their English learning process 638 Iranian high school EFL studentswere answering the questionnaires The findings showed that participants had apositive attitude towards using technology to study English language skills andimprove their vocabulary and grammar Also, they generally reported that computermakes learning English more attractive, and they feel confident using computertechnology in the classroom Moreover, Sabado et al., (2021) stated that technology iscrucial in supporting and enhancing teachers and learners during their teaching andlearning process and is integrated into many schools The research was conducted toexplore college professors’ perception towards the intention to use Edtech applicationsin their teaching with the model TAM as the conceptual framework Participants wereasked to answer questionnaires, and the finding showed the relationship betweenteachers’ perceptions and their intention toward the use of educational apps asinstructional materials.

Delacruz (2014) carried out research to explore students' perceptions of the advantagesand disadvantages of the use of Nearpod during guided reading instruction The ninefourth-grade students and one student teacher in a suburban elementary school in theSoutheastern United States who were chosen to participate in the interviews, worksamples (quiz results, drawings, poll results) from the Nearpod app, and an interviewwith the student teacher The study showed that this approach is detected as a benefit