Information Communication Technologies in Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Analysing EFL Teachers’ TPACK in Czech Elementary Schools
Keywords:
technology, EFL, teacher competence, transformative learning, teaching practices
Abstract
This qualitative study was carried out in five different elementary schools in the Czech Republic. It aimed to investigate how English as Foreign Language teachers developed teaching competence and practised information communication technology integration in classroom teaching. To this end, this study employed the idea of a Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge –TPACK -in-Action Model. It advocates a ‘learning by doing’ approach on (social) construction to better understand how teachers develop technological and/or computer-assisted language learning competency for teaching and practice in an English as a Foreign Language environment. Under this model, this study conducted qualitative analysis and found two different approaches in practice, which were categorised as Formal Practice and Functional Practice. The former involved a conservative mechanical practice of technology use in language teaching whereas the latter involved it in terms of (social) construction. According to analyses based on conservative practices, teachers expressed that mechanical TPACK in association with technology in classes limited the transmission of mechanical knowledge from English texts. In Functional Practice, however, teachers drawing upon alternative learning interactions expressed positive transformation results from TPACK, associated with the use of technologies integrated into class instructions as a collaborative tool for learning models. In these latter integrated practices, teachers’ perceptions, practices, and reflections in combining technologies in an English as a Foreign Language environment, as new literacy skills, identified an increase in the learner’s creative potential.
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References
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Tondeur, J., Braak, J. van, Ertmer, P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2016). Understanding the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and technology use in education: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Journal of Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(3), 555–575.
Tour, E. (2015). Digital mindsets: Teachers’ technology use in personal life and teaching. Language Learning & Technology, 19(193), 124–139.
van Lier, L. (1996). Interaction in the language curriculum: Awareness, autonomy and authenticity. London, UK: Longman.
Wajnryb, R. (2013). Class observation tasks: A resource book for language teachers and trainers. Cambridge, UK, & New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Warschauer, M. (2000). The changing global economy and the future of English teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 34(3), 511–535.
Baser, D., Kopcha, T. J., & Ozden, M. Y. (2016). Developing a technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) assessment for preservice teachers learning to teach English as a foreign language. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(4), 749–764.
Brown, H. D. (2006). Principles of language learning and teaching. New York, NY, & London, UK: Routledge.
Buabeng-Andoh, C. (2012). An exploration of teachers’ skills, perceptions and practices of ICT in teaching and learning in the Ghanaian second-cycle schools. Contemporary Educational Technology, 3(1), 36–49.
Burston, J. (2014). MALL: The pedagogical challenges. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 27(4), 344–357.
Byram, M. (2008). Languages for intercultural communication and education: From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship: Essays and reflections. Clevedon, UK, Buffalo, NY, & Toronto, CA: Multilingual Matters.
Campbell, J. (2011). Introductive methods to qualitative research. Retrieved from www.staff.vu.edu.au.syed/alrnnv/papers/bev.html
Chang, S. (2011). A contrastive study of grammar translation method and communicative approach in
teaching English grammar. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 4(2), 13–24.
Dockstader, J. (1999). Teachers of the 21st- century know the what, why, and how of technology integration. Technological Horizons in Education Journal, 26(6), 73–74.
Drossel, K., Eickelmann, B., & Schulz-Zander, R. (2017). Determinants of teachers’ collaborative use of information and communications technology for teaching and learning: A European perspective. European Educational Research Journal, 16(6), 781–799.
Dvorak, D., Urbanek, P., & Stary, K. (2014). High autonomy and low accountability: Case study of five Czech schools. Pedagogická Orientace, 24(6), 919–940.
European Doctorate in Teacher Education (EDiTE). (2015). Transformative teacher learning for better student learning within the emerging European contexts. Retrieved from http://www.edite.euhttp://www.edite.eu/
Eickelmann, B., & Vennemann, M. (2017). Teachers‘ attitudes and beliefs regarding ICT in teaching and learning in European countries. European Educational Research Journal, 16(6), 733–761.
Ekrem, S., & Cakir, R. (2014). Examining preservice EFL teachers’ TPACK competencies in Turkey. Amasya University, 1(1), 1–22.
Flick, U. (2014). Three approaches to qualitative data analysis introduction. In U. Flick (Ed.), The SAGE handbook of qualitative data analysis (pp. 1–13). Los Angeles, CA, London, UK, New Delhi, Singapore, & Washington, DC: Sage.
Godwin-Jones, R. (2010). Emerging technologies literacies and technologies revisited. Language Learning and Technology, 14(3), 2–9.
Graham, C. R. (2011). Theoretical considerations for understanding technological pedagogical content
knowledge (TPACK). Computers & Education, 57(3), 1953–1960.
Grecnerova, B. (2015). European schoolnet. Czech Republic Country Report on ICT in Education. Brussels: Centre for International Cooperation in Education. Retrieved from http://www.eun.org/observatory
Harasim, L. (2012). Learning theory and online technologies. New York, NY, & London, UK: Routledge.
Husserl, E. (1913). Ideas: General introduction to pure phenomenology (W. R. Boyce Gibson, Trans.). London, UK, & New York, NY: Collier, Macmillan. Retrieved from http://www.greenboarstudio.com/uploads/2010_02_04_Husserl_Ideas_Crisis_of_Philosophy_Introduction_to.pdf
Klimova, B. (2015). A corpus-based approach to the teaching of English. In G. Lee & G. Schaefer (Eds.), Proceedings from 4th International conference on social sciences and society. Bellflower, CA: Information Engineering Research Institute.
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 8(1), 60–70.
Lund, A. (2003). The teacher as interface: Teachers of EFL in ICT-rich environments. Beliefs, practices, appropriation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Skien/Oslo: The University of Oslo. Nekvapil, J., & Sherman, T. (2009). Czech, German and English: Finding their place in multinational companies in the Czech Republic. In P. Carl & J. Stevenson (Eds.), Language discourse and identity in Central Europe: The German language in multilingual space (pp. 122–146). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
OECD. (2003). Literacy skills for the world of tomorrow: Further results from PISA 2000. Montreal, CA: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Oxford, R. L., & Graham, M. (1993). Language learning strategies: What every teacher should know. TESOL Quarterly, 27(1), 121–122.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Saunders, M. N. K., & Townsend, K. (2018). Choosing participants. In C. Cassel, A. L. Cunliffe, & G. Grandy (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative business and management research methods (pp. 480–494). Los Angeles, CA, London, UK, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington, DC, & Melbourne: Sage Publications.
Schratz, M. (2014). The European teacher: Transnational perspectives in teacher education policy and practice. Central European Journal of Public Policy, 4(4), 11–27.
Selwyn, N. (2012). Education and technology: New issues and debates. London, UK, & New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Stensaker, B., Maassen, P., Borgan, M., Oftebro, M., & Karseth, B. (2007). Use, updating and integration of ICT in higher education: Linking purpose, people and pedagogy. Higher Education, 54(3), 417–433.
Tai, S.-J. D. (2015). From TPACK-in-action workshops to classrooms: CALL competency developed and integrated. Language Learning & Technology, 19(1), 139–164.
Tondeur, J., Braak, J. van, Ertmer, P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2016). Understanding the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and technology use in education: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Journal of Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(3), 555–575.
Tour, E. (2015). Digital mindsets: Teachers’ technology use in personal life and teaching. Language Learning & Technology, 19(193), 124–139.
van Lier, L. (1996). Interaction in the language curriculum: Awareness, autonomy and authenticity. London, UK: Longman.
Wajnryb, R. (2013). Class observation tasks: A resource book for language teachers and trainers. Cambridge, UK, & New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Warschauer, M. (2000). The changing global economy and the future of English teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 34(3), 511–535.
Published
2018-09-28
How to Cite
Paneru, D. R. (2018). Information Communication Technologies in Teaching English as a Foreign Language: Analysing EFL Teachers’ TPACK in Czech Elementary Schools. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 8(3), 141-163. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.499
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FOCUS
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