Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to examine the use of educational technologies in foreign language teaching in Greece. It explores whether FL teachers tend to integrate learning tools in their classroom, and if their implementation is affected by teachers' age, gender, level of confidence in using these tools, or any previous training they attended. The most popular technological tools employed in FL teaching are also presented, while the attitude of teachers towards the utilization of learning technologies is thoroughly investigated. A quantitative research method has been adopted with the usage of a web-based questionnaire. Based on the findings retrieved from the responses of a hundred FL teachers, they tend to integrate educational technologies extensively in their teaching practices, mainly to enhance learners' speaking and listening skills. Out of the variables examined, only teachers' confidence in using educational technologies seems to impact the integration of technology in their FL teaching.
TopIntroduction
The integration of technology in foreign language (FL) teaching and the necessity to enhance teachers’ and students’ digital skills have become even more prominent issues of great educational significance during the past decades due to the rapid advances in technology. In a digital era that is characterized by huge technological progress, it is imperative that language teaching conforms to the current trends in order to promote innovative classroom environments and help abandon certain old-fashioned practices of the past. A significant number of studies has been conducted to analyze the integration of educational technologies in FL teaching, as well as the role that teachers’ stance towards their implementation plays (see, for example, Abdykhalykova, 2019; Al-Awidi & Ismail, 2014; Albirini, 2006; Alizadeh et al., 2019; Bensalem, 2019; Chen, Chan, & Beck, 2019; Egbert et al., 2002; Liu et al., 2004; Loewen, Isbell, & Sporn, 2020; Ndyay, Nguyen, & Grunina, 2020; Park & Son, 2009; Russell, 2020; Shaffer, 2013; Taguchi, 2020, and others).
Amid a context of controversial findings, which will be discussed in detail in the next section, the current study is oriented towards filling a void by investigating whether Greek teachers of foreign languages integrate educational technologies in their teaching, as well as whether the use of learning technologies is affected by their gender, age, level of confidence in using Information Technology (IT) tools, or any training they have received on how to employ them. Also, this study attempts to reveal which educational technologies are the ones more frequently used in FL teaching in Greece. Finally, it focuses on the attitude that FL teachers hold towards the integration of IT tools and whether their attitude is affected by their gender, age, level of confidence in using them, or training received.
The current research aims to offer valuable insights based on the responses received by a hundred Greek FL teachers. Also, due to the constant development of technological tools, its originality and significance lies in the fact that it highlights whether education remains up-to-date with contemporary technological evolution which frequently necessitates, though, a number of adjustments in the teaching process. In addition, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, only a few similar studies have been conducted in relation to the integration of technological tools in the FL classroom focusing on the educators’ perspective. This is a reason why the exploration of educational technologies in the Greek context is expected to provide valuable knowledge which could contribute to the educational reform in language teaching attempted in Greece, and also inspire other studies exploring whether, and to what extent, FL teachers both in Greece and abroad employ educational technologies.
More precisely, the research questions that this chapter attempts to address are the following:
RQ1: Do Greek FL teachers integrate educational technologies in their teaching?
RQ2: Is the use of learning technologies affected by teachers’ age, gender, previous training, or their level of confidence in using educational technologies?
RQ3: Which educational technological tools do FL teachers in Greece employ?
RQ4: What is the overall attitude of Greek teachers towards the integration of IT tools in the foreign language classroom?
RQ5: Is the attitude of Greek FL teachers towards the integration of educational technologies affected by their age, gender, level of confidence in using them, or any prior training?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Information Technology: The use or study of computers and telecommunications for purposes related to the creation, storage, retrieval, processing, and transmission of electronic data or information.
Teachers’ Perceptions: Thoughts, opinions, and beliefs that instructors hold based on their personal experiences; the term usually refers to how teachers conceptualize their professional activity and behavior, as well as their teaching practices and experiences.
Digital Tools: Software, programs, applications, platforms, and (online or offline) resources that can be used with computers, mobile devices or other digital devices, and which incorporate text, audio and visual stimuli.
Educational Context: The environment where instruction/teaching takes place; this may involve the people engaged in the learning/teaching process, the setting (e.g. school, facilities, community etc.), the object of study (namely, the unit/subject or curriculum), as well as more general factors influencing the educational experience such as society, parents’ body, etc.
Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL): The study or integration (to a considerable extent) of applications of the computer (e.g., laptops, desktops, tablets, iPads, etc.) to support the language teaching and learning process.
Foreign Language (FL): A language which is different from the native language of a speaker/learner.
Educational Technologies: Digital/Technological tools designed and created to be integrated in the teaching and learning process; they aim to enhance learning, better engage learners, and help both instructors and students to achieve the desired educational objectives in an innovative and digital manner.