Divergent Teacher Viewpoints of Technology Integration in the Language Classroom

Abstract

This chapter presents a qualitative analysis of the beliefs and practices of three language teachers in Thailand vis-à-vis their integration of technology in the classroom as well as their views regarding social networking site participation as a facilitative tool for instruction. The study brings together research on the identity development work of teachers and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL). Through the analysis of extensive teacher interview data and classroom observations, the study demonstrates how these teachers self-identify as users of technology, and how this sense of self interacts with and shapes various aspects of their teaching practice. The three teachers in this study represent a range of divergent viewpoints related to technology use and integration in the classroom, and the analysis of these viewpoints helps to illustrate the specific factors underlying how and why they choose to make pedagogic use of technology.