Abstract
Technology is an integral part of our daily and professional lives and is gradually and steadily being introduced into state schools. As for the Greek context, the Digital School project was initiated in 2010 in state schools; digital platforms and materials were made available to teachers and students for the teaching of English. This study follows a mixed-methods approach and employs questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore English language teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the use of technology in state schools. The research focuses on how teachers use technology to maximise student engagement. The findings show a tendency from educators to embrace technology despite certain shortcomings found regarding the resources available, content- and technology-wise. Drawing from interview findings and teachers' practices, this chapter proposes educational practices that could be employed to foster student engagement and meaningfully integrate technology in English language classes.
TopBackground
It is undeniable that technology is gaining traction in educational settings in Greece and other European countries (Abbasi et al., 2015). The European Commission’s priorities regarding ICT use in Education are oriented towards: “1. Making better use of digital technology for teaching and learning; 2: Developing relevant digital competences and skills for the digital transformation; 3: Improving education through better data analysis and foresight” (European Commission, 2018, p.4). These priorities highlight the need to use technology meaningfully and the importance of developing both educators’ and learners’ digital skills.
In research literature there are moderate or mixed results regarding the beneficial output of integrating technologies on student learning (e.g. Golonka et al, 2014). Livingstone (2012) maintains that ICT is being integrated in school environments slowly, mainly because there is no strong evidence of the learning benefits of technology. It is difficult to identify the advantages of technology, especially when a wide variety of software and hardware can be related to the term ICT and they are all used for different purposes (ibid, 2012). For instance, whiteboard software has been found to capture students’ attention; it is unclear, however, whether the means itself can engage pupils in active learning (Schmid 2008, 2010). Screens, applications, and other technologies may easily engage pupils, but do they assist in the learning process or are they solely alternative means of presenting educational content? It is difficult to evaluate whether a technology is good or bad; its value in education depends on the way it is employed. Results may vary across contexts; depending on the curricula objectives, there are several variables that can influence the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning, and further research is required on this topic.
Key Terms in this Chapter
CALL: Computer-assisted language learning.
ICT: Information communication technology.
ELT: English language teaching.
ESOL: English to speakers of other languages.
SAMR Model: A framework for categorising types of technology integration in educational settings, created by Ruben Puentedura, which stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition.
Teacher Cognition: A field of research and practice that is concerned with teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and self-reflections on teaching, students, and classroom practices.
EFL: English as a foreign language.