Teachers' Attitudes Towards the Use of Tablets in Six EFL Classrooms

Introduction

Tablets are a relatively new form of technology that have increasingly entered into the sphere of education as a tool to enhance student learning. Many schools mandate to their students to bring their own tablets in order to access online learning tools, applications, and digital textbooks used both inside and outside of school. In a 2017 nationwide survey by Common Sense Media in the U.S., 98% children from birth to 8 live in a home with mobile devices, 95% of families with children this age have a smartphone, 78% have a tablet, and 42% of children have their own tablet device; 71% parents report that they have downloaded apps (including educational apps) for their children to use; 67% parents whose children use screen media say it helps their child's learning, and 80% of them at least somewhat agree that they are satisfied with the amount and quality of educational screen media available for their children (Rideout, 2017). In addition, touchscreen devices have been gaining wide acceptance in school settings, which has been a global phenomenon (Chou et al., 2017). For example, with the rapid growth of mobile touchscreen technologies, BYOD (bring your own device) has become a feasible pedagogical strategy which is aimed at promoting students' active engagement during learning (Nortcliffe and Middleton, 2013). This research study intends to explore teachers' use of tablets to promote mobile learning in six EFL classrooms. The case study covers one private secondary school in Turkey. Through the analysis of semi-structured interviews, the aim is to find out (1) how teachers use these tablets in their teaching, (2) the factors affecting teachers’ use of tablets in the classroom, and (3) their beliefs on integrating these devices into their teaching. The study focuses on teachers’ perspective as they are by and large ignored when it comes to the introduction of new technologies in educational institutions. The purpose of this case study is to explore teachers’ perceptions on using tablets in their teaching at a private K12 school. In this case study, we aim to demonstrate the factors affecting teachers’ use of tablets in their teaching. Overall, tablets have a huge potential for enhancing learning but as with all tools the most important element which influence the process is the teacher and his / her classroom practice.

Since teachers’ attitudes plays a vital role in technology integration, this study also focuses on teachers' perspective which is often neglected during technology implementation, however, it plays a crucial role for the effective technology integration (Boy & Motteram, 2013; Attia 2011). Along with the integration of technology into teaching, a change in pedagogy occurs. Teachers are becoming facilitators, and they help students comprehend and assess the information gained via new technologies (Hoffman, 1996; Lawson & Comber 1999). This research explores the findings from a small-scale exploratory study that intends to explore teachers’ use of tablets in six EFL classrooms in a private secondary school in Istanbul; these findings are discussed in relation to our understanding of concept of mobile learning in the literature. Therefore, the use of tablets for learning and teaching not merely inside the classroom but also outside the classroom will be discussed. Moreover, the factors affecting teachers’ use of tablets in teaching will be discussed, and categorized accordingly. Finally, the roles teachers believe tablets should have in teaching and learning will be examined and evaluated based on teachers' experiences with using tablets in teaching, along with the advantages and disadvantages they have observed so far.