Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Education

Supervisor

Julie Byrd Clark

Abstract

Digital technologies have been intertwined with English language education globally and have yielded ever-emerging opportunities and challenges. This research aims to explore ESL teacher participants’ perceived abilities to use digital technologies for pedagogical purposes, their implemented integration of technology in classrooms, as well as possible solutions to some of the technology-related difficulties they have experienced throughout their teaching practice. This qualitatively-driven mix-methods study utilizes a constructivist theoretical framework and involves multiple bodies of literature such as digital literacy and teacher self-efficacy. Surveys and semi-structured interviews have been used for data collection. The findings show that teacher self-efficacy beliefs are shaped by ones’ lived experiences and are fluid in nature. Additionally, while it appears preferable to look at digital competencies and technologies using a non-essentialist lens, being able to meaningfully integrate technology with classroom activities and learner assignments merits English language instructors’ critical attention. Wider implications and future directions have been discussed as well.

Summary for Lay Audience

This study explores how English language teachers in Ontario view their abilities to use digital technologies in and outside the classroom. There are eight survey participants and two interview participants. They have to answer questions about their teaching background, classroom practices related to digital technologies, barriers they may have encountered and possible solutions, as well as needs of training. The findings suggest that their perceptions vary from one another and can change over time. In addition, many of them have experienced difficulties, such as technical issues, plagiarism, student disengagement, in technology-assisted language teaching. The majority of them would like to learn how to integrate technology with classroom activities and students assignments in future training.

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