ENGLISH TEACHERS’ ONLINE LITERACY PRACTICE IN NORTHERN PENINSULAR
MALAYSIA
JULINAMARY A/P A. PARNABAS
UNIVERSITY SAINS MALAYSIA
2015
ENGLISH TEACHERS’ ONLINE LITERACY PRACTICE IN NORTHERN PENINSULAR
MALAYSIA
By
JULINAMARY A/P A. PARNABAS
Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
September 2015
DEDICATION
I dedicate this work to;
The ever loving memories of my late mother Madam Surima Petchamuthu who was ever supportive in all my endeavors. She would have been very proud to
see me, her youngest daughter to complete and graduate on this PhD program;
My caring father Mr Parnabas Arulappan who has been a source of my being,
Antoinette Mary
who has been a constant friend, more than a sister;
Vincent
who has lead me to the academic path;
David Marshall for providing the guidance;
Anamary, Lily, Lisa and George for being the silent supporters.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, I would like to thank the almighty God for giving me the strength, wisdom, courage and guidance in completing this task. In preparing this thesis, I was in contact with many individuals who had contributed in numerous ways towards completing this study. I would like to express my deep gratitude and indebtedness to my Supervisor, Associate Professor Dr Tan Kok Eng for her encouragement, guidance and knowledge. She has been a perfect motivator, very cooperative and an inspiring guide to me to fulfill this academic pursuit. Without her supervision and constant help, this thesis would not have been possible. I would also wish to express my strong appreciation and thanks to A.P Arsaythamby Veloo and Mr Dominic Belavendram for their guidance and support in completing this study. My family members and friends who stood by me always and motivated me whenever I faltered, I owe them debt and deep gratitude for their constant emotional and material support. Without their continuous prayer, this thesis would not have been the same as presented here. Finally, I would also like to thank all my respondents for spending time in sharing their experiences, thoughts and knowledge sincerely in completing this study.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE DEDICATION...
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ………... ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……….. iii
LIST OF TABLES ……… x
LIST OF FIGURES ……….. xii
LIST OF APPENDICES ………... xiii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ………... xiv
ABSTRAK ……… xv
ABSTRACT………... xvi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction………... 1
1.1 Internet Integration in Education ………. 4
1.2 English Language Dominance in Online Literacy ……… 6
1.3 Background of the Study ………. 7
1.4 Problem Statement ……… 13
1.4.1 Teachers’ Online Literacy Practices Outside the Classroom ……… 14
1.4.2 Internet Integration in the ESL Classroom………... 16
1.4.3 ESL Teachers’ Concerns about Integrating the Internet…………... 21
1.5 Purpose of the Study ……… 22
1.6 Objectives of the Study ……… 23
1.7 Research Questions ……….. 23
1.8 Hypotheses ………... 24
1.9 Rationale for the Study ……… 25
1.10 Significance of the Study ………... 28
1.11 Operational Definitions of Terms……… 30
1.11.1 Information and Communication Technology (ICT)... 30
1.11.2 Concerns …….………... 31
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1.12 Limitations of the Study ……… 31
1.13 Conclusion ……… 32
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction ………... 34
2.1 Historical Perspective of Online Literacy ………..…... 35
2.1.1 Early Use of Computers in Instruction …………... 35
2.1.2 A Brief History of the Internet ………... 36
2.1.3 Online Literacy Development ………... 40
2.1.4 Technology Development in Malaysian Education ……… 41
2.2 ICT Support Programs and Polices Implemented ………. 43
2.2.1 Smart School Programme ………... 44
2.2.2 ICT across Curriculum in Public Schools ………... 45
2.2.3 Vision 2020 ………. 48
2.2.4 Concept of 1Malaysia ………. 48
2.2.5 Frog Virtual Learning Environment………. 50
2.3 Benefits of Using the Internet in ESL Classrooms………... 50
2.3.1 Benefits of Internet Integration in the Classroom for Teachers…… 51
2.3.2 Benefits of Internet Integration in the Classroom for Students… 53 2.4 Benefits of Using the Internet outside the ESL Classroom ……… 56
2.4.1 Benefits of Using the Internet outside the Classroom for Teachers… … 57
2.4.2 Benefits of Using the Internet outside the Classroom for Students …... 59
2.5 Theoretical Underpinnings ...………... 60
2.5.1 Discourse Theory ………...……….. 61
2.5.1.1 Discourse of Schooling ………... 62
2.5.1.2 Discourse of English Language ………... 69
2.5.1.3 Discourse of Examinations ……… 72
2.5.2 Social Practice Theory ………... 74
2.5.2.1 Social Practices outside the Classroom……… 78
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2.5.2.2 Online Literacy Practices in the Classroom ……… 79
2.5.3 Concerns Theory ………... 81
2.5.3.1 Concerns-Based Adoption Model ……… 84
2.5.3.2 The Stages of Concern ……… 86
2.5.3.3 Benefits of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model ……... 90
2.6 Conceptual Framework ……… 91
2.7 Age ………... 93
2.8 Review of Previous Studies ………. 94
2.8.1 Teachers’ Personal Online Literacy Practices…..………... 94
2.8.2 Internet Use for Teaching and Learning Purposes ….…………... 98
2.8.3 Challenges in Internet Integration for Classroom Teaching ……... 106
2.8.4 Support in Internet Integration for Classroom Instruction ……….. 116
2.8.5 Concerns-Based Adoption Model ……… 118
2.8.5.1 Teachers’ Concerns at a Single Period in Time ………… 118
2.8.5.2 Teachers’ Concerns Change Over Time ……... 126
2.8.6 Age Differences in Innovation Adoption ……… 128
2.8.7 Internet Integration According to School Settings ……… 132
2.8.8 Studies on Teachers’ Acceptance of Internet Integration……... 135
2.9 Conclusion ………... 140
vi CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction ………... 141
3.1 Research Design ………. 141
3.2 Sampling………...………... 145
3.3 Instruments ………... 147
3.3.1 Questionnaire ……… 149
3.3.1.1 Section on Demographic Details ……… 150
3.3.1.2 Section on Internet Use for Classroom Instruction……… 150
3.3.1.3 Section on Teachers’ Online Activities ………... 151
3.3.1.4 Section on Stages of Concern Questionnaire……… 151
3.3.2 Interview Questions …….……… 152
3.4 Research Instrument Preparation ……….. 152
3.4.1 Preparation of Questionnaire …….……… 152
3.4.2 Interview Questions Preparation ………... 155
3.5 Pilot Study ……….. 156
3.6 Data Collection Procedures ……….... 158
3.7 Data Analysis ……… 159
3.8 Research Procedures ………... 162
3.9 Ethical Consideration ………... 164
3.10 Research Matrix ………... 166
3.11 Conclusion ……….. 168
vii CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.0 Introduction ………. 170
4.1 Respondents ……… 170
4.2 Respondents’ Demographic Details ……….... 172
4.2.1 Gender ………... 173
4.2.2 Ethnicity ………. 173
4.2.3 Age ………. 174
4.2.4 ICT Training ……….. ... 176
4.3 Research Question One ……… 178
4.3.1 Personal Online Literacy ……… 178
4.3.2 Websites Accessed ………. 180
4.3.3 Frequency of Online Access ……… 184
4.3.4 Time Spent Online ……… 186
4.3.5 Language Used ……… 187
4.3.6 Setting Up a Webpage ……… 188
4.4 Research Question Two ………. 191
4.4.1 Internet Use for Teaching and Learning Purposes ……… 192
4.4.2 Internet Use for Teaching Preparation ……… 195
4.4.3 Internet Use for Classroom Teaching According to School Settings. 196 4.4.4 Internet Integration in the Classroom ……… 197
4.4.4.1 Receptive Skills ………. . 197
4.4.4.2 Productive Skills ………... 200
4.4.4.3 Grammar ………... 206
4.4.4.4 Literature ……….. 208
4.4.4.5 Oral Test ………... 212
4.4.4.6 Public Exam Orientated Classes ……….. 213
4.4.4.7 Global Classroom ………. 214
4.4.4.8 General Use of the Internet ……… 216
4.5 Research Question Three ……… 217
4.5.1 Levels of Concerns in Internet Integration for Classroom Teaching.. 218
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4.5.2 Test of Normality ………... 223
4.5.3 Hypothesis Testing: Age ……… 224
4.5.3.1 Post Hoc Tamhane Test ………... 225
4.5.4 Hypothesis Testing: School Settings ……… 228
4.6 Aspects in Internet Integration for Classroom Teaching ……… 229
4.6.1 Plagiarism ……… 230
4.6.2 Class Control ………. 235
4.6.3 Facilities ………... 243
4.6.4 Time ……… 250
4.6.5 Support ……… 252
4.6.6 Public Examination and Syllabus Completion. .……… 258
4.7 Conclusion ……… 264
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 Introduction ……… 266
5.1 Summary of Major Findings………. 267
5.1.1 Summary of Major Findings on Research Question One………… 267
5.1.2 Summary of Major Findings on Research Question Two…………. 268
5.1.3 Summary of Major Findings on Research Question Three……... 269
5.1.3.1 Age and School Settings………... 271
5.1.3.2 Emerging Data……… 272
5.2 Discussion………... 275
5.2.1 Research Question One ……… 275
5.2.1.1 Their Online Activities……… 275
5.2.1.2 Websites Accessed………. 276
5.2.1.3 Frequency of Online Access……… 276
5.2.1.4 Time Spent Online………. 277
5.2.2 Research Question Two ……….. 277
5.2.2.1 Internet Use for Teaching and Learning Purposes ……….. 277
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5.2.2.2 Internet Use for Teaching Preparation ……… 279
5.2.2.3 Internet Integration According to School Settings ………… 280
5.2.3 Research Question Three ……… 281
5.2.3.1 Levels of Concerns ……… 281
5.2.3.2 Levels of Concerns by Age Groups……….…… 283
5.2.3.3 Levels of Concerns by School Settings. ……… 284
5.2.4 Emerging Data on Internet Integration ……… 285
5.2.4.1 Plagiarism……….. 285
5.2.4.2 Class Control ……… 286
5.2.4.3 Facilities ……… 287
5.2.4.4 Support ……… 289
5.2.4.5 Time ……… 291
5.2.4.6 Public Examinations and Syllabus Completion ………… 292
5.3 Implications ……….………... 293
5.3.1 Courses ……… 293
5.3.2. Infrastructure ……… 295
5.3.3 Technical Support ……… 296
5.3.4 Marking Scheme ……….…… 397
5.3.5 Online Manual Guide……… 298
5.4 Recommendations ………... ……… 298
5.4.1 Facebook ……… 298
5.4.2 Blogs ……… 300
5.4.3 Video Clips ………... 302
5.5 Further Research ………...… 305
5.6 Conclusion ……… 307
References……… 308
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LIST OF TABLES
PAGE Table 1.1 Online Sites for Collaboration and Communication 9 Table 2.1 Fuller’s Teaching Phases and Concern Dimensions 82
Table 2.2 Fuller’s Four Dimensions of Concerns 84
Table 2.3 Stages of Concern in Concerns-Based Adoption Model 88 Table 3.1 The Subscales and Cronbach Alpha Value 158
Table 3.2 The List of Codes used for Respondents 165
Table 3.3 Research Matrix 167
Table 4.1 The Distribution of Respondents by School Settings 172
Table 4.2 Respondents According to Gender 173
Table 4.3 Respondents’ Ethnicity by School Settings 174 Table 4.4 Respondents’ According to Age and Teaching Experiences 175 Table 4.5 Respondents’ According to Age and School Settings 175
Table 4.6 ICT Training Providers 176
Table 4.7 The Usual Ways of Internet Access 178
Table 4.8 First Internet Access at Home 179
Table 4.9 The Regularly Visited Websites 181
Table 4.10 Active Online Activities 182
Table 4.11 Frequency of Internet Access 184
Table 4.12 Frequency Of Some Online Activities 185
Table 4.13 Comparison on Internet Use 187
Table 4.14 Percentage of Language Use on the Internet 188
Table 4.15 Reasons for Creating a Webpage 189
Table 4.16 Regularity of Updating the Webpages 190
Table 4.17 The Reasons for Not Trying to Set Up a Webpage 191
Table 4.18 Internet Use in the Classroom 192
Table 4.19 Online Classroom Activities 193
Table 4.20 Problems in Integrating the Internet in the ESL Classroom 194 Table 4.21 The Online Activities to Support Classroom Teaching 196
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Table 4.22 Internet Use for Classroom Teaching by School Settings 197 Table 4.23 Teachers’ Levels of Concern as in CBAM 219 Table 4.24 Normality Test for Kolmogorov-Smimov and Shapiro-
Wilk
223
Table 4.25 Kruskal- Wallis One Way ANOVA’s Results on the Levels
of Concern by Age Groups 224
Table 4.26 Post Hoc Tamhane Test Results on the Levels of Concerns
by Age Groups 226
Table 4.27 Kruskal- Wallis One Way ANOVA’s Results of Levels of
Concerns by School Settings 229
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LIST OF FIGURES
PAGE Figure 2.1 Sequential Stages in the Concerns-Based Adoption Model 85
Figure 2.3 Conceptual Framework 92
Figure 3.1 Flow Chart on Research Procedures 162
Figure 3.2 Example of the Special Personal Code 166
Figure 4.1 Levels of Concerns in Mean Values 219
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LIST OF APPENDICES
PAGE
Appendix A - Questionnaire 328
Appendix B - Interview Questions 336
Appendix C- The List of Changes Made in this Questionnaire 338
Appendix D- An Example of Interview Transcript 343
Appendix E- Thematic Conceptual Matrix 349
Appendix F- Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia ULBS Coordination Form 350
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ABBREVIATIONS CBAM : Concerns Based Adoption Model ISDN : Integrated Services Digital Network ISP : Internet Service Provider
MOO : Multiple-user Object Oriented MUD : Multi User Dimension
MUF : Multi User Forth
PSTN : Public Switched Telephone Network
RangKom : Malaysian Computer Network (Rangkaian Komputer Malaysia) SoCQ : Stages of Concern Questionnaire
VSAT : Very Small Aperture Terminal
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AMALAN LITERASI ATAS TALIAN GURU BAHASA INGGERIS DI UTARA SEMENANJUNG MALAYSIA
ABSTRAK
Kemajuan pesat dalam bidang ICT telah mengubah budaya kerja dan guru Bahasa Inggeris tidak boleh lagi berdalih dengan kenyataan bahawa bilik darjah kini semakin dilengkapi dengan kemudahan teknologi dan dihubungkan dengan laman web.
Kaedah mixed-methods telah digunakan untuk mengenalpasti dan meneliti penggunaan Internet dalam kalangan guru-guru di luar dan di dalam bilik darjah untuk tujuan peribadi, persediaan mengajar, pengajaran pembelajaran di bilik darjah yang sebenar dan tahap “kepedulian” dalam menggunakan Internet dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran dengan menggunakan pendekatan sociocultural. Seramai 330 orang guru Bahasa Inggeris yang mengajar di Pulau Pinang dan Perak mengambil bahagian dalam kajian ini. Soal selidik Stages of Concerns Questionnaire telah digunakan untuk membuat tinjauan dan hasil dapatan dimantapkan lagi dengan menemubual 9 orang responden secara sukarela dalam sesi temu bual semi-struktur. Hasil dapatan menunjukkan bahawa 53.64% guru Bahasa Inggeris menggunakan Internet untuk mengajar kemahiran reseptif, produktif, tatabahasa, sastera, ujian lisan dan peperiksaan awam. Didapati bahawa responden memiliki tahap kepedulian yang tinggi iaitu melebihi 3.5 per 5 untuk semua peringkat di CBAM. Enam aspek seperti plagiat, kawalan kelas, kemudahan peralatan, sokongan, masa dan peperiksaan awam dan sukatan pelajaran timbul dari data kualitatif kajian ini. Kajian ini mempunyai implikasi untuk guru Bahasa Inggeris dan golongan pendidik di Malaysia.
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ENGLISH TEACHERS’ ONLINE LITERACY PRACTICE IN NORTHERN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
ABSTRACT
The advancement in ICT has rapidly transformed the work culture and ESL teachers cannot escape from the fact that many classrooms at present are technologically supported and web-connected. This mixed-methods study aimed to examine the ESL teachers’ Internet use in and outside the classroom, extent of Internet integration for classroom instruction and the levels of concern in integrating the Internet for classroom teaching from a sociocultural perspective. In this research, 330 ESL teachers teaching in Penang and Perak took part. The Stages of Concerns Questionnaire was administered and the findings were further explored with nine respondents who volunteered for the semi-structure interview. The result showed that 53.64% of the ESL teachers integrate the Internet to teach receptive skills, productive skills, grammar, literature, oral test and public examination classes. The respondents have high levels of concerns, which is above 3.5 out of 5 in all the stages in CBAM. Six aspects, namely, plagiarism, class control, facilities, support, time and public exams and syllabus emerged in the qualitative data. The findings of the study have implications for English teachers as well as educators in Malaysia.
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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.0 Introduction
In this twenty-first century, literacy is no longer the acquisition of the basic competencies of reading and writing only as highlighted in the traditional view (Horton, 2007; Fong, 2012). The definition of literacy has changed due to the technological development in this information age. Today, literacy includes the knowledge of other disciplines such as ICT knowledge besides knowing how to read, write and count. In this information age, literacy deals with a wider connotation which includes computer literacy (Halimah Badioze Zaman, 1998; Oyelekan, 2011).
Literacy is highly related to social practice that is embedded in socially constructed principles of epistemology (Street, 2003). Hence, literacy practices refer to everyday uses, particular ways of thinking, reading and writing in a cultural context.
These literacy practices differ according to context and culture (Street, 2003; Carroll, 2011).
Today, online literacy is used widely for various purposes. According to Christensson (2011), the term “online” means being linked to the Internet with a laptop or computer, which is usually done through a phone line, using a dial-up or DSL modem, a cable line by a cable modem or through a wireless connection such as Wifi and Streamyx. Technically a computer can also be online by a connection to a computer network, even if they are not connected to the Internet.
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Alvermann (2008) explains that “online literacy” refers to the socially mediated mediums of delivering meaningful content using multimodal representation in digital texts for dissemination in cyberspace. These multiple modes of representation include language, images, sounds and animated performance. Some of the examples of digital modes comprise blogs, wikis, zines, games and personal Webpages or Homepages.
Hence, many types of organisations including schools have recognised the importance of online literacy in producing a knowledge based society. A knowledge based society works well with the “paperless policy” in fulfilling daily necessities such as paying bills, ordering goods, hotel reservation, e-shopping and declaring yearly income tax using the online payment system. It is clear that such policies can only be achieved by producing a knowledge based society that is capable of using the Internet to facilitate its daily needs in the near future. However, producing a knowledge based society will only remain as a dream if the current education system in schools is isolated from the people’s online literacy practices and development.
Integrating the Internet in education across the curriculum aids in gearing Malaysia towards the information technology era and in line with global demands. It is generally believed that the Internet is capable of guiding learners in acquiring information besides stimulating creative and critical thinking in capitalising the opportunities overwhelmed by the vast growth of knowledge and technology.
The Internet presents immediate delivery of information accompanied with images, texts, audio play and video clips, anywhere in the world at any time. The rapid
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development in Internet has led to a broader view of literacy to emerge from wider discussions on educational global reformation. This global education reformation has led to the advancement of online literacy, an established, vital feature of modern life worldwide. Online literacy has evolved due to the rapid development in the
“Information, Communication Technology” or ICT globally. Many nations around the universe are aware of the need to prepare learners for the challenges of a competitive world raising the literacy standards and infusing ICTs into the respective school curriculum. Thus, in this information age, adequate online literacy skills are necessary to successfully use and adapt the rapidly changing innovation that continuously influence personal and professional aspects of lives.
It is undeniable that the use of Internet in the field of education has had a tremendous boost over the last few years. Internet integration in education is necessary to form knowledge producing communities and not merely knowledge seeking communities anymore. In Malaysia, computer labs have been built and personal laptops have been given to both teachers and students to keep pace with the rapidly developing online literacy skills globally. Hence, being competent in online literacy is no longer a choice, but a necessity in this information age.
This chapter provides a discussion on online literacy in relation to education and the English Language as well as the background to this research which explored ESL teachers’ online literacy practices inside and outside the classroom. These online practices include Internet integration into the Malaysian ESL classroom for teaching and learning as well as lesson preparation and the teachers’ concerns in integration based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model. In addition, this research also aimed to
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find out if there is any significant difference in the level of concerns according to the ESL teachers’ age and geographical school settings.
1.1 Internet Integration in Education
Presently there is a major push towards integrating the Internet into classrooms because of the numerous features the Internet offers such as being cheap, accessible, instantaneous information, enormous potential for interactivity and media-rich communication for students. The Internet has various educational websites which are rich with texts in authentic language, images, video clips and language games that facilitate classroom teaching. Therefore, the rapid development of the Internet and its benefits in the English language-learning field had altered the way education is being delivered worldwide including Malaysian schools. The information age is moving rapidly and teachers will have to equip themselves with relevant knowledge and online skills in the related areas.
Dato Musa Mohamad, the then Minister of Education, in his speech at the opening ceremony of the 31st International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) conference in 2002, set the standard for education in Malaysia. He emphasised that in a knowledge society, literacy should not only be considered as the ability to read and write but should also reflect a wider connotation to include “computer literacy” (Musa Mohamad, 2002; Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin & Osman Jusoh, 2008).
Skills relating to the Internet must be incorporated into the teaching and learning process in order to produce successful learning outcomes.
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According to Mahathir Mohamad (1988), ICT is necessary in all sectors, in order for Malaysia to be on par with the advanced countries. He also hoped that Malaysia would be fully developed not only economically, but also politically, socially, psychologically and culturally through the integration of online literacy into these various domains.
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 highlighted that the Internet integration into classroom is necessary to enable teachers to access both national and international learning resources as well as being connected to global learning communities to help them improve their practices. This report further highlighted that ICT is the ubiquitous part of schooling life, with no urban or rural segregation and all teachers as well as students equipped with the skills necessary to use this technology meaningfully (Ministry of Education, 2012).
In summary, teachers today are faced with the challenges of using the Internet to provide a holistic learning experience to their students. It is undeniable, that teachers need to equip themselves with online literacy skills first, before leading the younger generation to be technologically literate in schools. Are the teachers competent enough to use the Internet in accomplishing their current daily needs? Are the teachers prepared to use the Internet in the classroom? Hence, the online literacy practices among the teachers needs to be explored in-depth.
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1.2 English Language Dominance in Online Literacy
English plays a major role as the main medium of interaction across physical boundaries. It is difficult to estimate exactly how many English speakers are there globally, but according to the estimation by Idanan (2009) there are more than 350,000,000 native English speakers and more than 400,000,000 speakers of English as a second or foreign language. Multilingual ethnic groups worldwide are connected using the dominant language, which is the English language recognised as an
“International Language”.
Torres (2006, p.22) was of the view that, “In today’s world, technology and English should be considered necessities and not amenities”. Mastery of English language is necessary to communicate effectively with netizens worldwide.
Communication provides room for the netizens to share ideas, opinions, knowledge and experience using the global language as the main medium. A popular way to interact with English speakers worldwide easier, faster and cheaper is through online communication. Online communication is borderless and available in various websites such as e-mails, Twitter, Instant Message, Facebook, chat, discussion boards and blogs. Hence, it is undeniable that the Internet plays a significant role as a global social networking platform as well.
The rapidly expanding use of technological aids, especially those related to online literacy skills, reflects one of the most significant areas of innovation in language education. The learning experience of the English language for many second and foreign language learners has gone far beyond the face-to-face interaction in a
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traditional classroom into the web-connected global classroom with screen to screen based connections. With the development of online literacy, the Internet excels as an important resource center for English language mastery.
In summary, mastery of the English language is vital to penetrate the cyber world through online literacy. Mastery of both the English language and Information technology among teachers is crucial to contribute towards a successful and interactive education in Malaysia.
1.3 Background of the Study
It is generally known that the current development in information and communication technologies is altering the way adolescents and teens engage in literacy practices (Hundley & Holbrook, 2013). This is evident as students nowadays demonstrate frequent and advanced practices in interactions using online social networking.
Realising this, the Ministry of Education has devoted resources to promote computer literacy or knowledge about computers and computing (Halimah Badioze Zaman, 1998; Nadzrah Abu Bakar, 2007; Niyosha Morshedi Hendehjan & Nooreen Noordin, 2013) as basic skills in integrating the Internet into the classroom. There is no doubt that the Internet can make useful contributions towards the teaching and learning of the English language. Researchers have reported that some of the students who did not participate often in face-to-face classroom discussion are more comfortable to participate in the online discussions (Thurmond & Wambach, 2004; Ya, 2013).
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Hence, such pervasive uses of online technologies had gradually transformed the educational needs of students and altered the way teachers work (Hundley &
Holbrook, 2013). The ESL teachers today must be able to prepare the younger generation for the knowledge based society in which they can search, acquire and process information in English. The use of the Internet and other ICT peripheral in classroom teaching will increase the central role that teachers play in orchestrating learning experiences for their students. Teachers are challenged to thoughtfully guide students’ learning in the ICT environments that are richer and more complex than the traditional printed media, presenting richer and more complex learning opportunities for both themselves and their students (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro & Cammack, 2004).
Therefore, it is increasingly necessary for the ESL teachers to increase or refresh their online skills and knowledge as well as finding out the latest approaches to incorporate the Internet effectively into their classroom instruction. This is important to keep in pace with the current technological development. ESL teachers should be aware and prepared to utilise the various websites available to facilitate the teaching of English in the classrooms.
Bearing this in mind, some teachers have moved away from a single focus on printed text to incorporate screen based multimodal Internet resources. Internet integration among the teachers at the moment is boundless due to the various purposes and intentions in and outside the classroom. The Internet enhances collaboration and communication among teachers in a variety of ways by linking people within the community for professional and personal goals. These online communication and collaboration enable people to accomplish bigger tasks in the future (Moeller &
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Reitzes, 2011). Usually, these teachers invite individuals for communication and collaboration through the use of various online websites as shown in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1
Online Sites for Communication and Collaboration
Online Sites for Communication and Collaboration
instant messaging discussion board Blog
e-mail Skype Twitter
video conference online games Facebook
chatting
Therefore, it is clear that the Internet acts as a common and popular social network among all generations, including educators to discuss and share opinions on various matters. The online collaboration among ESL teachers, worldwide provides further platform for them to share and discuss teaching tips, classroom management and leadership techniques, in education which are required to enhance the online literacy practices in the ESL classrooms systematically and successfully.
Correspondingly, the Ministry of Education has introduced the Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and other similar courses in universities and Teachers’ Training Institutions as a core subject among ESL teacher trainees. The main aim of such courses is to introduce novice teachers to a broad range of teaching methodologies and online teaching resources. This is to expose and provide sufficient knowledge to the teacher trainees on the ICT applications such as the Internet to aid teacher readiness and promote effective teaching. Thus, Internet integration into teaching is no longer an option for ESL teachers, but a necessity. Despite all these efforts, Khurshid Ahmad, Crbett, Rogers and Sussex (1991), Kim (2008) and Taneri
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and Seferoglu (2013) reported that many teachers, including educational authorities continue to hesitate and show reluctance in using the new technology in their teaching and learning activities. This is a cause for concern and requires further investigation of where teachers stand in using this innovation.
The Ministry of Education has provided training on ICT application in English language since 2002 to achieve the goal that by the year 2008 all the schools should be using computers to teach the English language (Naresh Kumar, Raduan Che Rose &
D’Silva, 2008a). According to the Ministry of Education’s Computer Literacy Policy, it has initiated several programs to deploy computers to the country’s 10,000 schools.
The roll-out plans of this policy is to reach 278,608 teachers with 185,000 mobile technology-based notebooks by 2007 (Naresh Kumar, Raduan Che Rose & D’Silva, 2008b). In conjunction with this, the ESL teachers have been given personal laptops to encourage web-based instruction since 2002 (Naresh Kumar et al., 2008a; Niyosha Morshedi Hendehjan & Nooreen Noordin, 2013).
Realising the importance of the English language as the international language, mastery of this language is given great emphasis by the Ministry of Education in several efforts such as the “Teaching Mathematics and Science in English” policy followed by the “Strengthening Malay Language and Empowering English Language”
policy. However, not much improvement was actually detected for this core subject’s achievement in national examination. For instance, 9% of the students failed the Malay language in Malaysian Certificate of Education (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) in 2011, as compared to 23% for the English language. At the other end of the spectrum, 30% of the students obtained an excellent grade in the Malay language, compared to
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only 16% in the English language (Ministry of Education, 2012). This achievement ponder several queries such as: does this mean that both the ESL teachers and students need support to improve their achievements in the English language? Can the Internet integration provide all the support that they need by connecting them to the global village in future?
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 declared that the Ministry of Education will focus on ICT-competency training for teachers and gradually improve the computer to student ratio from approximately 1:30 in 2011 to 1:10 by 2020 (Ministry of Education, 2012). This report also confirmed that the Ministry will invest in basic computer devices including low-cost laptops to achieve the 21st century education demands. Additionally, the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 supported online content for the English language subject by introducing shared video library of 2013’s Guru Cemerlang (Excellent Teachers) delivering their daily lessons for this subject. This will enable teachers to access even more exemplary online teaching resources.
The Ministry of Education also planned to have all schools set up with wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) by 2007 (Naresh Kumar et al., 2008b). Hence, today some schools are provided with free Wifi and Streamyx service for better Internet access. At the same time, the Ministry of Education has provided schools with computer labs, computers in the classrooms and laboratories with the ratio of computers to students as high as 1:4 through the implementation of the Malaysian Smart Schools Programme. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education has provided 20 to 40 computers to schools that have between 600 to 1,200 students. According to
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Hishamuddin (2005), there are about 4,400 schools that have received computers under this program. By the year 2005, a total of 100,000 notebooks and 80,000 LCD projectors plus other peripherals were provided for the English language teachers. In addition, each school in Malaysia was supplied with at least one computer lab and by 2005, there were about 4,000 operational labs.
These innovation supported devices continue to expand in Malaysia. Referring to the statistics gathered in 2008, the Malaysian Ministry of Education reported that 50% of schools are equipped with computer labs. These schools were provided with 99,000 computers and 4,600 servers. Additionally, 95% of the schools have broadband connections. Moreover, the Ministry of Education has provided the selected schools with 97,000 laptops and 70,000 LCD projectors (Quah, 2008).
According to the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025, the Ministry of Education aimed to provide Internet access and virtual learning environments by
“1BestariNet” for 10,000 schools by 2013 (Ministry of Education, 2012). It was highlighted in this report that both teachers and students will be able to access the Internet using 4G network at their schools through 1BestariNet, which acts as the basic virtual learning platform for teachers, students and parents to share learning resources, interactive lessons and communicate effectively.
The integration of the Internet in English lessons is in line with the latest English language Syllabus introduced in 2003 for secondary schools by the Curriculum Development Centre. The Internet plays a major role in this syllabus which is apparent in the recommended school textbooks. In fact, various reading
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materials such as the writing exercises, reading comprehension passages, articles and excerpts were downloaded from the Internet and incorporated into these recommended school textbooks, with the effort of the Curriculum Development Centre to facilitate the teaching of English language under the “ICT Integration in Education” policy.
However, Malaysian schools will remain as mere digital technological device collectors if English language teachers fail or hesitate to integrate the Internet effectively to teach the English language in the classroom context. The Ministry of Education’s efforts will be a sheer waste if the English language teachers are not comfortable in utilising the Internet in their ESL classrooms.
In summary, it is important to conduct a study to explore the ESL teachers’
online literacy practices outside the classroom, Internet use in the classroom and the current levels of concerns in integrating the Internet for classroom teaching in Malaysia. The Ministry of Education has invested a huge amount of time, finance and effort in this technological and online innovation. Research among teachers in using this innovation will be consistent with education development in the 21st century.
1.4 Problem Statement
The statement of problem is presented in three sections. The first section discusses the problems related to teachers’ online literacy practices outside the classroom. This is followed by the second section of the discussion on the Internet integration into the classroom for teaching and learning purposes. The third section presents discussion on
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the teachers’ concerns’ in integrating the Internet into teaching and learning of English, which is determined using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model.
1.4.1 Teachers’ Online Literacy Practices outside the Classroom
Online literacy practices refers to the phenomenon of using the Internet for various purposes including personal matters, official affairs and entertainment. The advent of Worldwide Web eased students in accessing the online information besides communicating instantly using the electronic mail equipped with various functions and devices that facilitate students’ visual as well as verbal communication with their friends both locally and abroad. Facebook, discussion board, Twitter, instant messaging and chat rooms are popular social networking sites among youngsters today. Most students are also regular users of the Internet, keeping up with the rapid development of the innovation for various purposes in their daily lives.
Students’ involvement in utilising the Internet raises questions on the ESL teachers’ online literacy development and practices outside the classroom. In Indonesia, there has been a common difference between the teachers’ knowledge and skills in the use of the Internet for instruction and students who have been a step ahead of teachers in the use of the Internet (Bambang Yudi Cahyono & Utami Widiati, 2007). In fact, the survey done by Hadiyanto, Amirul Mukminin, Makmur, Marzul Hidayat and Failasofah (2013) among the English lecturers’ in four Jambi province universities, Sumatra, Indonesia showed that, even these lecturers’ were not highly ready to integrate the Internet for teaching and learning although they were highly motivated.
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The study done by Tan, Ng and Saw (2010) among 535 Form 4 students in Penang, Malaysia shows that 75% of them accessed the Internet ‘at least once or several times in a day’ and ‘a few times a week’. These students access the Internet for personal reasons such as entertainment and social networking. They access the Internet using three main languages, which are English (77.06%), Malay (8.16%) and Chinese (14.72%). These young adolescents’ engagement with the innovation raised various questions on the ESL teachers’ personal online literacy practices outside the classroom.
Therefore, are the ESL teachers in Malaysia keeping pace with their students on exploring and utilising the Internet for various purposes outside the classroom? Are the Malaysian ESL teachers utilising the Internet outside the classroom to interact with their students, parents and teachers from other schools? Are the ESL teachers using the Internet to achieve their personal goals? Are the ESL teachers utilising the Internet for entertainment and social networking outside the classroom like their students?
According to Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan and Mohamed Amin Embi (2004), the overall studies, which focused on Malaysian secondary school teachers’ online practices, are still at a minimal level. Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan and Mohamed Amin Embi believed that this does not mean the teachers were not participating in online networking, but mainly that their online involvement was undocumented in earlier studies. Hence, this provides further ground to explore and investigate the ESL teachers’ online literacy practices that might be linked to their Internet use for classroom instruction. A study is required to find out and document what these ESL teachers do online outside the classroom.
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1.4.2 Internet Integration into the ESL Classroom
The use of the Internet and its tools for the teaching and learning of English has truly expanded in the recent years. It has affected many educational facets including assessments, methodologies, pedagogies and teacher education. The rapid development of computer technology has altered the way education is being delivered worldwide (Devon, 2000; Nurul Atikah Abdullah, Mohamad Jafre Zainol Abidin, Wong, Omar Majid & Hanafi Atan, 2006; Tsai, 2006; Saeideh Bolandifar, Nooreen Noordin, Parastoo Babashamsi & Nahid Shakib, 2013). With the development of ICT, there is a great demand for the use of the Internet as a resource in English language teaching.
The technology development has made the teaching and learning process complicated with the demand for the integration of the Internet into classroom practices, which is one of the 21st century challenges that the ESL teachers need to face. Effectively integrating ICT into learning systems is more complicated than providing computers and securing a connection to the Internet (Mojgan Afshari, Kamariah Abu Bakar, Wong, Bahaman Abu Samah & Foo, 2009). Internet utilisation in education has impacted students’ literacy on reading and writing as well as literacy instruction in the classroom (Karchmer, 2001; Leu, Kinzer, Coiro & Cammack, 2004;
Carroll, 2011). Realising this, many countries throughout the world have introduced the Internet in schools by installing a computer, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and screen in every classroom to create a “global classroom”.
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This rapid development in ICTs has serious implications on the role of teachers today (Abang Ahmad, Hong & Aliza Ahmad, 2001; Chai & Cher, 2011; Saeideh Bolandifar et al., 2013; Collier, 2013). Undoubtedly, the current developments in information technology and Internet integration are drastically altering the teaching profession culture. Therefore, ESL teachers cannot escape from the reality that today’s English classrooms must be technologically supported with online learning peripherals. Many parts of the modern world are now free of chalk dust floating in the air and repetitive drills on grammar exercises (Idanan, 2009; Siti Hajar Anip, 2012).
The effect is evident, as the Internet connection in public schools in the United States of America has continued to increase from 35% in 1994 to 95% in 1999 and 98% in 2000, regardless of grade level, poverty and metropolitan status (Liu, Theodore & Lavelle, 2004). However, only 53% of public school teachers teach using the Internet in United States in 2000 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000).
Although the Internet is spreading at a very fast pace, Cuban (2001) and Leu (2006) claimed that many scholars have argued that Internet integration for classroom instructions is still at a minimal rate and very superficial in the United States.
Similar findings were also obtained in another study conducted by Preston, Cox and Cox (1999) in the United Kingdom. Preston, Cox and Cox studied on the supporting and preventing factors of teachers using ICT in the classroom. Most of their teachers’ first priority was to maintain order in the classroom by having a controlled learning environment. Any suggestion of adopting very innovative teaching techniques such as using the Internet, was seen as threatening this orderly pattern and therefore not desirable. There is a genuine fear among many teachers about the
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Internet and skepticism of its value to their students. This reflects these teachers’
unpreparedness to integrate the Internet into the classroom for teaching and learning purposes even in a developed country.
According to the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025, the Ministry of Education has spent more than RM6 billion on ICT for Malaysian schools over the past decades. However, ICT usage in schools continuously fails to meet the targeted expectations in terms of both quantity and quality. It was revealed in this report that approximately 80% of the school teachers spend less than one hour per-week in utilising ICT for classroom instruction based on a research conducted by the Ministry of Education in 2010 (Ministry of Education, 2012). Additionally, the 2012 UNESCO review found that the ICT utilisation in Malaysian schools has not gone much further than the use of word-processing applications as an instructional tool (Ministry of Education, 2012). This further clarifies that the Internet integration in the ESL classroom in Malaysian schools is still at the minimal pace.
A recent qualitative study done by Hiew (2012) in Malaysia on students’
perceptions of English language teachers brought to light that students preferred to learn from teachers who are creative in conducting classroom instructions than teachers who merely rely on textbooks. Students today prefer teachers who use more online interactive programmes and online videos clips instead of the conventional
‘chalk-and-talk’ or textbook-based lessons.
A survey done by Jamaludin Badusah and Muhammad Hussin (2000) showed that the use of the Internet among the secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia
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was still at a low level. This survey showed that 56.3% of the teachers never used the Internet although they teach in Selangor, which is actually a central state in Malaysia with a large number of urban schools. This raises questions on the innovation used for classroom instruction in different school settings such as the rural, urban and suburban schools, in Malaysia. Hence, an in-depth study is required to identify the use of Internet for classroom teaching among the ESL teachers in other parts of Malaysia.
Despite the overwhelming advancement in the ICT field, the reality is that primary and secondary schools in Singapore are still facing problems such as poor application of Internet for individualised lessons in large classrooms. In addition, the teachers in Singapore also admit that they have difficulties in providing individualised feedback and instructions to each student in large classes when they integrate the Internet into their lessons (Jung, 2000).
Correspondingly, the study done by Johana Yusof, Ita Salfarina Mohd Taib and Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan (2010) and the preliminary observation by Chong, Horaini Sharaf and Daniel Jacob (2005) in Malaysian schools showed that innovation such as the Internet was less utilised in schools. Although computers, laptops and the Internet connection were provided to schools under the “Teaching and Learning of Science, Mathematics in English” Program (Program Pengajaran Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam Bahasa Inggeris), it was not being used in effective or creative ways. The Internet connection and other ICT facilities provided to Malaysian schools were not being fully utilised to be integrated into classroom learning activities. This study concluded that the teachers were not fully utilising the innovation in their
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teaching. However, that was only a preliminary observation. An in-depth study needs to be carried out in Malaysian schools to verify this scenario.
A nationwide survey conducted by Norizan Abdul Razak, Maimun Aqsha Lubis, Mohamed Amin Embi and Ramlee Mustapha (2010) showed that the majority of the English teachers in Malaysian technical schools were still novice users (40.7%) of the Internet for classroom instruction. Only 1.9% of these teachers were competent Internet users. Meanwhile, 29.6% of the teachers were moderate competent Internet users and 27.8% were non-competent users. None of the respondents was highly competent Internet user for classroom instruction. However, this study only comprised the ESL teachers teaching in technical secondary schools in Malaysia.
In summary, the rapid development of the Internet has serious implications on the ESL teachers’ role and readiness in integrating the Internet into the classroom.
Teachers are expected to be “a guide by the side” replacing the traditional role of “the sage on the stage” (Abang Ahmad Ridzuan et al., 2001, p.22). Facilitating English teaching requires more than just guiding the students. It needs the teachers to be technologically literate in order to integrate the Internet and other ICT peripherals in creating and maintaining meaningful learning environments in the classroom. Hence, the question raised from this point is: Are Malaysian ESL teachers able to prepare the younger generation for the knowledge based society in their classroom practice?
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1.4.3 ESL Teachers’ Concerns about Integrating the Internet
According to Liu et al. (2004), human factors are equally crucial as the hardware and software in integrating the Internet into the ESL classroom. In this context, the human factor that is dominant is the ESL teachers, who have a direct and close contact with the students. Hence, the teachers’ engagement with the Internet enhances the use of technology for students. Since the role of teachers is important in the teaching and learning paradigm shift, their concerns in integrating the Internet into the teaching and learning practices require closer attention.
The obvious factor that affects teachers’ use of the Internet in the classrooms is the teachers’ attitudes or concerns (Liu et al., 2004; Osman Zakaria Barnawi, 2009;
Saeideh Bolandifar et al., 2013). Teachers’ concerns about innovation have a significant influence on their computer use in the classrooms. Rakes and Casey (2002) claimed that even teachers who held positive attitudes towards the integration of ICT in education might have difficulties in transferring these attitudes into productive actions in the United States of America. Rakes and Casey further stressed that teachers with adequate ICT skills, are digitally literate, able to use the Internet and knowledgeable still portrayed hesitation to apply it effectively in the ESL classroom to enhance English language learning.
Teachers’ levels of concerns influence their acceptance in integrating the innovation for classroom instruction. Carlson and Gadio (2002) and Naresh Kumar et al. (2008a) claimed that teachers’ acceptance of technology is important in order for them to use the technology provided in their learning institutions effectively.
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However, it would only be an absolute waste of resources, furnishing schools with computer labs, computers, LCDs, Internet connections, free Wifi and personal laptops without taking into consideration whether these teachers’ are really comfortable in utilising this technological instruction in their classrooms.
ESL teachers’ level of concerns in integrating the Internet for classroom teaching is often overlooked by the higher authorities. The higher authorities including school administrators such as the school principals and education officers in the District Education Department are under pressure to improve students’ performance in public examinations. According to Rakes and Casey (2002), the school administrators who are frequently pressured in improving students’ academic performance are often reluctant to identify teachers’ concerns, eventually thwarting their efforts to accomplish their goals.
Based on the discussion above, it is necessary to conduct a study locally to ensure that the ESL teachers’ concerns in utilising the Internet for classroom instruction are not neglected. At the same time, the discrepancy, if any, in the levels of concerns according to the ESL teachers’ schools settings and age requires further attention.
1.5 Purpose of the Study
There are several purposes in conducting this mixed-methods study. This study was done to examine the online literacy practices both inside and outside the classroom of a group of ESL teachers in selected urban, suburban and rural secondary schools in
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Penang and Perak. In this study, the levels of concerns of the ESL teachers in utilising the Internet for classroom teaching and lesson preparation will be measured using the quantitative approach according to their school settings and age. Furthermore, the qualitative approach was used to explore the teachers’ extent of their Internet integration for classroom teaching and learning process. Hence, the findings of this study would contribute to a more technologically advanced education for the future generation.
1.6 Objectives of the Study
In line with the stated purposes, the first objective is to examine the ESL teachers’
online literacy practices outside the classroom, including the Internet utilisation for their personal use. In addition, this study is interested to explore and determine the ESL teachers’ Internet use for classroom teaching and lesson preparation. The third objective is to determine the ESL teachers’ levels of concerns in integrating the Internet in the ESL classroom. These teachers’ concerns are determined using the
“Concerns-Based Adoption Model”, which will be discussed in-depth in chapter two.
The next objective is to determine whether there is any difference in the level of concerns according to the ESL teachers’ age and school settings.
1.7 Research Questions
1. What are the ESL teachers’ online literacy practices outside the classroom in terms of:
(a) online activities
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(c) frequency of online access (d) time spent online
(e) language used
(f) setting up a webpage
2. To what extent do the ESL teachers use the Internet for teaching and learning purposes?
3. Levels of Concerns
(a) What are the ESL teachers’ levels of concerns in integrating the Internet into the classroom for their teaching and learning?
(b) Is there any difference in the levels of concerns between the different age groups?
(c) Is there any difference in the levels of concerns between the different school settings?
1.8 Hypotheses
There are two hypotheses in this research. The first hypothesis is for question 3(b) and the second hypothesis is for question 3(c) in the research question.
The research question 3(b) above has the null hypothesis as below.
HO1: There is no significant difference in the levels of concerns between the age groups of 35 years old and below, 36 to 45 and 46 to 60 years old.
The research question 3(c) above has the null hypothesis as below.
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HO2: There is no significant difference in the levels of concerns between the different school settings such as the urban, suburban and rural schools.
1.9 Rationale of the Study
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025 revealed that a study done in 2011 found that only 50% of lessons conducted in Malaysian schools were being delivered in an effective manner. According to this report, the lessons delivered in Malaysian classrooms were more passive and focused on only achieving surface-level content comprehension, which did not sufficiently engage students in meaningful learning tasks. This percentage is very challenging, since an estimation of 60% of today’s teachers will still be in-service for another 20 years (Ministry of Education, 2012).
Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a study to examine and investigate if the ESL teachers are integrating technology such as the Internet for classroom instruction to keep pace with the global demand.
The Ministry of Education in Malaysia has allocated a special budget to integrate ICT into the ESL classrooms since 2003 (Naresh Kumar et al., 2008a) to enhance more meaningful, effective and creative classroom instruction. During the 2003 budget speech, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohammad had announced that the government would implement the use of technology to teach English language in schools (Naresh Kumar et al., 2008a). Since then, the Malaysian Ministry of Education has supported and assisted the English language teachers by providing ICT equipments, individual laptops and Internet connections (Naresh Kumar et al., 2008a; Niyosha Morshedi Hendehjan & Nooreen Noordin, 2013). Schools have
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also been given free Wifi to make this aspiration a success. This huge investment does warrant a study to gather insights from practicing English teachers regarding their classroom practices, especially their online literacy practices. Hence, the rationale of this study is to investigate these ESL teachers’ actual usage of the Internet for classroom teaching and lesson preparations.
In addition, Ellen-Jay, the 1999–2000 president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) claimed that, “There is no textbook for life and schools can no longer define success in terms of student learning of a predetermined set of facts.
Schools need to educate students to cope with a future of constantly changing needs and information” (Frei et al., 2007, p.92). The teaching pedagogies, contents and methodologies need to be updated from time to time to cater to the needs of the rapidly developing information age. At present, the Internet has huge potentials in providing the latest or current teaching resources and updates. Therefore, Internet integration is essential in the ESL classroom and teachers need to adapt to this current demand in education. This provides further grounds to explore the current ESL teachers concerns in integrating the Internet into Malaysian secondary schools more closely.
Moreover, Nor Azilah Ngah and Mona Masood (2006) believe that barriers to integrate computers into teaching by teachers have an intrinsic component that needs further exploration. Some of the intrinsic elements include the teachers’ concerns in incorporating computers into their teaching, classroom practices and the willingness to change from merely using the computers to slowly integrating the Internet into the classroom. In other words, these researchers highlighted that ESL teachers’ concerns in integrating the Internet into their classrooms needs to be identified.
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Hutchison and Reinking (2011) claimed that data had not been collected in a large scale to determine the extent of Internet integration and the problems faced in utilising the Internet for classroom instruction, even in schools abroad. Thus, there appears to be limited studies, investigating ESL teachers’ extent of Internet use and their current stages of concerns in integrating the Internet for English language teaching in Malaysian secondary schools. In addition, there are not many studies done that attempt to discover if there is any significant difference in the level of concerns according to the ESL teachers’ age or teaching locations such as urban, suburban or rural schools.
The few studies that explored the utilisation of ICT for teaching and learning purposes did not focus directly on Internet integration in English language classrooms in Malaysian secondary schools. This provides further grounds to proceed with a research that focuses on the online literacy practices of the ESL teachers both inside and outside the classroom.
Similarly, limited studies have attempted to explore Internet integration using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model in the classroom especially in the English subject. Likewise, not many studies were done to determine the levels of concerns according to the age of the teachers or school settings. These variables are examined and investigated in the present study.
28 1.10 Significance of the Study
The Internet has developed rapidly among the 21st century netizens with the latest communication equipment that enables them to upload information and participate in instant message delivery. The educational world today is rapidly changing due to the advancement of global innovations. The emergence of a new informational society requires schools to equip students and teachers with adequate online skills in technology and language. Consequently, traditional teaching practices need to be restructured to keep pace with the latest global demand. Hence, there are several significant contributions of this study, which explored ESL teachers’ Internet use for classroom instruction and personal purposes.
International Reading Association (2009) claimed that the understanding of the Internet integration into classroom instruction should be made known to all educational policy makers, pre-service and in-service organisers. Therefore, the findings of this research can facilitate Teachers’ Training Institutions and Universities in Malaysia to not only prepare and provide courses in integrating the Internet into ESL classrooms, but also to produce teachers who are capable of creating more interesting and creative teaching materials, using available online resources. It is time for the Teachers’ Training Institutions and local Universities to train pre-service teachers in creating useful and interesting teaching resources, lesson notes, interactive exercises, digital language games and digital teaching aids to be uploaded on the Internet. Identifying the ESL teachers’ current online literacy practices and their Internet use in their classroom will be a useful insight in redesigning the Teachers’
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Training Institutions’ present curriculum to develop a more advanced curricular content. This will change the future teachers from being mere online information users to online resource inventors.
The result of this research will provide a clear view on the current stages of concerns of the ESL teachers in integrating the Internet into their ESL classrooms.
This result will aid the Ministry of Education to prepare appropriate in-service professional development courses, to accommodate ESL teachers’ needs in integrating the Internet in English language teaching and learning. These in-service courses can look into meeting the ESL teachers’ needs in the Awareness, Informational, Personal, Management, Consequence, Collaboration and Refocusing stages, as investigated in the study. Relevant modules, support systems and coaching can be designed according to the levels of concerns of the ESL teachers discussed in this study.
Finally, the findings in this study will be able to highlight some of the specific problems encountered by the practicing teachers in utilising the innovations for classroom teaching. The teachers are free to share some of the problems that they face in integrating the Internet for classroom teaching in the questionnaire and during the interview sessions. These problems are useful input for the higher authorities in the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education in devising strategies and solutions.
