Teachers’ Perception and Challenges for Integration of Digital Technology in Teaching English: A Case Study of Community Colleges of Sindh, Pakistan

• Published in: Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics Vol. 25; pp. 151 - 169
• Main Authors: Channa, Imdad Hussain, Asad, Muhammad Mujtaba, Chachar, Zulfiquar Ali, Palpanadan, Sarala Thulasi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국영어학회 01.02.2025
• Subjects: 영어와문학
• ISSN: 1598-1398; 2586-7474
• DOI: 10.15738/kjell.25..202502.151

Information and communication technology has become an integral part of teaching and learning in this modern era. The use of new technologies in an educational context is strongly influenced by teachers’ perceptions. The emergence of COVID-19 in 2019 required a herculean response on the part of English teachers by switching from physical (face-to-face) teaching to online teaching; They were encouraged by their respective management to use ICT tools and techniques. However, observations and circumstantial evidence suggest that most teachers, particularly English teachers, experience difficulties in using ICT. This study examined English teachers’ perceptions of ICT integration in teaching English. In addition, the study also examined the challenges faced by English teachers in integrating ICT. This case study was conducted in 5 community colleges in Sindh. The participants in this qualitative case study were senior English teachers at community colleges. Detailed semi-structured interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. To validate the interviews, the classrooms were also observed using an observation checklist. An interpretive approach was used to obtain the results. The results of the study showed that English teachers at community colleges have a positive attitude towards ICT integration. Their willingness, motivation and attitude towards ICT integration were also rated positively. Additionally, the community colleges have better infrastructure in terms of ICT tools and techniques but still need further development, e.g. Such as the availability of language labs, availability of backup power adapters to avoid power outages, and a strong internet connection to help teachers complete their assignments within time. The study suggests that English teachers could be provided with needs-based training related to ICT integration for English teaching using the TPACK and TAM model to achieve better results. KCI Citation Count: 0