Expanding the vision: a study of trainee teachers’ beliefs about using technology in the English language classroom

This study investigates the beliefs of a group of English language teacher trainees from Malaysia with regard to the use of technology for teaching and learning English. The Malaysian school system, like many schools systems, is strongly committed to the implementation and integration of technology across the curriculum in order to equip its next generation of citizens to compete globally in the technological age. Teacher trainees today, who have often grown up with technology and might be considered as digital natives (Prensky, 2001) or second generation users of technology, appear ideally placed to expedite this aim. In this study, three instruments are used for investigating teacher trainees’ beliefs: questionnaires, discussion boards and reflective writing. Findings suggest that whilst some traditional concerns relating to technology use remain, a number of additional concerns have arisen, such as the perceived need for a wide knowledge of technological tools and a feeling of pressure to keep up to date. The study also highlights several negative influences on participants’ perceptions of technology and its use in the classroom, such as the effect of their own classroom experiences as learners or ‘apprentice of observation’ (Lortie, 1975). Based on the findings, a framework for incorporating a more appropriate technology component into language teacher education programmes emerges which might help second generation users in developing appropriate skills for an ever-changing digital environment.