Teachers' attitudes towards computer technology use in vocabulary instruction
Author(s)
Advisor
Endley, Martin J.Date
2003Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
This study examined how teachers perceive the incorporation and use of
computer technology resources in language teaching through investigation of
teachers’ attitudes and approaches to using an online supplementary resource in
vocabulary instruction in an EFL context. The program offers such tools as
vocabulary level tests, a vocabulary frequency profiler, word and text concordancer,
and cloze text and hypertext builder. The aim of the study was to explore the factors
that affect teachers’ use or non-use of the online program for teaching purposes. The
study finally examined whether and to what extent opportunities, facilities, and
training provided to teachers contribute to their acceptance and use of these
resources.
The data was collected through questionnaires distributed to 97 teachers in an
English-medium university. Based on the results of the questionnaires, a stratified sample of 12 teachers was selected for follow-up interviews. The questionnaire
results revealed statistically significant differences between teachers who have
undergone computer technology training and those who have not in terms of their
attitudes toward computers and the use of computer technology resources in
language teaching. Follow-up interviews were used to determine whether positive
attitudes or interests led people to undergo training or the reverse. The responses
supported both cases for different individuals. The results also showed that simply
introducing computer technology resources does not guarantee teachers’ use of these
in practice. The provision of training is seen as a key factor in both changing
attitudes and encouraging teachers in incorporating technology into their instruction.
Keywords
Computer technology resourcesfrequency-based wordlists
data-driven learning (DDL)
corpus (pl. corpora)
concordancing software
concordance
teacher attitude