Teachers' Rationale for Technology in English Classes

Teachers' Rationale for Technology in English Classes

Nicholas Marx

Ritsumeikan University

This year, many universities have returned to face-to-face classes or a mix of face-to-face and online classes. However, educators continue to develop the use of online tools that were adopted during online classes in their teaching resources. While the efficacy of online resources is of great concern in the switch from Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) to a return to a classroom learning environment or planned remote learning, with more technology-supported learning, educators continue to choose websites and applications to better aid their teaching in both the classroom and online. This presentation reports on a qualitative exploratory study examining reasonings for English language educators’ (N=22), choices to use certain technology, websites, and applications with students. While the a large majority of the participants are made of tertiary educators, some secondary educators responses will also be presented. By examining the reasons for teacher-chosen technology for students, educators can better understand their learners and their own pedagogic choices. In addition, this presentation will look at some of the shortcomings in our rationale and propose alternative ways to choose technology that to help educators better choose technology in their classes.