Sabri Thabit Saleh Ahmed, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of English, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad
Thabit Ahmed Qasem, Ph.D. Research Scholar, Department of English – Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, India
This study aims at exploring South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers’ attitudes towards the significance of implementing ICTs in English language teaching, their actual uses of such technologies in their teaching and difficulties they encounter; for the purpose of getting an overall picture of ICTs-assisted language teaching in South Yemeni context and what is required for implementing a more ICTs-assisted language instruction in the concerned universities. Data were collected through a questionnaire webbed to 81 EFL teachers (n=81) and then analyzed by SPSS. The questionnaire consists of five-Likert items and open questions. Some teachers were also interviewed for the purpose of triangulation and getting more details about the findings. Findings revealed that EFL teachers of the concerned universities held positive attitudes towards using ICTs in their teaching of English and there were no significant differences in teachers’ attitudes that can be attributed to gender, academic level or computer competence. However, their actual uses of such technologies in their classroom teaching were not up to the level required. A significant difference in teachers’ actual uses of technology can be attributed to their computer competence as those teachers with a high computer competence were found using ICTs more than their low computer competence counterparts. The study concluded that South Yemeni teachers’ lack of implementing ICTs in their EFL classes can be attributed to many factors such as lack of ICT tools in their departments, unavailability of internet and lack of computer competence and training. The study concluded with some recommendations that may help in applying ICTs in EFL education in the concerned universities and in Yemeni universities generally.
Keywords: Information and communication technology (ICT); EFL education; South Yemeni EFL teachers; perceptions
1. Introduction
Using technology in language teaching has a great role in developing students’ language proficiency, autonomy and motivation (Warschauer, 1996; Albirini, 2006; Alsied, & Pathan, 2013; Golonka, et al. 2014; Kılıçkaya, 2015; Grzeszczyk, 2016; Lai, Yeung & Hu, 2016). It is not only effective in classroom teaching and learning but also helps foreign language learners for self-learning outside classroom. There are, for example, an abundance of programs, websites, CDs, videos, lectures and books that have been designed for learning English as a foreign language in our modern age. Web technology has also provided EFL learners and teachers a free access to many of these knowledgeable programs that help them a lot in developing their language, autonomy and self-learning.
Teachers’ attitudes towards using ICT in language teaching is one of the main variables influencing the implementation of technology in classroom teaching (Daud, 2006) and “a major predictor of the use of new technologies in the educational settings” (Albirini, 2006) as such attitudes tell whether the teachers accept utilizing ICTs in their teaching or not. It is for this reason that this very study aims at exploring South Yemeni EFL teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in their teaching of English. In Yemeni context, there is a need for such a study as implementing technology in teaching is still at its cradle at Yemeni universities and more limited to teachers’ personal interest and experience. Many studies in the field of teaching English as a foreign language in Yemen have recommended applying computer technologies and ICTs in Yemeni schools and universities for developing students’ proficiency in English and promoting language learning (Alotumi, 2015; Mohammed, 2008; Ahmed & Pawar, 2018; Ahmed, 2018; Ahmed, Qasem & Pawar 2019) but no detailed study has approached South Yemeni teachers’ attitudes towards using ICTs in teaching English, the level to which ICTs are currently used in teaching English and the difficulties encountering the implementation of technology in language teaching at the concerned universities. From this point, the need for this study has come out.
This paper has not only been designed to help the concerned local universities to implement ICTs in their English departments but also to contribute to the body of literature on teachers’ attitudes towards using ICTs in language teaching as its results will provide an added value to the previous studies conducted in this field in other places around the world.
1.1.Objectives of the study
This study aims at raising teachers’ attitudes towards the significance of using ICTs in EFL teaching in South Yemeni Universities. It attempts to achieve the following objectives:
1- To investigate South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers’ attitudes towards the significance of integrating ICTs in EFL teaching and learning.
2- To investigate to what extent South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers implement ICT tools in their teaching of English.
3- To check if there is any correlation between teachers’ attitudes towards/ use of ICTs in teaching English and their gender.
4- To check if there is any correlation between teachers’ attitudes towards/ uses of ICT in teaching English and their computer competence.
5- To determine challenges of using ICTs in EFL classes of the concerned universities.
6- To suggest some recommendations for implementing ICTs in EFL classes of the concerned universities.
1.2.Hypotheses:
- South Yemeni tertiary EFL teachers have positive attitude towards using ICTs in EFL teaching.
- There is a gap between teachers’ attitudes towards using ICT in EFL teaching and their real implementation of ICT in their classes that can be explained in terms of different factors.
- There is no significant difference between teachers’ gender and their attitudes towards/ uses of ICTs in EFL teaching.
- There is a correlation between teachers’ computer competence and their uses of computer technology in their teaching.
1.3. Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study investigates South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers’ attitudes towards using ICT in teaching English as a foreign language and the actual uses of ICTs in EFL classes conducted by those teachers in the concerned universities. The study is limited to EFL teachers of four public universities located in South Yemen; viz, University of Aden, University of Hadhramout, University of Abyan and University of Seiyun. The study reflects the opinions of 81 EFL teachers working at the concerned universities.
2. Literature Review
2.1. Teachers’ Perceptions of Using ICTs in Language Teaching
The term ‘ICT’ stands for information and communication technology. ICT in language teaching is an approach to language teaching and learning that employs technology in teaching language. There are many technology devices such as computers, smart phones, data show projectors, CDs …etc that support software applications for language teaching and learning. Those technological applications designed for language learning and teaching are numerous and ranged from traditional drills of the 1960s to recent internet web-based learning programs which reshaped the uses of computers in language learning and considered as a new revolution in language learning (Eastment, 1996).
So far as how teachers perceive ICTs in language teaching and learning is concerned, there are many studies that have emphasized the role of teachers’ attitudes towards implementing technology for educational purposes (Gilakjani & Leong, 2012; Kim, 2002; Qasem & Viswanathappa, 2016) and in English language education in particular (Daud, 2006; Albirini, 2006) as such attitudes reflect whether they are ready to accept such technology in their teaching or not. Harrison and Rainer (1992) compiled data from a survey of 776 knowledge and information workers from a large university in the southern United States and found a relationship between teachers’ attitudes of computers and their acceptance to use technology in teaching. Those who have negatives attitudes towards computer were found less likely to adopt computer technology in their teaching. It is from this fact that we can say that attitudes towards ICTs play a huge role in its implementation in teaching.
Having positive attitudes towards using technology in language teaching is not enough for the success of its implementation as there are some other factors contributing to the situation such as computer competence. Warschauer and Healey (1998) have emphasized that teachers’ training plays a key role in the success of language classroom and that training teachers to use multimedia and other technological resources effectively will help them to apply CALL in their teaching. It is from this fact that this study aimed at investigating South Yemeni EFL teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in their teaching, their competence in computer and their uses of computer technology in teaching in order to give some suggestions for what is required to be done in order to implement a better use of computer technology in EFL classes of the Yemeni universities targeted.
2.2.Previous Research
Warschauer and Healey (1998) have reviewed computer and language learning and emphasized that language learning softwares provide learners with models native speakers’ realistic language and helps in the process of practicing and assessing language skills. They added that adding computers in language instruction provides the following merits:
1. multimodal practice with feedback (in various aspects of language);
2. individualisation in a large class;
3. pair and small group work on projects, either collaboratively or competitively;
4. the fun factor;
5. variety in the resources available and learning styles used;
6. exploratory learning with large amounts of language data; and
7. real-life skill-building in computer use. (59)
ÇAKIR (2006) has emphasized the importance of using technology in language teaching with reference to the great effect that audio-visual materials have on language teaching. He referred to the significant role of videos and visual materials on developing communicative skills as such techniques help students to contextualize what they have learned. He listed many activities for video implications in language classrooms. He emphasized that such video techniques develop students’ skills, provides more opportunities for practices through repetition and replay. He added that with video students feel more interested and enjoyable.
Hu and McGrath (2011) have examined Chinese teachers’ attitudes towards integrating ICTs in their teaching of English in higher education. Their data were collected through a teacher questionnaire survey, classroom observation, individual semi-structured interviews with teachers, management and administrative staff and focus group discussions with teachers and students. Findings revealed that majority of the teachers held positive and enthusiastic attitudes towards integrating ICTs in English language teaching. However, the study has shown many difficulties and barriers that interrupt the integration of ICTs in English language teaching such as inadequate support in terms of insufficient ICT facilities and CPD opportunities, the domination of traditional ELT, limited ICT knowledge and skills
Saglam and Sert (2012) have examined perceptions of nine ELT instructors with M.A TEFL degrees towards using computer technology in language teaching. Their data were collected through semi-structured interviews, open-ended questionnaires and field notes. Findings have shown that teachers held positive views about the role of educational technology for enriching language instruction. They also believe that their students held positive attitudes towards using technology in learning. However, they also acknowledged the challenges faced and emphasized the need for ICT training for both teachers and students. The study concluded that participants make use of technology to teach academic and linguistic skills in an integrated skills approach, encourage students to construct knowledge, expose students to life-long learning skills and strategies, cater for different students who have different learning styles, find and create teaching materials, develop skills through exposure to existing on-line sources and create a motivating environment that is conducive for learning.
Golonka, Bowles, Frank, Richardson & Freynik (2014) have reviewed more than 350 studies to check the effectiveness of technology implementation in foreign language learning, focusing on the type of technology used and its effectiveness. Their review revealed that using technology has various levels of effectiveness in language learning. Review also revealed that some studies had shown a strong support to the claims of the effectiveness of automatic speech recognition in improving pronunciation, and chat in increasing language inputs in terms of the amount of language produced by the learners and its complexity. So far as improving speaking proficiency, reading skills and vocabulary is concerned, studies reviewed have shown a moderate support to the claims that computer technology develops such skills. There has been a moderate support the claims that computer technology helps in developing learners’ interactions, their motivation to learn and their metalinguisitc knowledge. For the other aspects of the language learning through various technologies, weak support was found. The study concluded that using a good pedagogy and not technological means that makes language teaching effective and that good teaching can take place with or without technology. Technology can be effective when it fits the pedagogical goals.
Thapaliya (2014) has studied English teachers’ perceptions of using ICTs and their actual practices of using technology in their teaching of English in Nepal public schools. The study aimed at investigating teachers’ perceptions of ICTs in their teaching, ICT tools used by teachers in their teaching and the difficulties they encounter. Data were collected from 47 secondary school teachers through a questionnaire and findings revealed that teachers have positive attitudes towards using ICTs in teaching English as they showed that technology makes learning more practical and enjoyable, arouse students’ motivation towards the text, provide the models of authentic target language and ease the teaching and learning. Findings revealed that the most widely used ICT tools in the concerned schools were audio tape, mobile phone, computer, television, radio, video tape and email. The findings have also shown that insufficient class time and inadequate training opportunities were the major obstacles in the process of ICTs’ integration in English teaching.
Kinik (2014) has conducted a study to investigate Turkish EFL teachers’ perceptions towards technology use and integration in English language teaching in the Turkish context and the factors influencing their practices of using ICTs in their classes. Data were collected from 20 in-service Turkish EFL teachers. Results showed that Turkish EFL teachers have positive perceptions towards technology use and integration in English language teaching. Results have also shown two types of teachers: those who have positive perceptions and try to find ways to use technology in their teaching and those who have positive perceptions but don’t try to find different and practical way to integrate technology in their teaching. The results have also shown some barriers that affecting using technology in teaching such as unavailability of resources, lack of teachers’ computer competence.
Sadeghi, Rahmany and Doosti (2014) have explored Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions about utilizing computer-mediated communication tools in their teaching of English. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire applied to 100 male and female EFL teachers. Findings revealed that the majority of teachers have positive attitudes towards computer-mediated teaching. They asserted that CMC tools save time, energy and money; reduces cultural barriers by facilitating exposure to the authentic materials; enables teachers to encourage students beyond the limit of time and space; enables learners to learn at their own pace and interesting for the students. The findings of the correlational analysis shows that the better teachers were at working with computers the more they showed positive attitudes towards applying technology in their teaching practice.
Alotumi (2015) has conducted a study to investigate the use of CALL in the teaching and learning of English in 4th level EFL programs of five Yemeni public universities and teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards CALL. His findings revealed that using CALL in 4th level EFL classes is low. Results have also revealed that both teachers and learners had positive attitudes towards using computer in language teaching.
Pravin and Salam (2015) conducted a study to examine the effectiveness of using technology in English language teaching in Bangladeshi government primary schools. The results of the study revealed a strong potential for using audio-visual content in enhancing interactive language classes. They concluded that program success depends to a large extent on how technology is designed and implemented in classrooms and teachers’ training in using technology.
Saeed (2015) has investigated the effect of using computer technology on teaching performances of Sudanese English language teachers at Khartoum state, Sudan. He collected the data through a questionnaire and analyzed it by using SPSS. His results revealed that most of EFL teachers of Khartoum state have positive attitudes towards using of computer technology in their EFL classrooms. It also showed that majority of EFL teachers are not well trained to use computer technology and most schools don’t have computers. He has therefore recommended encouraging Sudanese EFL teachers to acquire computer skills required for using computer technology in English language teaching.
Khawaji (2016) has examined Saudi teachers’ attitudes towards technology implementation in English language teaching at Saudi universities, current practices and the personal and professional characteristics. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire given to English teachers of Jazan University. Findings have shown that teachers regardless of their gender and teaching experience believe that integration of technology is vital for quality of education, proficiency level of technology use has increased since 2000 and integration of computer technology in universities has reached to a more sophisticated stage. Majority of teachers have also emphasized that technology is a powerful tool which tends to enhance their productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.
Nami, Marandi, & Sotoudehnama (2016) have investigated five EFL teachers' perceptions of the impact of CALL lesson study on their professional growth. Results of the study showed that teachers, participated in the study, appreciated the teaching practices and peer observation for promoting their knowledge of technology, technological pedagogical knowledge, knowledge of technological glitches and their confidence in teaching with technology. Such benefits provide insights for the significance of using computers in language teaching.
Guan, Song & Li (2018) have reviewed the advantages of computer multimedia in English language teaching, they showed that using multimedia in English classroom makes classroom more interesting and full of fun. They added that multimedia-assisted English teaching can motivate students to learn English, optimize their English class environment, improve their proficiency of listening and speaking skills, develop their ideas in English, and enhances their enthusiasm for communication.
Gonen (2019) has conducted a study that aimed at guiding pre-service teachers in integrating technology in language teaching practices. The study investigated the perceptions of both pre-service teachers and their students about technology-enhanced lessons. Results revealed that the concerned teachers and their students had positive attitudes towards integrating technology in foreign language classes. It has also been shown that technology-enhanced classes enhance learners’ English language skills, create motivating learning atmosphere, foster active participation, and help teachers in tailoring their lessons to fit their students’ needs and interests.
3. Methodology
This is a descriptive survey study that aims at investigating South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers’ attitudes towards using ICTs in their teaching and the challenges that interrupt their implementation of computer technology in their EFL classes.
3.1. Sample of the Study
The participants of this study are 81 EFL teachers (n=81) belong to four Yemeni Universities situated in South Yemen. 81 EFL teachers have been randomly selected to participate in this study based on their availability and willingness to participate in an online survey questionnaire. The four universities are University of Aden, University of Hadhramout, University of Abyan and University of Seiyun.
3.2. Data collection tools
To collect data for this study, a five item Likert questionnaire was designed by the researchers. Some items of the questionnaire were adapted from Vandewaetere and Desmet (2009) and from Papanastasiou and Angeli (2008) as cited in Aydin (2013) to meet the objectives of the study. The first section of the questionnaire requested the participants to give their personal information such as age, gender, university, specialization, academic level and computer competence. The second section consists of 14 items (five item Likert scale where strongly agree = 5 and means a highly positive attitude and strongly disagree = 1 and means extremely negative attitude) and deals with teachers’ attitudes and perceptions towards using computer technology in EFL teaching. The third section consists of 9 items that deal with the extent to which teachers of the concerned universities implement computer technology in their teaching. The questionnaire ends with two open questions that requested the participants to identify the difficulties they encounter when implementing computer technology in their teaching and to give some suggestions for implementing computer technology in their universities.
3.2.1. Validity of the questionnaire
The questionnaire designed by the researchers of this study has been sent to three EFL professors in Yemen. They were requested to give their opinions about whether the questionnaire is valid and can achieve the objectives of the study. Based on their comments and recommendations, the questionnaire was modified and some items were deleted and others were added.
3.2.2. Reliability of the questionnaire
After validating the questionnaire by three EFL experts, it was piloted to 14 EFL teachers of Aden University to respond to it. The questionnaire showed a high reliability according to Cronbach’s Alpha reliability statistics as shown in tables no. 1 and. 2.
Table no 1: Cronbach’s reliability statistics of teachers’ attitudes towards using computer technology in English language teaching
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.795
14
Table no. 2: Cronbach’s reliability statistics of teachers implementation of ICT tools in their teaching
Cronbach's Alpha
N of Items
.725
9
3.2.3. Administration of the questionnaire
The questionnaire was webbed online through Google Drive to the EFL teachers of the concerned universities. It was shared with as many teachers as possible through WhatsApp groups of the universities, personal WhatsApp and email contacts. 81 teachers who managed to respond to it.
4. Findings and Discussion
4.1.Findings
After processing the data by SPSS, findings showed that responses of 81 teachers were valid, 68 male and 13 female teachers, and they belong to four universities; vis, Aden, Hadhramout, Abyan and Seiyun. They also hold different academic degrees; vis, B.A. , M.A. and Ph.D. in English literature, linguistics, general English, ELE and translation. Most of them have somehow good computer knowledge and their experience with computer ranged from 2 to 22 years. 2 female teachers and 4 male teachers have no computers at home while all others have their own computers at home.
Table no.3 shows general details about participants
Variables
Gender
University
Academic Level
Do you possess a computer?
How long is your experience with computer?
How do you rate your competence in computer?
N
Total no.
81
81
81
81
81
81
Missing
0
0
0
0
0
0
M = 68
Aden = 38
B.A. =16
YES 75
1-5 yrs= 30
Poor 4
F = 13
Hadhramout= 28
M.A.= 45
NO 6
6-10 yrs= 27
Satisfactory 12
Abyan = 9
Ph.D.= 20
11-15 yrs= 12
Good 23
Seiyun= 6
16-20 yrs= 10
Above 20= 2
V. good 26
Excellent 16
So far as teachers’ attitudes towards using ICTs in the EFL teaching are concerned, findings revealed that teachers have highly positive attitudes (see table no.4) as most items scored more than 4 points and the cumulative mean for all items equals (4.1119). It has also been shown that there is a slight statistical difference between male teachers’ attitudes and female teachers’ attitudes as shown in table (5) in which female teachers’ overall attitude showed a higher positive score than male teachers’. Responses showed that teachers believe that ICT is very important in language teaching and learning. They believe that using ICTs in EFL teaching facilitates EFL learning and teaching, motivates students to learn, saves time and efforts, helps in bringing authentic English into classroom, enhances students’ autonomy and self-learning and develops students’ language skills.
Table no.4 : Teachers’ attitudes towards Using ICTs in EFL Teaching
No.
Item
Mean
Std. Deviation
1
ICTs facilitate EFL learning and teaching.
4.3333
.75829
2
ICTs motivate students’ to learn English.
4.3827
.66272
3
ICTs save teachers’ time and energy in language teaching.
4.3333
.90830
4
ICTs help EFL teachers to bring authentic English and authentic English culture into classroom.
4.1728
.80297
5
ICTs are important and should be available in EFL classroom.
4.2099
.90438
6
I am totally against those who say that using computer technology in language classroom is a waste of time.
4.1605
.58002
7
Using computer technology in EFL classes enhances students’ autonomy and self-confidence
3.8025
.74866
8
Teachers should use technology in their teaching of English.
4.2593
.73786
9
I don't feel scared to use ICTs in my EFL teaching.
3.7901
1.05731
10
I like using ICTs in my EFL teaching.
4.2469
.76699
11
Using ICTs in EFL teaching and learning enhances EFL students’ speaking skill
3.9877
.82906
12
Using ICTs in EFL teaching and learning enhances EFL students’ listening skill.
4.3086
.75236
13
Using ICTs in EFL teaching and learning enhances EFL students’ reading skill.
3.9136
.63635
14
Using ICTs in EFL teaching and learning enhances EFL students’ writing skill.
3.6667
.89443
Table no.5: Male and female teachers’ overall attitude means
Gender
Mean
Male
4.0924 out of 5
Female
4.2143 out of 5
Regarding teachers’ uses of ICTs in their EFL teaching, teachers’ responses showed that ICTs are not used by the teachers up to the required level (overall mean = 2.3964 out of 5). There is a large gap between teachers’ attitudes towards using ICTs in language teaching and teachers’ real implementation of ICTs in their teaching as reflected in teachers’ responses to the 9 items of the questionnaire shown in the table no. (6). There is also a slight statistical difference between male and female teachers’ uses of technology in their teaching as shown in the table no. (7) but it doesn’t indicate any significant relation between gender and computer technology uses in EFL teaching. There is a significant correlation between teachers’ competence in computer and their uses of such technology in classroom teaching as shown in the table no. (8).
Table no.6: Teachers’ uses of ICTs in their EFL teaching
No
Item
Mean
Std. Deviation
15
How often do you use ICTs in your language teaching?
2.7654
.91203
16
How often do you use ICTs when teaching spoken English courses?
2.5556
1.65076
17
How often do you use ICT when teaching written English courses?
1.6173
1.35617
18
How often do you use ICT when teaching Literature courses?
1.2469
1.35583
19
I use power-point in my EFL classes.
3.0864
1.43351
20
I use internet in preparing my lessons to achieve certain objectives.
3.0494
1.32194
21
I design technology-enhanced language learning activities for my students.
2.3333
1.14018
22
I use email and social media such as whats up and Face book groups for communicating and interacting with my students and developing their English.
2.3827
1.18920
23
I display native English movies/ dialogues/ lessons for my students to develop their English and culture.
2.5309
1.40612
Table no. 7: Male and female teachers’ uses of computer technology in their teaching
Gender
Mean of ICTs’ uses in their teaching
Male
2.4248
Female
2.2479
Table no. 8: Correlation between teachers’ competence in computer and their uses of computers in classroom
Participants’ competence in computer
Mean of ICTs’ uses in their teaching
Poor and satisfactory (1 and 2)
1.7704
Good, V. good and Excellent (3,4,5)
2.5387
Participants were also requested to respond to two open questions concerning ICT tools they use in their teaching of English and the difficulties they face in implementing computer technology and ICTs in their EFL teaching. In regards to what technologies they use in their teaching, their responses were not different from those given in the questionnaire. They only sometimes use internet for preparing their lectures and PowerPoint for presenting their lectures while most of the other tools are rarely or not used at all. Some teachers of listening skills sometimes use CDs or tape recorders and a few of literature teachers rarely display movies while others don’t use technology at all in classroom. So far as challenges teachers encounter when implementing technology in teaching are concerned, responses to open questions and interviews revealed the following challenges:
- Departments of English and their libraries are not connected to internet.
- Lack of ICT tools in their departments.
- Internet is generally poor at home, and for this reason, teachers as well as their students can’t have a good access to online libraries and English language learning programs.
- Teachers’ lack of computer competence. This can also be seen in teachers’ responses to their competence level in computer where 16 teachers rated their competence as low (1 or 2 out of 5). The findings have also shown a correlation between teachers’ computer competence and their uses of computer in classroom as shown in table no. 8. However, we also have to take in mind that the questionnaire was webbed to teachers and those who participated in responding to its items might be the ones who are best to deal with computer technology and have access to internet and technology.
- Students’ lack of computer technology skills.
4.2. Discussion
As per the findings of this study, it seems that South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers held highly positive attitudes towards using ICTs in language teaching as they believe that using ICTs in teaching is beneficial and effective, facilitates EFL learning and teaching, motivates students to learn, saves time and efforts, helps in bringing authentic English into classroom, enhances students’ autonomy and self-learning and develops students’ language skills. So far as languages skills are concerned, responses showed that using ICTs enhances language skills generally and it enhances listening, reading and speaking skills rather than writing skill which gained 3.6 more than medium. The reason behind may consists in teachers’ beliefs that oral language can be taught better with technology as it helps to bring authentic materials and real records or English conversations while in writing lessons, with the help of written books teachers can achieve their objectives. Such a high overall positive attitude of South Yemeni EFL teachers towards using technology in EFL teaching goes in line with many other studies on teachers’ attitudes towards using technology in their language teaching (Albirini, 2006; Alshumaimeri, 2008; Hu and McGrath, 2011; Şahin-Kizil, 2011; Saglam and Sert, 2012; Mollaei, & Riasati, 2013; Kinik, 2014; Thapaliya, 2014; He, Puakpong & Lian 2015; Saeed, 2015; Zhelezovskaia, 2016; Artan, 2016; Thamarana, 2017; Aydın, 2018). These positive attitudes can be considered as a good predictor for the possibility of implementing computer technology in English language teaching at the concerned universities if other influential factors are met.
However, merely having positive attitudes is not enough to get computer technology implemented in classroom teaching as there are some other factors that contribute to ICTs implementation in EFL teaching. Among these factors are those mentioned by the participants in responses to the open questions of the questionnaire in which participants were requested to identify the main challenges that interrupt their implementation of computer technology in EFL teaching and to suggest some solutions for overcoming these challenges. Among these factors are is teachers’ poor competence in computer that has been proved by the findings of the questionnaire that there is a significant correlation between teachers’ computer competence and their uses of computer technology in classroom. Such a correlation between teachers’ competence in computer and their uses of computer technology in their teaching has also been stated in Compeau and Higgins’ (1995) study.
When looking at teachers’ uses of computer technology in their teaching, it seems to be at the minimum level. The top two uses were the use of internet for preparing lessons and the use of Powerpoint presentation in some classes. However, such two uses were placed in the category of ‘sometimes’ which means neither high nor low use. While other uses of technology in classroom are rarely or never take place. Some teachers of listening skill have added in the interviews and questionnaire’s open questions that they sometimes use tape recorder or CDs records for teaching some listening activities. This gap between using technology in classroom teaching and teachers’ positive perceptions of using technology in teaching is expected due to some other factors. It has also been found in some other studies such as Celik (2013) Aydin (2013) in other contexts. Lack of technology use in English teaching at the concerned Yemeni Universities can be primarily explained in terms of lack of ICT tools and internet in their departments as participants considered lack of ICT tools and internet in their departments and libraries as the most influential factors that challenge them. Some other factors play a role in that such as teachers’ computer competence, students’ computer competence and large classes.
The study has tried to find out if there is any correlation between teachers’ gender and their attitudes towards using ICTs in EFL classrooms and results showed that there is no relationship between teachers’ attitudes towards technology in teaching English and their gender. This outcome goes in line with Zozer (2018) whose study found that teachers’ attitudes were positive and no difference that can be attributed to gender. As far teachers’ uses of technology in teaching are concerned, two variables were checked if they have any correlation; vis, competence in compute and gender. It has been found a significant correlation between teachers’ competence in computer and their uses of such technology in their teaching but there is no significant gender correlation.
Therefore, to implement ICTs in the departments of English at the concerned universities, there is a huge need to seriously deal with the challenges that tertiary EFL teacher encounter. Providing internet connection for English departments and libraries, providing language labs and ICT tools, training EFL teachers and students on computer skills and on how to use computer technology for language teaching and learning purposes can be key factors towards implementing technology in English language teaching to enhance English language learning and develop students’ communication competence in English.
5. Conclusion and Recommendations
This study has investigated South Yemeni EFL tertiary teachers’ attitudes towards using ICT tools in their teaching of English, their actual uses of such technology in teaching and the factors that affect their implementation of ICTs in their teaching for the purpose of suggesting some solutions that may contribute to the implementation of ICTs in English classes. Findings revealed that tertiary EFL teachers of the concerned Yemeni universities have positive attitudes towards using computer technology in their teaching of English. However, their actual uses of such technology in teaching is not up to the level required and more limited to using internet in preparing lessons, using powerpoint in presenting lectures and using CDs recordings or tape recorder in teaching some listening tasks. Anyway, the use computer technology and ICTs seems to be pretty low due to many factors such as the unavailability of internet in English departments and college libraries, lack of ICT tools in their departments, lack of computer competence in the part both teachers and their students.
The study has found no significant differences between teachers’ attitudes towards the role of using computer technology in EFL teaching that can be attributed to teachers’ gender, academic level, computer competence or university. It has found significant differences in teachers’ uses of such technology in their actual teaching that can be attributed to teachers’ competence in computer. Those who have poor computer competence were found using computer technology less in their classes. Gender and academic level have shown no significant differences in teachers’ uses of technology in their teaching.
This study therefore recommends the authorities of the concerned Yemeni universities to: a. provide internet connection for their English departments and libraries, b. provide language labs and ICT tools as required for English language learning and teaching and c. train EFL teachers and students on computer skills and on how to use computer technology for language teaching and learning purposes. It also recommends teachers and learners of English at the concerned universities to do their best in investing computer technology, at hand, for their language learning and teaching. It recommends future researchers to investigate Yemeni tertiary students’ perceptions of computer-assisted language learning and to conduct empirical studies to assess the effectiveness of CALL and MALL applications in developing language skills of the concerned universities’ EFL students.
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