Abstract
Nowadays technology has practically changed every aspect of language teaching. There are numerous studies focusing on the personality traits of students or other internet users towards the internet utilization. Nonetheless, little research has examined the personality traits of teachers towards using computers for educational purposes especially in the Malaysian context. The purpose of this study was to investigate the motivation and personality traits of TESL postgraduate students in Malaysia towards information and communications technology (ICT) usage in second language teaching. In addition, the relationships between the independent variables (motivation, and personality traits) and the dependent variable (ICT usage) were explored. Then a descriptive-correlational research was employed. A questionnaire survey was developed, reviewed by a panel of experts and its validity and reliability were verified through a pilot study. For the survey, 89 TESL postgraduate students were randomly selected. Moreover, follow-up semi-structured interviews were conducted to strengthen the questionnaire survey results. The results indicated that English teachers have high levels of ICT utilization in the general software applications such as Internet, E-mail, presentation, word processing and office work and low levels of ICT usage for specialized software applications such as authoring, graphics and simulations. The results also showed that the participating teachers were highly motivated in teaching language with computers. Furthermore, the results related to the participants’ personality traits indicated that they were highly extrovert, agreeable, conscientious, open and moderately neurotic towards ICT usage. The findings of correlation analysis proved that the surveyed teachers’ motivation received a slightly moderate and positive relationship with ICT usage. Additionally, the findings of the Pearson correlation coefficient for the relationship between teachers’ personality traits and ICT usage showed that generally no correlation exist between the overall personality and ICT usage. In particular the findings showed that only extroverts had a slightly moderate and positive correlation with ICT usage. The interviews responses also verified the questionnaire results. The research results suggest that to develop ICT integration in the educational processes, teacher training computer skills and increasing the computer facilities at schools are required. Finally, implications, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Highlights
information and communications technology (ICT) provides the basic technology for assisting language teaching/learners to acquire important communication skills in English language. Kleiman (2000) asserts that computers can facilitate teaching and learning processes in all fields and all levels
They have low level of ICT usage for specialized software applications such as authoring, graphics and simulations. These results of this study were supported with the interview findings as well as being supported by Lau and Sim’s (2008) research on the 212 Malaysian Mathematics and Science teachers. This finding offers that schools teachers require training in a wide range of computer technology skills to make full use of ICT in teaching processes
This study examined the English teachers’ personality and motivation towards the information and communication technology use in second language teaching practices
Summary
ICT provides the basic technology for assisting language teaching/learners to acquire important communication skills in English language. Kleiman (2000) asserts that computers can facilitate teaching and learning processes in all fields and all levels. In Malaysia, the place where this study was carried out, the chief foreign language is English which is practically used in all parts of daily life. In both primary and secondary schools in Malaysia, English is taught as a compulsory subject. Because of the importance of English, the Malaysian government has required the Mathematics and Science teachers to teach these two subjects in English since 2003. To assist these teachers in their teaching profession, the government gave the teachers laptops and required teaching courseware and equipped the classrooms with technological facilities
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