Zainal, Saiful Izwan Bin (2019) Malaysian primary school teachers’ use of and cognitions about digital technology for English as a second language literacy instruction: a case-based investigation. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

There have been few descriptive and in-depth studies of the use of digital technology (DT) in literacy instruction among teachers of English as a second/foreign language, especially in relatively low-resource contexts, and there has been limited research which investigates teachers’ cognitions about this use in detail. Understanding the teaching context and teacher cognition are important for improving the quality of teaching and learning in countries like Malaysia, for example via teacher education initiatives. The prime objectives of this study are: 1) to explore how Malaysian teachers use DT for English literacy instruction in the classroom; 2) to examine the nature of Malaysian teachers’ cognitions about (the use of) DT in ESL literacy instruction; 3) to investigate the sources of teachers’ cognitions; and 4) to examine how cognitions are related to actual use. The study utilises an exploratory case study approach, concentrating on three teachers in a rural context in Malaysia. The teachers were observed and interviewed, and the findings were triangulated in a structured analysis process. The results show that although these teachers believe in the capabilities of DT in improving teaching, they have concerns regarding the implementation of the use of technology. In addition, the teachers also face various challenges (mostly in extrinsic forms) that sometimes create obstacles for them to use DT in their teaching. However, intrinsic factors are seen to have a positive influence on their efforts to continue using DT in the classroom. The involved teachers try to balance their perceptions on the use of DT in the classroom, taking into account the positive and negative factors that will arise. These factors are not only dependent on intrinsic factors involving cognition and their experience using DT, but also external contextual and social factors such as student discipline, technical problems, school culture, availability of and access to DT, and so on. Given the importance of DT in the context of education in developing countries such as Malaysia, as well as the importance of understanding teacher cognition related to this aspect, this study has significant implications for researchers, teacher education, curriculum developers, teachers, students and more. This study proposes a modification of Borg’s (2003) model of teacher cognitions, highlighting the importance of considering contextual factors that influence all aspects of teacher cognition (i.e. early formal and informal education/experiences, teacher training and professional development and classroom practice). The model also shows that contextual factors are influential over different phases of a teacher’s life. Overall, this study also makes a contribution to research in its methodology in that it provides an in-depth qualitative study. The findings indicate that teaching experience builds knowledge of teaching methods and forms teachers’ teaching practices.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education L Education > LC Special aspects of education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Educational technology -- Malaysia, English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers, Education, Primary -- Malaysia
Official Date:	May 2019
Dates:	Date Event May 2019 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Applied Linguistics
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Smith, Richard ; Ushioda, Ema
Sponsors:	Malaysia. Kementerian Pelajaran ; Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	xiii, 330 leaves : illustrations
Language:	eng

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