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Obstacles in Implementing CALL in Iranian EFL classes
Hora (Fatemeh) [email protected]
S. Susan [email protected]
Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
IntroductionPositive effects of technology use on
EFL learningWorldwide growth of technology use
in language classesAn increase in the number of
Iranians who use the internet for educational purposes
Relatively slow uptake in the Iranian context of language teaching
Obstacles in the Literature (1990s)Lack of teaching experience with
CALLLack of onsite support for
teachersLack of help supervising students Lack of ICT specialist teachers Lack of computer availabilityLack of time Lack of financial support
Obstacles in the Literature (1990s Cont.)Robertson et al (1996)
Resistance to organizational change
Resistance to outside intervention
Time management problemsLack of support from the
administrationTeacher perceptionsPersonal and psychological
factors
Obstacles in the Literature (2000)Lack of digital literacy among
teachers (Burke, 2000; Brinkerhoff et al., 2000)
A sense of intimidation among users of technology who are not intrinsically motivated (Egbert and Thomas, 2001)
Curricular and administrative restrictions (Egbert et al., 2002)
Insufficient resources (Egbert et al., 2002)
Lack of training (Kessler, 2006)
Obstacles in the Literature (2012)DelliCarpini (2012):
Lack of knowledge in integrating instructional technology
Management issues Inadequate timeLack of awareness of types of digital
technologies Time and effort required to
implement a technology component not worth the outcome
Obstacles in IranMarandi (2010):Unpredictable blocking of internet sitesInadequate facilitiesInsufficient IT supportStudents’ unequal access to technology Students’ anxiety in working with
computersRigid syllabi at schools and institutesLack of communities of practice
Obstacles in Iran (Cont.)
Bordbar (2010):
Lack of time
Lack of support
Lack of facilities
Obstacles in Iran (Cont.)
Daneshdoust & Keshmirihagh (2012)
Students’ needs
Teacher preparation
Research Question
What are some of the obstacles toward implementing CALL in Iran as perceived by Iranian EFL teachers?
Participant Selection12 Iranian ELT teachers •9 females and 3 males
Purposive sampling • their experience•educational degrees • the grades they were teaching
Four categories
Participants
•Three EFL teachers who used technology in their classes and/or ran online EFL classes.
•Two EFL teacher educators with long experience in teaching EFL classes.
•Two EFL teachers who did not use technology in or for their classes.
• Four high-achievers of a CALL teacher education course
Participants’ Details
Name Gender Degree Age Teaching experience(in years)
Attended CALL professional development course
Experience implementing technology in the class
Mina Female Ph.D. candidate 28 2 √ √Shermin Female Ph.D. candidate 27 7 √ √Mojgan Female Ph.D. 44 16 √Ahmad Male Ph.D. 45 20 √Neda Female M.A. 35 15Yashar Male M.A. -- 15 Yasaman Female M.A. 34 10Ali Male Ph.D. candidate 29 6Shakiba Female M.A. 33 6 √ √Zahra Female M.A. 39 5 √Nazgol Female M.A. 40 16 √Shiva Female M.A. 48 11 √
Data CollectionOne-to-one interview
A 10-question semi-structured interview
30 to 55 minutes
Purpose of Interview QuestionsTo explore the EFL teachers’
understanding of CALLTo locate the obstacles in
incorporating CALL in Iranian EFL classrooms
To gain insight into what teachers consider essential to be included in CALL education courses
To find out the challenges and rewards of running an online CALL professional development course
Data AnalysisVerbatim transcriptionThe first researcher did the
content analysis twice • two month interval• 90% consistency
Second rater • 20% of the transcripts• 80% consistency
Obstacles in Implementing CALLTeacher Constraints
Facility Constraints
Learner Constraints
Main Barriers in Implementing CALL
Main Barriers
Subcategories
Teacher Constraints
Lack of CALL preparation (lack of formal training→ lack of digital literacy, lack of comfort with technology, lack of knowledge about the advantages of technology)
Teachers’ inhibiting attitudes (teacher’s resistance toward an increased workload and/or change, difficulty in class management)
Lack of support from stakeholdersFacility Constraints
Non-availability of technologyLimited access to technology Lack of suitable internet connections
Learner Constraints
Level of proficiencyLevel of autonomyAge Too much dependence on the book contentInsufficient digital literacyLack of easy access to technology outside class
Teacher ConstraintsLack of preparation in CALL
Teachers’ inhibiting attitudes
Lack of support from stakeholders
Lack of Preparation
Mina: Many of our teachers are not prepared.
They don’t know that much about it [CALL], how to use it for instructional purposes.
Even many of the courses that are held for enhancing teachers’ understanding of
technology solely depend on the introduction of technology, not how to use technology for instructional purposes. So they do not have that much knowledge to
critically integrate technology.
Lack of Preparation
Yasaman:
Maybe they are not really into technology because they don’t know how to use it. So maybe if they just get into the routine of
how to use technology they will get used to doing it.
Lack of Digital Literacy
Neda:
Teachers may not know how to use technological tools. Maybe in our case
there are a lot of good teachers but since we are in this situation, we don’t
know how much, at least a lot of people still don’t know much how to use mp3s,
mp4s, IWB, ….
Lack of Digital Literacy
Mojgan:
I wouldn’t say that I’m well-equipped with technology knowledge. It’s the bare
rudimentary things that I would have to know and I have to talk about and deal with in the class.
Lack of Comfort with TechnologyAhmad:
Maybe some people have phobia.
Lack of Comfort with TechnologyShermin:
They have phobia and do not like technology. They are not
familiar with technology as well as their students; therefore,
they avoid utilizing it.
Lack of Knowledge about the Advantages of TechnologyMina:
Maybe …they don’t see a profit out of it, [so] they don’t use it…
They don’t feel relative advantage in technology because
they don’t know about it. … if your teacher does not get that
relative advantage, he or she will not attend to it. Because he or she believes that in a similar
situation, she can get more out of the book in comparison, for
example, to the internet.
Lack of Knowledge about the Advantages of TechnologyNazgol:
Perhaps they’re [teachers are] not aware of how useful, you know, it could
be and maybe like me until a few months ago [referring to her CALL
course], they don’t know, like, about the researches that have been done … but if it were proved to me, if I knew about these studies, if I studied more about it, I would, you know, definitely or most likely be more eager to use it
in class.
Teachers’ Resistance toward an Increased Workload/ Change Zahra:
Some teachers are lazy. I know some people, you know they say, oh come on, why should we use CALL, because we’ve been doing this, God knows, for 30 years
now? We are satisfied with this sort of blackboard and chalk system; why should
we use computers?
Teachers’ Resistance toward an Increased Workload/ Change Nazgol:
By not using technology, you feel the need less to keep yourself up-to-date and use
new materials, because the book is always there. It’s not changing. The book is
always going to be the same.
Management Difficulty
Shiva:
Sometimes it is difficult to manage such classes; sometimes you have to work at home, sometimes you have
to control many things, to check everything. I think working with
technology needs more energy and time than the real class.
Lack of Support from StakeholdersAli:
Supervisors might not let the teachers use
technology.
Lack of Support from StakeholdersNazgol:
We’re not even encouraged by our students to change it that much; I mean they’re usually just waiting to see what we want them to do. So maybe if I were…I mean if a
teacher were challenged more by their students. Even if they were asking more for that type of stuff, then I would feel it’s necessary.
Facility ConstraintsNo access to technology
Limited access to technology
Unsuitable internet connections
Non-Availability of TechnologyShermin:
The first problem a teacher faces in using technology is the fact that it
requires facilities.
Non-Availability of TechnologyAli:
I do not use technology directly in my classrooms due to the lack of facilities. Most of the classes lack technological instruments like computers and the
internet.
Limited Access to TechnologyNazgol:
Actually it’s [the university computer lab] not that available for classes… first of all it was very
hard to arrange it [using the computer lab] because they said …it’s supposed to be free for all students to use and if we let you use it for
your class, that would be depriving other students of it for an hour and half. Not
reasonable at all. And another thing is that, you know, maybe, like, a few of them [computers] were not working. I was sitting, I don’t know,
like 3 or 4 students at each computer and trying to explain.
Unsuitable Internet Connection
Yashar:
The internet connections are usually poor, the dialup
connection is not really useful.
Learner ConstraintsAgeLevel of proficiencyStudents’ attitudesLack of familiarity with
technologyLack of easy access to
technology outside class
Age
Nazgol:
Maybe the younger ones [students] were more interested in using
technology.
Level of Proficiency
Mojgan:
Maybe the level of proficiency of the students allows such technology to be used more successfully. The students
are more autonomous.
Students’ Attitudes
Shakiba:
Some students think they will learn something when they have a book in their hands…. And it takes so much time to persuade
them that there’s a method when using
computers.
Lack of Familiarity with TechnologyAli:
Students might not be familiar
with technology.
Lack of Easy Access to Technology outside ClassZahra:
Teachers have to know students’ limitations, both at the individual level and social level. Some of them might not have easy access to technological devices outside the class. Even if they have, there might be social limitations as to for example how they can have
access to these social networks.
ConclusionGeneral lack of infrastructure for
CALL despite its necessity• Insufficient teacher preparation in CALL• Insufficient facilities
THANK YOU!
