INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CONGRESS -II
INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY INTO EFL CLASSES: A CASE STUDY WITH TWO PUBLIC MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN ALBANIA
Yazarlar:
Etleva Koni (Kondi)
Daniela Hasa
Innovative teaching strategies necessitate the creation of efficient teaching tools, with a focus on providing each student with the environment they need to grow personally while considering their abilities and preferences. The promotion of student initiatives and activities in English classes is helped by technology. Interactive teaching through the use of technology encourages interaction and discussion between teachers and students as well as a positive environment for the teaching/ learning process. This paper aims to explore how technology is incorporated into English language teaching, taking into account the methodology, content, students’ needs and learning styles. To achieve this aim, quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire with Likert scale questions (in the last question students and teachers were asked to add any comment related to their attitude) and then analyzed. The number of participants involved in this study is 80 students, sixth and seventh grades, and 15 EFL teachers in two public middle schools in Tirana. The findings demonstrate that technology is not adequately used in the public schools in Albania, and EFL teachers mostly rely on traditional approaches. This is because classrooms lack technological infrastructure, and the teachers do not have sufficient technological skills to regularly incorporate technology for a more effective learning and teaching process. For this reason, it is necessary not only to offer training for teachers on educational technology but also to increase teachers’ awareness of the benefits of technological tools so that they can successfully integrate new applications, technology sources and materials into their EFL classes for a more effective teaching/learning environment.
