Año 22, N.º 45: enero - junio 2023
Technology Integration in the
Classroom: A literature review
Mónica de Jesús
Chacón-Prado
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8504-2116
Doctorado en Educación, de la Universidad Estatal a
Distancia (UNED), de Costa Rica. Maestría en la Enseñanza del Inglés con fines
específicos, de la Universidad de Costa Rica, de Costa Rica. Coordinadora de la
Cátedra de Inglés Técnico de la Escuela de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, de
la UNED. Es autora de varios artículos relacionados con la educación, la
enseñanza de la lengua inglesa y la educación de adultos. Correo: mochacon@uned.ac.cr
Recibido: 18 de febrero de 2022
Aprobado: 18 de mayo de 2022
Abstract
The following article discusses one
of the most current topics: technology in education, emphasizing in a very
crucial aspect as it is technology integration. Consequently, the text first
provides a general overview of the term with different perspective on the
matter since it summarizes the latest research trends towards the topic of
technology integration (TI). Furthermore, the article promotes an analysis of
its pros and cons helping the reader to take a stand on TI and education.
Finally, the relevance to the Costa Rican context of such intricate topic is
discussed in order to shed some light to it.
Key words
Education, distance learning,
technological barriers.
La integración de la tecnología en el aula: una
revisión de literatura
Resumen
El siguiente artículo discute un tema de actualidad:
la tecnología en educación, enfatizando lo crucial que es la integración de la
tecnología. Por lo tanto, el texto primero brinda un panorama general del
concepto de integración de la tecnología con diferentes perspectivas debido a
que resume las más recientes líneas de investigaciones en el tema. Además, el
artículo promueve un análisis de los pros y contras acerca del tema para así
facilitar una toma de decisiones sobre la integración de la tecnología y la
educación. Finalmente, se comenta sobre la relevancia en Costa Rica de este
tema tan particular.
Palabras clave
Educación, educación a distancia, barreras
tecnológicas.
L’intégration de la technologie dans la salle de classe: une révision littérature
Résumé
L’article suivant analyse un sujet d’actualité: la technologie en éducation en mettant l’accent sur ce qui est crucial pour son intégration en classe. C’est pourquoi, cet article commence
par un panorama général du concept d’intégration de la technologie à
partir des diverses perspectives où
il présente aussi une synthèse des plus récentes lignes de recherche dans le domaine. À travers de cette analyse, l’article vise promouvoir la réflexion sur les avantages et
les inconvénients de la technologie
afin de faciliter la prise de désistions sur leur intégration dans l’éducation. Finalement, on discute l’importance au Costa Rica de ce sujet si particulier.
Mots-clés
Éducation, enseignement
à distance, barrières technologiques.
Introduction
Current world events have changed
the course of educational practices. One of the undeniable results of this
change has been the impact of technology in the teaching-learning process. It
is not that technology was not used in the past because since the 1930s TVs and
other technological gadgets have been present in school. But today technology
becomes the main mean for enhancing teaching practices through distance
education and provides an innovative alternative to traditional methods.
Consequently, it is expected that both teachers and students are
technologically savvy. In Liao et al.’s[1] words «Digital literacy
has become an essential skill [which] stakeholders have demanded be
incorporated in [all levels of] education».
In fact, the report Estado de la Educación 2021 (Costa Rican yearly analysis on current
education issues) indicates[2]
that pre-service and in-service teachers look for opportunities to learn more
about technologies that can be applied in the classrooms because «When
technology is integrated into instruction in conjunction with effective
teaching practices, it can enrich and enhance teaching and learning processes»[3]. In other words, the
combination of appropriate teaching practices and technology has become highly
valued in today’s education since «it has been widely acknowledged that
integrating technology into teaching generates a better quality of teaching and
learning»[4].
Technology Integration (TI) is not
a simple task. There are barriers and challenges to overcome before claiming a
classroom has effectively incorporated technology. Consequently, the following
article reviews current research trends towards the topic of TI, its benefits,
its most common deterrents, and its relevance to the Costa Rican context.
Literature Review
The topic of TI is not new. Dinc said that «Technology integration in education has
been studied for more than four decades»[5]. In fact, in 1980s the
term was first employed by Seymour Papert, a
brilliant mathematician, who worked with Jean Piaget and co-invented the Logo
educational programming language[6] nonetheless,
in the last years technology has taken a place of privilege in education, and
it is necessary to examine the latest research and related literature. As a
result, this text has the goal of identifying well documented sources from
published works to reach a simple literature review. According to Machi and
McEvoy a simple literature review «documents, analyzes and draws conclusions
about what is known about a particular topic»[7]. So, this paper
encompasses the revision of scientific publications about TI into English as a Foreign
Language teaching and learning.
There are many reasons for writing
a literature review on the TI matter. First, the topic at hand is directly
linked to the current state of education since most learning centers (namely
schools, high schools, and universities) will continue offering online classes.
Therefore, students, teachers and administrators must master this concept and
the literature review is an easy-access input. As Machi and McEvoy state, a
literature review serves the purpose of being «a comprehensive understanding of
the current knowledge of the topic»[8].
In addition, this type of article helps researchers with the identification of
other potential areas for research or gaps for further research because the
text compiles different findings. Especially now that «Technology has been
integrated in classroom teaching in meaningful and transformative ways»[9], researchers will find
more opportunities for investigation. Another reason for a literature review is
the relationship between TI and ESL/EFL (English as a Second Language / English
as a Foreign Language) learning. Aydin mentions that «The fact that the
language of technology used all over the world is English points out English
classes as the first places to do technology integration»[10]; This means that to take
full advantage of the technology one should be knowledgeable in the English
language. Otherwise, many of the positive aspects might be lost in translation.
As a result, the present literature review stands for not only an extensive
overview of TI to serve as the jumping-off point for future research projects,
but also the chance «to reconsider what good and effective teaching means in a
digital age and how to combine what is important from the past with the tools
of the future»[11].
Definition of Technology
Integration (TI)
TI is a key component of
educational practices everywhere[12].
However, not everyone involved in the teaching-learning process recognizes what
it is. In fact, «Recent research has shown that access [to technology] alone
does not automatically equate to greater or higher quality of technology
integration»[13]. In order words, to take
full advantage of technology at hand, something else is required, namely
knowledge or willingness, since technology alone does not imply its integration
into educational practices. First, the technological infrastructure per se will
not impact the teaching-learning process if the educators do not have the
skills to implement them. Also, the technological knowledge represents an
advantage in educational settings because most students are digital natives, «children
[and teens] raised in a digital, media-saturated world, [who] require a
media-rich learning environment to hold their attention»[14].
To begin, the first part of the TI
equation is technology itself and in educational settings it takes many forms.
The most common ones are divided in hardware such as desktop computers, laptop
computers, digital camera/camcorders, digital microphone, DVD player/recorder,
tablets, mobile phones, projectors, smart interactive whiteboards; student
response systems (e.g., clickers), Web 2.0 Technologies (e.g., Google
Classrooms, Google Drive, Google Hangout, Teams, Zoom, Dropbox, etc.),
communication applications like email, IM, WhatsApp, Telegram, audio/video
conferencing system, and the Internet itself. The second part refers to the
strategies and attitudes towards technology that allow its merging with a
subject or area of study. Almalki defines TI as «the
enhancement of the educational environment with technology»[15]. In other words, TI
enriches the learning process since the educators are responsible for «the
appropriate selection and use of technology within a… lesson or unit to
facilitate or enhance student learning of the content»[16].
Dinc also says that «technology
integration is about how to use technology to support the way of teaching»[17]. Meaning that technology
becomes an aid in the delivery of the lesson since TI is construed «in terms of
how teachers utilize technology to do familiar tasks more productively and how
this utilization can re-shape these tasks»[18]. Another element of TI is
the end result of its application in scholarly institutions since TI «is
defined as the application of technology to improve the educational environment
[and to] support classroom instruction through creating opportunities for
learners to complete assignments on the computer rather than the normal pencil
and paper»[19]. In other words, the
implementation of TI looks forward to making the teaching-learning process
better.
On the other hand, TI
can be characterized from the teachers’ standpoint. According to Gilakjani,
technology
integration is defined in terms of teachers applying technology to develop
learners’ thinking skills. [Also] technology integration is the utilization of
technology tools in general content areas in education in order to permit
learners to use computer and technology skills to learning and problem-solving.[20]
So, TI is construed as a companion for the
teachers in today’s learning and teaching process since it not only fosters
21st century much needed soft skills of critical thinking and problem-solving
but also the content area itself.
In addition, Afridi[21] and Önalan[22] portray TI in three
categories depending on the use of technology in the classroom and on the
intended learning outcomes. They are for instructional preparation or online
teaching activities, as a learning tool or hardware-based (laptop, desktop,
tablet, etc.) teaching activities, and for instructional delivery or web-based
teaching activities. Therefore, the three previous classifications of TI usage
cover several aspects related to the teaching practice in and out of the
classroom because TI «means the effective and productive use of technology in
all the dimensions of procedures including the necessary infrastructure,
curriculum, and teaching-learning environments»[23].
Furthermore, Papert’s
definition is also a valuable one since it takes into consideration pedagogical
elements from his work with Piaget. Papert said that
technology integration is «the result of his constructionist approach to education, where social and affective
dimensions are as important as the technical content»[24].
This quote mentions the term constructionist,
which derives from constructivism
(Piaget’s theory) and fosters the concept that technology enables learning. So,
in a way, the integration of technology in the classroom has its pedagogical
component as well. Second, Papert addressed two
revealing factors in teaching the social and affective dimensions, which
suggests that those dimensions are valuable whether technology is integrated in
the learning experience or not.
Finally, a TI discussion will be
incomplete if the term Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is
not addressed because it is a key aspect in any TI conceptualization.
Technological Pedagogical Content
Knowledge
According to Zoch,
TPACK is a «framework [that] recognizes that teachers should integrate
technological knowledge with subject matter learning, rather than focusing only
on technological knowledge at the expense of appropriate pedagogy or the
content»[25]. In other words, TPACK
highlights the importance of weaving technology into the learning process
without obscuring the subject matter. In addition,
this
framework promotes the understanding that teaching with technology requires a
whole other set of pedagogical skills and that each program, tool, and piece of
software requires different genre knowledge. At the same time, while
technological knowledge is important, it is not necessarily a prerequisite or
even a predictor of who will integrate technology.[26]
So, the concept of TPACK comes with
a challenge to teachers since it first requires both kind of knowledge:
pedagogical and technological, sometimes even specific ones. Then, teachers
combine both of them during the learning activities.
In addition, TPACK is understood as
the know-how of TI since «TPACK emphasizes the importance of preparing
teachers to make sensible choices in their uses of technology when teaching
particular content to a specific target group»[27]. In other words, a teacher,
who is aware of TPACK, is capable of choosing when and what kind of technology
should be applied during the teaching-learning process because the «educators
understand how knowledge of technology, pedagogical knowledge and content
knowledge is interrelated and how they interact with each other»[28].
Consequently, learning about the
implementation of TPACK in the classroom is necessary for teachers; that is
why; «Technology integration was the second most common topic for professional
development (67 % of teachers)»[29].
The reason behind this interest in TI derives from its multiple academic
benefits and the needs met when technology is integrated.
Benefits of Technology Integration
in Education
TI has earned many merits because
of the positive results in the teaching-learning process. These advantages
range from its outcome on the learning process to motivating educational
personnel to learn more about technology. Its benefits also include «making
teaching interesting and more productive in terms of advancements»[30].
First of all, the favorable
washback effect of TPACK is the real asset in academic settings since both
teachers and students profit from TI practices. Hafifah
and Sulistyo’s words assert the beneficial element
of TI by saying that «Teachers, as well as students, are welcoming ICT [Information
and Communication Technology] as new ways to promote modern and efficient
learning activities to enhance better achievement in English»[31].
The one group enjoying on the plus
side of TI is students. According to Gilakjani «The
use of technology helps learners get involved and learn based on their
interests [since] technology satisfies both visual and auditory senses of the
learners»[32]. It means that TI
considers the students’ academic pursuits and at the same time improves «students'
engagement, motivation, computing skills, and the ability to study
independently and collaboratively»[33]. In fact, other side
effects of TI on students are «Learners’ motivation, improvement of learners’
academic ability, increase self-confidence, increase language proficiency and
academic skills, lower learners’ anxiety»[34].
Another benefit is experienced by
teachers. By experiencing firsthand all these positive outcomes, they get encouraged
to look for ways to integrate technology in the classroom. Afridi and Chaudhry
say that «the teachers are motivated to struggle for learning [technological]
skills in order to improve their teaching and satisfy their students»[35]. In other words, teachers
make an effort to become technologically literate to be «able to find ways in
which technology could support [academic] practices, rather than focus solely
on ways to use technology for the sake of using it. In this way, the use of
technology meaningfully supported their teaching and goals»[36].
Due to the avails of TI,
experienced teachers look for opportunities to learn more about it; even though,
«nowadays, most beginning teachers have grown up with digital technologies and
typically enter the profession with a set of technical skills»[37]. In other words, many
professionals in the educational field did not grow up with technology and have
taught using more traditional or conventional methodologies and resources.
Nonetheless, these more experienced educators have accepted the current
academic demands (e.g. teaching online classes through conference calls; using
interactive gadgets and tools; experimenting with the web 2.0, among others) to
implement technology in their classes and «As the teachers became more
comfortable with using digital tools and finding ways to obtain more
technology, they also started taking risks to be able to integrate technology»[38]. This might mean that
teachers have welcomed TI principles and, the more they put them into practice,
the more at ease they are. In fact, it has been observed that the teachers have
«tendency and willingness to use computers in their classes»[39] up to the point of
choosing «their own favorite multimedia and software that creates more
interactive lesson»[40].
So, teachers have got used to technology because of the frequency of its usage
and the positive academic results. This action results in multiple benefits for
the students and the teachers themselves.
Benefits
of TI in the language classroom
Technology integration is part of
most content areas classes, including language. There are some examples of TI
employment in the English classes to illustrate the general benefits mentioned
before. For instance, instructors can «design audio-visual narrative themes
including the learner’s actual participation»[41]. They can also make «their
lectures colorful and interesting by showing colorful slides to the students»[42]. The combination of
audio-visual aids with the language content has brought a new air to the
English classes since «It is very useful in establishing [affective and
learning] connections between teacher and students»[43]. In addition, the «inclusion
of audio-visual aids has improved teaching and learning»[44], which impacts the
teacher’s rapport with the learners in a positive fashion.
Another language skill that has
been benefited from TI is writing. For example, teachers have planned the «exchange
of students’ written work via the Internet (e.g., email attachments, digital
drop boxes etc.)»[45].
Meanwhile, others have chosen virtual collaborative writing strategies and the
use of online blogs and wikis to develop CALL (Computer Assisted Language
Learning)-based materials when teaching writing[46].
Another side-effect of TI in the
language class is a shift in the language teaching methodology, which in turn,
has motivated the learners «to take active part in learning processes»[47] and to become «more interested
in learning […] foreign language skills»[48]. This reborn interest may
be related not only to the variety of activities but also to the range of
resources teachers have access to. These days
The most
frequent activity is finding material resources related to the lessons taught.
It is proven already that ICT gives teachers huge access to collect, download
and use materials from the internet before teaching. Teachers can find all
kinds of teaching audio, printed and visual teaching materials easily through
the internet.[49]
One final benefit of TI in the
language class is the possibility to cater students with academic or physical
needs. That’s why, «It was alleged that technology could be the answer for the
inequity and inaccessibility with features such as text-to-speech,
speech-to-text, audio, and digital formats, and differentiate instruction»[50]. In other words, TI is
responsible for «changing classroom configurations»[51] to adapt to all students
and for making virtual learning «time-saving and more reliable»[52].
Even tough «ICT integration has
improved teaching and learning methods by removing the barriers of time and
place»[53], there are plenty of
obstacles and deterrents to overcome to successfully integrate technology in
the classes.
Challenges to Technology
Integration
Deciding whether including
technology in the classes is worth doing, is an epic endeavor. Many situations
come to play and some of them outweigh the benefits of TI. These situations are
called obstacles or barriers and they «might constitute a complex structure
that is encountered in almost every environment for different reasons and
contains several variables in the teaching-learning process»[54]. This means that taking
down a barrier requires some serious studying and careful planning, due to its
complexity. Based on an analysis of the reasons and variables behind each
barrier it has been discovered that they can be divided in two groups named by Ertmer as «first order barriers» and «second-order barriers»[55].
Generally speaking, Ertmer’s Barrier to Technology Integration model says that
Having
access, support, and training are what Ertmer (1999)
referred to as «first-order barriers» and are only part of what might explain
why technology integration remains low in classrooms. She also identified «second-order
barriers», what she considered to be the «true gatekeepers» to technology
implementation. They include teacher attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and skills.[56]
Consequently, the obstacles that
prevent teachers from blending technology with content are in both ways:
external and internal[57].
Even though, the most efficient manner to tear down the barriers is to provide
schools with technology and to teach educators how to use the technology, the
density of the barrier demands a more thoughtful and elaborate solution.
The first order barrier
This first barrier is directly
related to the teachers and students access to technology devices and software.
Some examples are «the lack of technological equipment, not enough number of
computer labs, internet connection problems and lack of resources, lack of
time, lack of training opportunities, and lack of funding and support»[58]. In addition, it has been
stressed out that in some institutions they do have some kind of «technology
initiatives», but «poor infrastructure, inadequate technology, lack of
sufficient technological tools, effective professional development (external
factors)»[59] affect its proper usage.
In fact, to make use of the
technology in the classroom, teachers must make arrangements that «demand
additional time and effort» like the «access to wireless Internet in the
classroom had to be arranged. In addition, teachers had to reserve the devices
in advance, verify that batteries were fully charged, make sure that all apps
were installed and be prepared for possible technical contingencies»[60] among others.
To sum up, the first barrier is
observed in two main areas: the lack of technological resources or equipment
and the lack of facilities to integrate technology in class. If any of the previous
scenarios takes place in an educational setting, the results would be
prejudicial for the students and teachers alike since «these first-order
barriers were shown to have negative effects on how and how much teachers
integrate technology in the classroom»[61].
Second order barriers
The second barrier encompasses
teachers’ negative attitudes, stigmas, prejudice and biased towards technology
and it refers «to the extent to which teachers believe that technology can help
fulfill instructional goals they identified as most important for their students»[62]. In other words, it
alludes to the educators’ core values and beliefs towards the place of
technology in the classroom. Consequently, it is the most difficult and the
strongest barrier to overcome because the educators’ current knowledge and
skills as well as their current attitudes and beliefs towards technology
prevent them from using technology[63].
These beliefs and attitudes toward
TI shape «the extent to which teachers integrate technology in their classroom
as well as the quality of this integration…»[64]. Therefore, it is claimed
that «Teachers’ capacity and attitude toward ICT determines the success of ICT
integration in English Language teaching»[65]. As a result, convincing
educators of TI and changing their mindset is required for a successful
educational experience since their «beliefs and attitudes have been regarded as
the most powerful predictors of teachers’ use of technology in the classroom»[66].
In detail, some of the teachers’
misconceptions are related to their role in the classroom. For instance, «the
fear of ‘losing control’ over classroom management led teachers to adopt more
conservative and teacher-centered approaches»[67]. Meanwhile, others «prefer
to keep a tight rein on learning, that is to say, to remain dominant due to
fear of technology and its supposed powers»[68]. On the other hand, other
educators diminish the merits of TI in the classroom since «Many people argue
the computer does all the work for the students, not allowing them the
opportunity to digest what they have learned»[69]. At the same,
teachers’ scepticism (sic) concerning the added value of tablets [or
any type of technological device] to support student learning is striking
[because they] questioned whether and how [technology] could be integrated in
ways that truly enhance their instructional practices, and hence improve
student learning.[70]
Researchers[71] have found that some of
these conceptions originated in the teachers’ past experiences and their own
insecurities due to «Lack of confidence, insufficient or lack of competence,
resistance to change, lack of time, lack of effective training, insufficient or
lack of technical supports, limited computer accessibility, and negative
attitudes»[72].
But the one that truly hinders TI
is the absence or the inadequacy of training. Most of the researchers[73] claim that poor training
conceives technology in a secondary, «very limited way, mostly for
non-instructional purposes such as completing administrative tasks or using it
for communication»[74]
or relegates it «to support administrative purposes as opposed to instructional
purposes»[75]. This happens because the
lack of initial and ongoing training in TPACK makes teachers «afraid to
integrate ICT in their teaching practice»[76]. Furthermore, some
educators experience anxiety towards technology since they «did not have the
ability to overcome the technical difficulties that they faced when applying
new technologies»[77].
So, it becomes evident that «inadequate technology integration agendas»[78] or the absence of them
foster the teachers’ misconceptions and strengthen their negative beliefs and
values towards technology since «training experience influences teachers ICT
skills as well as their attitude toward ICT»[79].
Another aspect that impacts TI in
the academic setting is the school culture, because it embodies the
administrators’ view in terms of time management and workload when implementing
technology methodology. First of all, «The integration of a new technology
often requires additional time and effort from teachers»[80] because the teachers must
be proficient in the subject matter, the chosen technology resource and how to
combine both (TPACK). All this demands
time during the preparation and implementation stages, which is why
many
teachers report that using technology is more elaborate and time-consuming than
more traditional teaching practices, and they do not feel they have an adequate
amount of time to teach with technology or to plan for how to teach with it.[81]
In addition, «EFL teachers in ICT
inclusion [pointed out] the time constraint as the teachers have to cover the
syllabus on time. This retards them in integrating ICT skillfully»[82] because there are many
academic tasks on top of integrating technology for the same amount of time.
That is why, «Teachers also perceive technology integration negatively due to
the amount of time it takes to integrate into the curriculum through additional
training and planning»[83].
To sum up, the external and
internal barriers educators must face to integrate technology in the classroom
need to be addressed and fixed to fully enjoy the TI benefits. But the most
pertinent solutions for «the adoption/internalization of technology and its
integration into teaching-learning for the purpose of improving education has
remained limited despite substantial amounts of money, time, and energy for
integrating technology into learning environments»[84].
Suggestions to Integrate Technology
Costa Rican researchers[85] [86] [87] agreed with the
international studies’ results in the sense that teachers want to integrate
technology in their classrooms, but the barriers have stopped them.
Consequently, «it is time to rethink the idea of integrating technology into
the curriculum and aim to embed technology into teaching to support the
learning process»[88].
This appeal to ponder on a more sensible approach to technology is perceived in
two main areas: a teachers’ accompanying partner and the administrators’
presence.
Firstly, educators «should be
provided with technical assistance»[89] because «More organized
and frequent training of ICT applications needs to be done to increase
teachers’ ICT skills»[90].
A by-product of the effective and frequent training is the teachers’ confidence
in their knowledge, which means that «The correlation between teachers’ ICT
literacy and ICT training and implementation is also obvious, training
experiences generate teachers’ ICT literacy»[91]. In addition, training is
perceived as an opportunity of professional growth and the «efforts should
therefore devote more attention to the development of teachers’
subject-specific technological pedagogical content knowledge»[92]. Consequently, «Teachers,
as agents of change, should also be provided with training opportunities» either
in the form of an initiative or from a more knowledgeable peer.
Pairing up with a colleague who
grasps the TI philosophy provides plenty of advantages. One of them is
motivation. «[Teachers] agreed on the peer support as an encouraging factor.
Peer support has also been mentioned by many other teachers as a facilitating
factor in the process of technology integration»[93]. In addition, fellow
teachers become role models who foster «scaffolding authentic technology
experiences […] this might help them to see the utility, value and feasibility
of using a particular technology and/or teaching strategy»[94]. In order words, more
inexperienced teachers imitate those who know more. Other authors recommend
training as a hands-on activity because they claim that «to learn about
technology integration by evaluating, and (re-)designing curriculum materials
can also be a promising strategy»[95].
The second area refers to the
actions the administration or stakeholders can make to promote TI in the
classroom. There are some suggestions for situations to be changed in the
school context that have a special impact since they are carried out by an
educational authority. For instance, «Administrators can support teachers’
successful technology integration by modeling technology use, showing the value
they attach to technology integration, encouraging teachers to move beyond traditional
teaching and letting teachers be autonomous to take risks»[96]. Furthermore, the
administrators should pay attention to the school needs; so that, «the
relationship between schools' provision of technology support (e.g. access to
resources, unified vision for technology use, opportunities for professional
development) would directly translate to teachers' perceived support on
first-order barriers»[97].
As a result, the stakeholders have the responsibility to look for a balance in
the expansion of technological spaces and equipment with the teachers’
technical knowledge because it has been shown that «while increasing technology
access in the classroom is important, ensuring that teachers have positive
value beliefs towards technology is also an important part of overcoming
teachers' perception of external barriers to technology integration»[98]. In other words, having
schools and academic centers with stocks of technological equipment and
resources is necessary but not the most important. In fact, instead of «spend[ing] millions of dollars building a technology
infrastructure that could support widespread classroom technology integration,
the next step would be to ensure the effective use of available tools by
bridging the value-gap that is present in the teacher population»[99].
Conclusion
In conclusion, the literature
analyzed showed that the findings on TI benefits and its more common deterrents
confirm that «Globally speaking, the computer based (sic) technologies’
adoption and integration in teaching at universities is appreciated, utilized
and supported»[100].
Consequence of such recognition, it became compelling the study of this concept
from a theoretical perspective to avoid common misunderstandings or improper
teaching practices since it is frequent that «the technologies available in
educational environments are neither integrated into the subject content nor
take characteristics of the target audience into consideration, and they are
just used plainly»[101].
This means that TPACK is not fully embraced yet in academic contexts not only
because of the barriers previously mentioned, but also because of the
administrators and policy makers’ educational vision.
It is also perceived
that «education has to change because there has been a generational shift due
to technological change»[102].
Technological integration cannot be a construct or an ideal scenario anymore
because technology have permeated every aspect of the students’, teachers’, and
administrators’ lives. However, such a transformation is not an easy one
because of barriers such as «Lack of technological equipment in classrooms,
lack of computer-based teaching resources, the effect of traditional teaching
approaches on instructional practices, inadequacy of in-service training and
insufficiency of time»[103].
That is why, the first
step towards a successful technology integration is teacher’s acceptance of the
benefits of technology in the classroom. As Vongkulluksnetal
said «Teachers who believe that technology is valuable in the classroom tend to
amplify the access they have and place less weight on access constraints when
they make judgments about how much external barriers exist in their school
context»[104]. So, the first step in
technology integration depends on teachers who are willing to change the chalk
and a board for a mouse and a screen.
Another step is to take a second
look at Papert’s vision of technology integration and
Ertmer’s work on barriers because they proposed ideas
and principles that are stil valid. Therefore,
analyzing what these researchers found in regards to today’s situation will
bring up new ways of addressing technology integration in the classroom and
overcoming the barriers in a more efficient manner.
Finally, technology integration is
a topic that is enriched with new practices and new research data every day
because the technological applications in school are vast and many. What
prevails though is that educators combine their passion for teaching with
technology to obtain better academic and personal results since «teachers can
effectively infuse technologies into the curriculum and use technologies to
transform their instructional practices»[105].
Formato de citación según APA
Chacón-Prado, M. (2022). Technology Integration in the
Classroom: A literature review. Revista Espiga, 22 (45).
Formato de citación según Chicago-Deusto
Chacón-Prado, Mónica de Jesús. «Technology Integration
in the Classroom: A literature review». Revista Espiga 22, n.º 45
(enero-junio, 2023).
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[1] Yin-Chan Liao,
Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Michael Karlin, Krista Glazewski and Thomas Brush, «Supporting
change in teacher practice: Examining shifts of teachers’ professional
development preferences and needs for technology integration», Contemporary
Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 17, n.° 4 (2017): 523.
[2] Programa Estado de la Nación, Octavo
Estado de la Educación 2021: Resumen (San José, Costa Rica: CONARE-PEN,
2021), 38.
[3] Okan Önalan
and Kurt Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL teachers’ perceptions of the factors
affecting technology integration: A case study», Journal of Language
and Linguistic Studies 16, n.° 2 (2020): 626.
[4] Yang Gong and
Chun Lai, «Technology integration into the language classroom: Developmental
trajectory of beginning teachers». Frontiers of Education in China 13
(2018): 1.
[5] Emre Dinc, «Prospective Teachers’
Perceptions of Barriers to Technology Integration in Education», Contemporary
Educational Technology 10, n.°
4 (2019): 384.
[6] Michael Lodi
and Simone Martini, «Computational thinking, between Papert and Wing». Science
& Education 30, (2021): 885.
[7] Lawrence A. Machi and Brenda T. McEvoy, The
literature review: Six steps to success (California: Corwin A SAGE
publishing company, 2016), 3.
[8] Machi and McEvoy, The literature review:
Six steps to success, 1.
[9] Sukanlaya Sawang,
Peter O’Connor and Muhammad Ali, «Using Technology to Enhance Students'
Engagement in a Large Classroom», Journal of Learning Design 10, n.° 1
(2017): 12.
[10] Belgin Aydin,
«Three birds with a stone: Technology integration in language education with
reverse mentoring model», Journal of Teacher Education and Educators 6, n.°
2 (2017): 177.
[11] Hamid Reza Mahboudi, Farahman Farrokhi and Ali Akbar
Ansarin, «A Review on Application of
Computers in Education Inside and Outside of Iran», Advances in Language and Literary Studies 8, n.° 4 (2017): 31.
[12] Programa Estado de la Nación, Octavo
Estado de…, 54.
[13] Vanessa W. Vongkulluksn,
Kui Xie and Margaret A. Bowman, «The role of value on teachers' internalization
of external barriers and externalization of personal beliefs for classroom
technology integration», Computers & Education, n.° 118 (2018):
70.
[14] Hamid Reza Mahboudi,
Farahman Farrokhi and Ali Akbar Ansarin, «A Review on …: 30.
[15] Amal Almalki,
«Integration of Technology among Saudi EFL Teachers», English Language
Teaching 13, n.° 8 (2020): 160.
[16] Dinc, «Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions…: 383.
[17] Ibíd., 382.
[18]Abbas Pourhosei Gilakjani, «A Review of the Literature on the
Integration of Technology into the Learning and Teaching of English Language
Skills», International Journal of English Linguistics 7, n.° 5 (2017): 96.
[19]
Ibíd.
[20]
Ibíd.
[21] Tahira Afridi
and Abid Hussain Chaudhry, «Technology Adoption and Integration in Teaching and
Learning at Public and Private Universities in Punjab», Bulletin of Education and Research 41,
n.° 2 (2019), 130.
[22] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL teachers…: 627.
[23] Ugur Basarmak
and Nazire Burcin Hamutoglu, «Developing and Validating a Comprehensive Scale
to Measure Perceived Barriers to Technology Integration», International Journal of Technology in Education
and Science 4, n.° 1 (2020): 54.
[24] Lodi and
Martini, «Computational thinking, between…: 885.
[25] Melody Zoch,
Joy Myers and Jennifer Belcher, «Teachers’ engagement with new literacies:
Support for implementing technology in the English/language arts classroom», Contemporary
Issues in Technology & Teacher Education 17, n.° 1 (2016): 26.
[26] Ibíd., 27.
[27] Jo Tondeur,
Natalie Pareja Roblin, Johan van Braak, Joke Voogt and Sarah Prestridge, «Teacher
educators as gatekeepers: Preparing the next generation of teachers for
technology integration in education», British Journal of Educational
Technology 50, n.° 3 (2019): 1190.
[28] Ibíd., 1203.
[29] Shonta Harrell and Yvette Bynum, «Factors
affecting technology integration in the classroom», Alabama Journal of
Educational Leadership 5, (2018): 14.
[30] Gilakjani, «A Review of …: 95.
[31] Gusti Nur
Hafifah and Gunadi Harry Sulistyo, «Teachers’ ICT Literacy and ICT Integration
in ELT in the Indonesian Higher Education Setting», Turkish Online
Journal of Distance Education 21, n.° 3 (2020): 187.
[32] Gilakjani, «A Review of…: 95.
[34] Gilakjani, «A Review of …: 98.
[35] Afridi and
Chaudhry, «Technology Adoption and…: 135.
[37] Jo Tondeur,
Ronny Scherer, Evrim Baran, Fazilat Siddiq, Teemu Valtonen and Erkko Sointu, «Preparing
beginning teachers for technology integration in education: Ready for take-off?», Technology,
Pedagogy and Education 26, n.° 2 (2017): 158.
[38] Melody Zoch,
Joy Myers and Jennifer Belcher, «Teachers’ engagement with…: 36.
[39] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL…: 639.
[40] Gilakjani, «A Review of the…: 99.
[41] Ibíd.
[43] Kashif Ali
Sabiri, «ICT in EFL teaching and learning: A systematic literature review», Contemporary
Educational Technology 11, n.° 2 (2019): 180.
[44] Ibíd., 180.
[45] Afridi and
Chaudhry, «Technology Adoption and…: 136.
[46] Sabiri, «CT
in EFL…: 186.
[47] Ibíd.
[49] Hafifah, and
Sulistyo, «Teachers’ ICT Literacy…: 191.
[50] Dinc, «Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions…:
382.
[51] Afridi and
Chaudhry, «Technology Adoption and…: 124.
[52] Sabiri, «ICT
in EFL…: 180.
[53] Ibíd., 186.
[54] Basarmak and
Hamutoglu, «Developing and Validating…: 55.
[55] Ibíd.;
Dinc «Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions…; Vanessa
W. Vongkulluksn, Kui Xie and Margaret A. Bowman; Melody Zoch, Joy Myers and
Jennifer Belcher «The role of value…; Önalan and Gökçe «Exploring Turkish EFL...
[56] Melody Zoch,
Joy Myers and Jennifer Belcher, «Teachers’ engagement with…: 26.
[57] Dinc, «Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions…:
384.
[58] Ibíd., 383.
[59] Harrell and Bynum, «Factors affecting
technology…:12.
[60] Natalie Pareja Roblin, Jo Tondeur, Joke
Voogt, Bram Bruggeman, Griet Mathieu and Johan van Braak, «Practical considerations
informing teachers’ technology integration decisions: the case of tablet PCs», Technology,
Pedagogy and Education 27, n.° 2 (2018): 10.
[61] Vanessa W. Vongkulluksn,
Kui Xie and Margaret A. Bowman, «The role of value on teachers…: 71.
[62] Ibíd.
[64] Vanessa W. Vongkulluksn,
Kui Xie and Margaret A. Bowman, «The role of…: 70.
[65] Hafifah, and
Sulistyo, «Teachers’ ICT Literacy…: 191-192.
[66] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL…: 627.
[67] Natalie Pareja Roblin, Jo Tondeur, Joke
Voogt, Bram Bruggeman, Griet Mathieu and Johan van Braak, «Practical
considerations informing…: 13-14.
[68] Hamid Reza Mahboudi,
Farahman Farrokhi and Ali Akbar Ansarin, «A Review on…: 36.
[69] Ibíd., 40.
[70] Natalie Pareja Roblin, Jo Tondeur, Joke
Voogt, Bram Bruggeman, Griet Mathieu and Johan van Braak, «Practical
considerations informing…: 11.
[71] Almalki;
Basarmak and Hamutoglu; Önalan and Gökçe.
[72] Mahboudi,
Hamid Reza, Farahman Farrokhi and Ali Akbar Ansarin, «A Review on Application…:
37.
[73] Ibíd.; Önalan
and Gökçe; «Exploring Turkish EFL…; Vongkulluksn et al; Hafifah, and Sulistyo, «Teachers’
ICT Literacy…; Almalki «Integration of Technology…
[74] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL…: 627.
[75] Yin-Chan Liao,
Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich, Michael Karlin, Krista Glazewski and Thomas Brush, «Supporting
change in…: 523.
[76] Hamid Reza Mahboudi,
Farahman Farrokhi and Ali Akbar Ansarin, «A Review on Application…: 36.
[80] Natalie Pareja
Roblin, Jo Tondeur, Joke Voogt, Bram Bruggeman, Griet Mathieu and Johan van
Braak, «Practical considerations informing…: 1193.
[81] Melody Zoch,
Joy Myers and Jennifer Belcher, «Teachers’ engagement with…: 27.
[82] Sabiri, «ICT in EFL teaching…: 181.
[84] Basarmak and
Hamutoglu, «Developing and Validating…: 54.
[85] Gina Torres
Calderón, «Panorámica costarricense del uso de la tecnología en enseñanza de
segundas Lenguas», InterSedes 19, n.° 40 (2018):128-147.
[86] Programa Estado
de la Nación en Desarrollo Humano Sostenible, Resumen Séptimo Informe Estado
de la Educación (San José, Costa Rica: Masterlitto, 2019).
[87] Ida Fallas and
Magaly Zúñiga, Estudio Las tecnologías digitales de la información y la
comunicación en la educación costarricense (Informe Final) (San José: PEN,
2010).
[88] Mohammad Reza
Ahmadi, «The use of Technology in English Language Learning: A literature
review», International Journal of Research in English Education 3, n.° 2
(2018): 116.
[89] Gilakjani, «A Review of…: 101.
[90] Hafifah, and
Sulistyo, «Teachers’ ICT Literacy…: 194.
[91] Ibíd., 195.
[92] Natalie Pareja Roblin, Jo Tondeur, Joke
Voogt, Bram Bruggeman, Griet Mathieu and Johan van Braak, «Practical
considerations informing…: 14.
[93] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL…: 640.
[94] Jo Tondeur, Natalie Pareja Roblin, Johan van Braak,
Joke Voogt and Sarah Prestridge, «Teacher educators as…: 119.
[95] Jo Tondeur,
Ronny Scherer, Evrim Baran, Fazilat Siddiq, Teemu Valtonen and Erkko Sointu, «Preparing
beginning teachers…: 161.
[96] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL…: 628.
[97] Vongkulluksn,
Vanessa W, Kui Xie and Margaret A. Bowman, «The role of…: 72.
[98] Ibíd., 79.
[99] Ibíd.
[100] Afridi and
Chaudhry, «Technology Adoption and: 124.
[101] Basarmak and
Hamutoglu, «Developing and Validating…: 63.
[103] Önalan and
Gökçe, «Exploring Turkish EFL…: 629.
[104] Vanessa W. Vongkulluksn,
Kui Xie and Margaret A. Bowman, «The role of…: 79.
[105] Gong and Lai,
«Technology integration into…: 2.