The role of faculty members in integrating technology into the teaching of English : the case at the department of English language and literature at Damascus university

Abstract EN

Worldwide, Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have gained a vital importance in satisfying the requirements of both the new Education System and the revised Curriculum for English Language Teaching (ELT).

The experience of introducing different ICTs into the classroom and other educational settings worldwide suggests that teachers' effective integration of technology into their curricula largely depends on their perceptions and attitudes to the value of these tools to achieving their instructional purposes.

This research seeks to evaluate the readiness to integrate ICTs into the current teaching practices of the faculty at the department of English Language and Literature at Damascus University.

In a context of large classes where resources are minimal and staff members are in short supply, using technology assisted learning at Damascus University may help enhance education by giving learners more flexibility and helping them evolve into more autonomous learners.

Investigating the current faculty’s reading of the value of technology as a means of overcoming some of the restrictions imposed by their context will uncover potential limitations on the use of ICTs in the existing context and suggest workable solutions.

This study was based on a theoretical framework that evaluated the readiness of the professors at the department of English language and literature at Damascus University to supplement their teaching with ICTs.

The research instruments: a questionnaire and an interview survey were the principal methods of data collection used to determine the level of the faculty’s technological, psychological and pedagogical preparedness.

Results revealed that Damascus University professors are aware of the value of ICTs to the process of teaching and learning and are positive towards its integration into their curricula, but are in need of more professional development in order to make the move towards its use.

They are also in need to recognize how pedagogical practices change in technology supported learning environments.

Findings also point to the fact that to achieve this, ICT training of both teachers and learners and technical and administrative support are crucial.