EJISDC (2007) 29, 2, 1-15

The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries

http://www.ejisdc.org
DO TEACHERS HAVE ADEQUATE ICT RESOURCES AND THE RIGHT ICT SKILLS
IN INTEGRATING ICT TOOLS IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH
LANGUAGE IN MALAYSIAN SCHOOLS?


Samuel R. J.
Faculty of Computer Science and
Information Technology
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
kowsalai@hotmail.com
Zaitun A. B.
Faculty of Computer Science and
Information Technology
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
zab@um.edu.my

ABSTRACT
The unparalleled development of information and communication technology tools within the
last thirty years has given a tremendous boost in supporting new modes of delivery in training,
teaching and learning. ICT tools can indeed assist students in acquiring English Language
competency as well as enhance the quality of the learning experience. This paper examines
the available ICT resources and the level of ICT skills of English language teachers and tries
to determine if serving teachers are able to promote ICT integration in the teaching and
learning of English Language in Malaysian schools. This research is based on the findings of
a questionnaire survey conducted over a period of five months (i.e. from 1st September 2004
to 31stJanuary 2005). The survey findings reveal that a fairly large number of teachers have
the necessary ICT skills but yet the utilization of the available ICT resources in English
Language teaching and learning is far from satisfactory. In the concluding part, the researcher
looks at possible reasons for this. Some obvious obstacles to ICT use in the teaching and
learning of English are discussed and the researchers suggest the use of ICT tools that
promote interactive lessons and strongly encourage e-learning among pupils to speed up the
teaching and learning of English.

Keywords: ICT integration, e-learning, hypermedia resources and interactive lessons.

1. INTRODUCTION
There is growing concern about the level of English proficiency at the workplace which if left
unchecked could lead to the country losing its competitiveness especially in the industry and
technical fields. Malaysia needs communicative competence to maintain its competitive edge
in all aspects of our economic environment be it administration, education, trade or finance.
Almost everyday there is some report or reference made in the newspaper about the
deteriorating standard of English. In a recent survey conducted from March 29 to 31, 2005 by
Asia-Pacific leading Internet recruitment website (JobStreet.com), its chief executive Mark
Cheng cited that the main reason for not hiring fresh graduates is due to poor command of
English. English is widely used in the private sector and fresh graduates ought to have
communicative competence in English. The 2002 School Certificate Examination Report on
English Language 2 (Laporan Prestasi SPM, 2002) revealed that the majority of the
candidates have yet to master the writing skills in English. What is amiss? Can the right ICT
resources and adequate ICT skills of teachers enhance English language teaching and learning
and quickly arrest the rapid decline? While the affirmative may seem obvious, many powerful
doubters remain and therefore there is a case for exploring the significant use and contribution
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of ICT resources and the level of ICT skills of the teachers in the school curriculum. ICT tools
have now removed the time and space limitation found in traditional teaching. Jorge et al.,
(2003) say that integrating ICT tools in teaching can lead to increased students learning
competencies and increased opportunities for communication. Research indicates that ICT
tools can change the way teachers teach and that it is especially useful in supporting more
student-centered approaches to instruction and in developing the higher order skills and
promoting collaborative activities (Haddad, 2003). The utilization of ICT tools in education is
increasingly felt in recent times and the appropriate utilization can bring a lot of advantages to
the learner. Morgan (2001) says technology is both a resource for communication and a
context for communication. This is certainly true and there is increasing evidence that ICT
tools can indeed assist students in acquiring subject content competencies as well as enhance
the quality of their learning experience.

2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW
The theoretical framework guiding this study is based on studies carried out by Becta (2001)
and Fischer Family Trust Report, 2002 (http://www.fischertrust.org). Studies undertaken by
ImpaCT2 (Becta, 2001) in 30 primary and 25 secondary schools show that the effect of ICT
on English Language teaching has been good or very good in about one third of the schools
in United Kingdom. The primary advantage of using ICT tools is that it not only facilitates
retrieval of up-to-date information at a click of a mouse but it further allows the interactive
way in which information is stored, processed and presented which can enable teachers and
pupils to explore models, communicate effectively with others and present information
effectively for different audiences (Ofsted, 2002). According to the Fischer Family Trust
Report (2002), out of 40 English departments inspected in Britain, the contribution of ICT to
pupils progress and achievement in English is very good in about one third of the schools.
Teachers in these schools used their ICT expertise to enhance subject teaching and learning.
Pupils used e-mail regularly to exchange work in progress with other pupils or to
communicate beyond the school to find recent materials or data from firms, charities or other
organizations. The teachers in these schools affirmed that internet has increased resource
facilities besides helping to develop skills as independent learners and in selecting appropriate
information.
Integration of ICT into teaching is riddled with problems. Jones (2004) found that
seven barriers exist while integrating ICT into lessons. These barriers are (i) lack of
confidence among teachers during integration (21.2% responses), (ii) lack of access to
resources (20.8%), (iii) lack of time for the integration (16.4%), (iv) lack of effective training
(15.0%), (v) facing technical problems while in use (13.3%), (vi) lack of personal access
during lesson preparation (4.9%) and (vii) age of the teachers (1.8%). A study made on the
use of ICT in mathematics teaching among secondary school students in Selangor, Malaysia
by Chong et al., (2005) revealed six major barriers during integration. The six major
obstacles are lack of time in school schedule for projects involving ICT (54.6%), not enough
teacher training opportunities for ICT projects (40.8%), lack of adequate technical support for
ICT projects (39.2%), lack of knowledge about ways to integrate ICT to enhance curriculum
(38.8%), integrating and using different ICT tools into a single lesson (36.8%) and students
do not have access to the necessary technology at home (33.0%). In the same study 71.7% of
the respondents said that they use ICT infrequently or have not used ICT at all in class.
Factors that are examined in this study are expressed in the conceptual framework in
Figure 1.

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Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

3. SURVEY OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the questionnaire survey are to:
(a) find out if there are adequate IT infrastructure facilities and resources to facilitate
ICT integration in the teaching and learning of English.
(b) investigate if teachers have the right ICT Skills in integrating ICT tools in the
teaching and learning of English Language
(c) find out the obstacles that affect the use of ICT resources in classroom teaching and
learning
3.1 Survey Design
In this research study, the researcher uses a cross-sectional survey and teachers from several
districts in Selangor are the target population. A cross-sectional survey is used so that the
sample respondents are from both the urban and rural areas. The respondents in this survey
are from the Kuala Langat District, Hulu Langat District, Bangsar Area, Taman Dato Harun
Area, and Taman Melawati Area in Selangor. The respondents included a good mix of
primary and secondary school teachers. The questionnaire has eight sections namely
demographic, background information on infrastructure facilities and resources, teacher's ICT
skills, usefulness of teaching learning materials provided by the Ministry of Education, use of
other ICT tools, utilization of ICT tools in lesson preparation and a section that has a few
open ended questions on suggestions. The questionnaires were first piloted to a sample of 13
English Language teachers in Sekolah Kebangsaan Olak Lempit, Banting in early August
2004. The comments from the respondents were taken into consideration during the process
of refining the questionnaire. The primary reason for this is to develop questions that could be
understood easily by the respondents. The questions were further thoroughly checked for
reliability and validity. The final product is a 6 page questionnaire that is used for the survey.
3.2 Administration
The survey was administered to teachers in the five areas mentioned in Section 3.1 and 120
questionnaires were distributed. The survey was conducted over a period of five months (i.e.
from 1st September 2004 to 31st January 2005). Out of the 120 questionnaires given out, the
researchers managed to collect 109 questionnaires that were completed fully. Eleven
questionnaires were incomplete and were therefore discarded. The response rate was high
because the questionnaires were distributed through five BPPT (Bimbingan Perguruan
Infrastructure facilities
and ICT resources
ICT skills of teachers
on common
applications
Higher
attainment in
English
proficiency
Appropriate
integration of ICT
tools and
resources
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Profesional dalam Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi) training centres located in the five
areas mentioned above.
3.3 Analysis
Responses from the survey were recorded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 12.0. The questionnaire has eight sections and tremendous
amount of data had been collected. In this study only factors related to the use of computers
were examined. These factors are teachers background information, infrastructure facilities
and resources, basic and advanced ICT skills and finally the attitudes of teachers pertaining to
the use of computers.

4. SURVEY FINDINGS
4.1 Respondents Profile
Most of the respondents (66.1%) in this survey group are below 40 years of age, indicating
that the bulk of them are still young and can be receptive to new ideas and change. Regarding
gender, 83% of the respondents are females and only 17% are males. This representation
clearly reflects that the majority of the teachers in the teaching profession in Malaysia are
women. On academic qualification obtained, 48.6% of the respondents said that they hold a
degree and another 42.2% have Diploma in Education. A small number i.e. 9.2% however
have obtained Masters Degrees.
4.2 Background Information on Infrastructure Facilities
The responses on background information pertaining to infrastructure facilities have been
tabulated below in Table 1.
No

Question


(Total respondents 109)
R
e
s
p
o
n
s
e

F
r
e
q
u
e
n
c
y

P
e
r
c
e
n
t

M
e
a
n

S
t
a
n
d
a
r
d

D
e
v
i
a
t
i
o
n

1 Have you conducted any English lesson
using ICT tools?
No
Yes
44
65
40.4
59.6

.60

.493
2 Is there any interactive whiteboard available for use in the
classroom?
No
Yes
82
27
75.2
24.8

.25

.434
3 Are there computer laboratories in your school? No
Yes
20
89
18.3
81.7

.82

.389
4 Are the workstations (computers in the lab) networked to a central
server?
No
Yes
39
70
35.8
64.2

.64

.482
5 Are there any computer support personnel to assist the teacher in
ICT integrated activities in the computer laboratory?

No
Yes

56
53

51.4
48.6


.49


.502
6 Is there any dedicated staff computer allocated to allow staff the
opportunity for professional development and teacher
preparation?

No
Yes

56
53

51.4
48.6


.49


.502

Table 1: Infrastructure Facilities
Responses to question 1 reveal that quite a large number of the respondents (i.e.
59.6%) have carried out teaching and learning using some sort of ICT tools. It is not clear
what sort of ICT tool they used. On the issue of interactive whiteboard, the bulk of the
respondents (75.2%) say that their schools didnt have any interactive whiteboard. The
collaborative interactive whiteboard is vital in todays classroom. It can be used to boost
communicative activities in the classroom. On the availability of computer laboratories,
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81.7% of the respondents say that their school is equipped with computer laboratories and
64.2% say that the PCs are connected to a central server. Question 5 refers to computer
support personnel who would assist the teacher in ICT integrated activities. 51.4% of the
respondents have negative responses while 48.6% affirmed that they have indeed computer
support personnel. Support from technical staff is necessary for the smooth running of the
laboratory. During classroom teaching, technical support is needed to troubleshoot and rectify
computers that malfunction. Computer support personnel ought to be increased so that
teachers would be given the necessary support in integrating ICT in their teaching and
learning. A plus point for teachers is on the allocation of computers for teachers. 48.6% of the
respondents say that the staff members have been allocated computers for professional
development. According to Intel Corporation, about 35,000 teachers in primary and secondary
schools are now equipped with Intel Centrino notebooks to help improve teaching techniques.
Presently, teachers who are teaching English, Science and Mathematics in Year 1, 2, 3 and
Form 1, 2 and 3 are given notebooks with wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) capability (Smart School
Bulletin,2003).
The results of the analysis further reveal that basic infrastructure facilities are
available both for the teachers and the pupils. Yet the correlation between the availability of
infrastructure facilities and the conduct of English lessons using ICT tools is vague. Quite a
number of respondents (40.4%) say they have yet to conduct English lessons using ICT tools.
A number of English option teachers were interviewed to verify this point and almost all the
teachers said that though there are computer laboratories, the broadband facilities were not
very stable yet.
4.3 ICT Resources Available to Teachers
The respondents were asked to comment on the ICT resources available to teachers in school
and the summary of their responses are tabulated in Table 2 below. Though the mean for only
two statements surpassed 3.00, all the five statements and their responses would be examined
and analyzed in detail. Statement 1 says that lack of ICT resources impedes the integration of
ICT in the teaching and learning of English. Based on Table 2, 54.1% and 18.3% of the
respondents agree and strongly agree respectively to the above statement. This finding shows
that ICT resources are generally lacking in many of the schools. Digital resources in all the
10,000 schools in Malaysia ought to be improved if we want technology to support teaching
and learning. According to J. Mat (2000), the impact of technology will give a new dimension
to the quality of our education system.
No ICT Resources Available to Teachers
(Total number of respondents -109)
1 2 3 4 5 Mean
1 Lack of ICT resources impedes the integration of ICT
in teaching and learning of English.
1.8 5.5 20.2 54.1 18.3 2.18
2 There are sufficient computer labs in schools to
support ICT integrated lessons.
16.5 30.3 20.2 26.6 6.4 3.24
3 Broadband access is readily available to support on-
line learning
15.6 28.4 33.0 17.4 5.5 3.31
4 Besides the CD-ROM materials, teachers sometimes
refer to suggested e-learning web sites during lessons

6.4

26.6

33.9

26.6

6.4

3.00
5 Teachers attitudes towards ICT integration is not
supportive
4.6 13.8 31.2 43.1 7.3 2.65
(Scale: 1 Strongly Disagree, 2 Disagree, 3 Neutral, 4 Agree, 5 Strongly Agree)
Table 2: ICT resources available to teachers showing frequency (percentage)
Statement 2 has a mean of 3.24 and it is concerned about the adequacy of computer
laboratories in school to support ICT integrated activities, 6.4% of the respondents strongly
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agree and another 26.6% agree that there are sufficient computer labs. A total of 46.8%,
however, disagree by saying that the computer labs in schools are still insufficient. A number
of teachers were interviewed to verify this data. Many confided that though there are many
computers in schools, frequent breakdown of notebooks and desktop computers still occur
and repairs have been rather slow. This frustrates the teachers attempt to use them in teaching
and learning. One solution to this problem is probably for each teacher to buy a notebook and
use it in class. The personal possession of a computer may well be the single most important
factor enabling a teacher to integrate ICT into their professional practice (Dawes, 2001). In
statement 3 which has a mean of 3.31, 5.5% of the respondents strongly agree and another
17.4% of the respondents agree that broadband access is readily available to support on-line
learning. Out of a total of 109 respondents, 33% remained neutral to this statement while 44%
of the respondents said that broadband access is not readily available. Currently, GITN Snd
Bhd, an associate company of Telekom Malaysia is in the process of upgrading the School-
Net network from 1 Mbps to 2 Mbps to all the 10,000 schools in the country. Web-based
learning using the internet is gaining popularity among primary and secondary school students.
Apart from disseminating information or knowledge, the web is an excellent medium for
teacher-student and student-student interaction and communication. The World Wide Web
comprises hyper-linked documents that include text, sound, animation, video and live video
streaming that provides a resource-rich multi-media environment which can exert a powerful
motivation for students to learn. Multimedia is firmly set in the twenty-first century and its
use is increasing exponentially to the extent that many children are learning much of what
interest them from the web rather than from school (Bruntlett, 2001).
Statement 4 says that besides the CD-ROM materials, teachers sometimes refer to
suggested e-learning web sites during the English lessons. The analysis show that 6.4% of the
respondents strongly agree and another 26.6% of the respondents agree that teachers
sometimes refer to e-learning web sites. Similarly, 33% of the participants disagree to this
statement and thus there is no clear majority to show that teachers refer to e-learning web sites.
In statement 5, 7.3% of the respondents strongly agree and another 43.1 % of the respondents
agree that the teachers attitude towards ICT integration is not supportive. This finding shows
that the negative attitude of teachers could act as a stumbling block to greater use of ICT
resources in the teaching and learning of English. The second language learner benefits from
positive attitudes and negative attitudes may lead to decreased motivation and a high
possibility of unsuccessful attainment of proficiency. One of the most important attitudinal
factors is the attitude of the learners to the language and to its learners (Spolsky, 1969).
Studies done on Universiti Utara Malaysia matriculation students in learning English revealed
that the attitudes of students towards language and the culture of the English speaking people
are negative throughout (Hamida, 1996).
4.4 Teachers Basic ICT Skills
The summary of the responses given by the sample pertaining to teachers basic ICT skills is
depicted in Table 3. The respondents revealed many interesting trends when they responded
to the questions on teachers basic ICT skills. 8 out of the 9 basic ICT skills have mean values
greater than 3 and the researchers have chosen to elaborate on these 8 items. 32.1% and
17.4% of the respondents stated that they have good and very good ability respectively to surf
the internet. This indicates that 49.5% of the respondents have the ability to retrieve
information from the internet. Regarding PowerPoint presentation only 40.8% out of a total of
109 respondents are considered as having the ability to do presentation. Teachers need to
acquire this particular skill as the multimedia presentation could motivate students. The
ability to use Microsoft Word appears to be most familiar with the respondents. 47.7% and
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22% of the respondents say that they are good and very good respectively with the usage of
MS Word.

No Skills 1 2 3 4 5 Mean
1 Ability to surf the internet 4.6 6.4 39.4 32.1 17.4 3.51
2 Ability to use Microsoft PowerPoint and do
presentation
4.6 18.3 35.8 28.4 12.8 3.27
3 Ability to use Microsoft Word 0.9 1.8 27.5 47.7 22.0 3.88
4 Ability to use the spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel) 6.4 20.2 50.5 20.2 2.8 2.93
5 Ability to send and receive e-mail 3.7 25.7 33.0 24.8 12.8 3.17
6 Ability to retrieve information from internet 3.7 25.7 30.3 31.2 9.2 3.17
7 Ability to use CD-ROM 0 14.7 40.4 36.7 8.3 3.39
8 Ability to understand basic computer commands like
save etc
0 2.8 28.4 45.0 23.9 3.90
9 Ability to use the printer 0 7.3 24.8 48.6 19.3 3.80
(Scale: 1 Strongly Disagree, 2 Disagree, 3 Neutral, 4 Agree, 5 Strongly Agree)
Table 3: Basic ICT Skills Showing Frequency (Percentage)
Statement 4 which refers to teachers ability to use the spreadsheet needs special
mention. With a mean of 2.93, it is the lowest compared to the rest of the questions in Table 3.
Statement 5 which relates to e-mail communication shows that 3.7% and 25.7% of the
respondents are still very poor and poor respectively in being able to send and receive e-mail.
On the ability to retrieve information from the internet using keywords, 40% of the
respondents say that they are good and are able to retrieve appropriate information from the
web. On the ability of using CD-ROMs none of the respondents say that they are ignorant. It
has a mean value of 3.7 and 45% of the respondents say that they are good users. Statement 8
and statement 9 reveal that 60% respondents say that they have the ability to understand basic
computer programmes and have good ability to use the printer and understand basic computer
commands like save, delete, cut and paste.
4.5 Teachers Advanced ICT Skill
The summary of the responses given by the sample is depicted in Table 4. Out of the 8 skills
listed below, only the ability to integrate ICT tools in teaching and learning has a mean of
3.17. The results show that the teachers generally lacked collaborative skills, skills in
developing web sites, ability to design relational databases, take part in video conference, chat
with friends, ability to use a scanner and ability to take part in an audio conference. The
ability to design relational databases shows the lowest mean of 1.93. This shows that most of
the schools do not have a central database.
No Skills
(Total number of respondents 109)
1 2 3 4 5 Mean
1 Ability to use MSN Messenger or other tools to
communicate and collaborate with others teachers

21.1

27.5

33.0

12.8

5.5

2.54
2 Ability to develop web sites 36.7 33.0 21.1 9.2 0 2.03
3 Ability to design relational databases 37.6 38.5 17.4 6.4 0 1.93
4 Ability to integrate ICT tools in teaching and learning 1.8 12.8 54.1 28.4 2.8 3.17
5 Ability to take part in a video conference 22.9 40.4 29.4 7.3 0 2.21
6 Ability to chat with others using a chat programme 14.7 31.2 29.4 18.3 6.4 2.71
7 Ability to use the scanner 16.5 31.2 33.9 14.7 3.7 2.58
8 Ability to take part in an audio conference 22.9 41.3 26.6 9.2 0 2.22
(Scale: 1 Strongly Disagree, 2 Disagree, 3 Neutral, 4 Agree, 5 Strongly Agree)
Table 4. Advanced ICT Skills (Percentage)
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Yet the establishment of a database is vital where all data is integrated and stored. All
departments can access the information in a database according to their needs. Students with
low English proficiency could be identified in a split second and remedial measures could be
initiated. The ability to take part in a video conference has only a mean value of 2.21.
Referring to the ability to take part in a video conference, more than 60% of the respondents
say that they are poor. In fact, video or teleconferencing is a good medium to address the
shortage of skilled English language teachers especially in remote areas. Having the full
potential of visual and audio capabilities as well as two-way interaction, skilled language
teachers can impart knowledge to a wider group of students.

5. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
The survey analysis shows that there is generally a lack of ICT resources and infrastructure
facilities in schools and this inadequacy impedes the integration of ICT tools in the teaching
and learning of English. Table 5 depicts the number of respondents who agree by saying that
there is a lack of ICT resources and infrastructure facilities.

No ICT Resources (Total number of respondents -109) 3
Yes
(%)
1 Lack of ICT resources impedes the integration of ICT in teaching and
learning of English.
72.4
2 There are insufficient computer labs in schools to support ICT integrated
lessons.
46.8
3 Broadband access is not readily available to support on-line learning 44.0
4 Besides the CD-ROM materials, teachers seldom refer to suggested e-
learning web sites during the English lessons
33.0
Table 5. Lack of ICT Resources and Infrastructure Facilities
Though many schools have already been equipped with ultra-modern IT facilities,
computer infrastructure facilities in hundreds of schools are still at the bare minimum. Many
still do not have proper computer laboratories and those that were built were not done to
specifications. A Works Ministry Report published in the New Straits Times dated 17th May
2004, out of the 400 computer laboratories which were found to be incomplete or unsafe, only
100 of them have been repaired so far. Extending broadband facilities is a teething problem
that should be urgently looked into. Transfer of data and graphics through normal telephone
dial-up services are rather slow. To reap the full benefits of web-based learning problems
connected to broadband access would have to be seriously addressed. Many teachers are still
not exploiting ICT tools in English language teaching and learning, due to poor availability of
broadband access. More recently however, figures released by the Ministry of Education
show that 4,500 schools are already equipped with computer laboratories, 99,000 computer
units and 4,600 servers. A total of 8,120 schools are connected to the broadband School-Net
and a total of 97,000 laptops and 70,000 LCD projectors have been supplied to teachers
teaching core subjects (New Straits Times, 2005). The above information augurs well for
promoting ICT integration in English language teaching and learning.
Based on data depicted in Table 2, the results of the survey show that 6.4% of the
respondents strongly agree and another 26.6% of the respondents agree that besides the CD-
ROM materials, teachers sometimes refer to suggested e-learning web sites during the English
lessons. But strangely in statement 3 of the same Table, only 5.5% and 17.4% of the
respondents strongly agree and agree respectively that broadband access is readily available to
support on-line learning. A large number of respondents i.e. 44% say that broadband access is
not readily available to support on-line learning. Therefore a cross tabulation between these
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two variables was done to find out the relationship between these two statements. Table 6
shows the cross tabulation results and the ordinal symmetric measures in Table 7 which depict
positive values for Kendalls tau-b (0.259), Spearman Correlation (0.300) and Pearson's R
(0.310) show that there is a fairly strong relationship between the variables Broadband access
is readily available to support on-line learning and Besides the CD-ROM materials, teachers
sometimes refer to suggested e-learning web sites during the English lessons. This positive
relationship shows that if broadband access is readily available, then there are opportunities
for more teachers and students to refer to e-learning web sites during the English lessons in
the classroom as well as beyond the classroom.

Reference to web sites Total

Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Broadband
access available
Strongly
Agree
2 1 2 1 0 6
Agree
2 9 3 3 2 19
Neutral
1 8 20 7 0 36
Disagree
2 8 9 10 2 31
Strongly
Disagree
0 3 3 8 3 17
Total
7 29 37 29 7 109
(Broadband access readily available and reference to e-learning web sites during English lessons)
Table 6. Cross Tabulation
Value
Asymp.
Std.
Error(a)
Approx.
T(b) Approx. Sig.
Kendall's tau-b
.259 .085 3.008 .003
Ordinal by Ordinal
Spearman
Correlation
.300 .097 3.253 .002(c)
Interval by Interval Pearson's R
.310 .098 3.379 .001(c)
N of Valid Cases
109
Table 7. Ordinal Symmetric Measures

On 25 February 2004, the Government of Malaysia appointed GITN Sdn. Berhad
(Government Integrated Telecommunications Network) as the Network Manager and
Integrator. GITN takes pride in their role in the SchoolNet Project which uses ICT to
modernize the local educational system by providing broadband Internet access to 10,000
schools in the country. A number of schools have now been connected to SchoolNet but there
are still quite a number of schools especially the schools in the remote areas which still have
no internet access. Though the broadband School-Net service is connecting more and more
schools to the internet, the service provided by GITN is still slow. Out of the 10,000 schools,
only about 8,120 schools are now connected and the rest have no internet service yet.
The bulk of the respondents (i.e. 72.4%) have said that there is lack of ICT resources
in schools and this inadequacy impedes the integration of ICT tools in teaching and learning
of English. More recently, the Ministry of Education has pumped-in millions of ringgit in
equipping schools with digital resources. A close look at the latest 5-year development plan
shows that allocation of funds for infrastructure facilities and ICT related resources to schools
have been increased from 2,145.1 million during the 8th Malaysia Plan to a whopping 3,279.2
million in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (EPU, 2006). A number of secondary school teachers in
Selangor were interviewed to double check this finding on the lack of ICT resources. Though
the finding was true at the time of the survey but now it does not hold water. The teachers
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confirmed that besides overall improvement in the school computer labs, a few other selected
classrooms have been fixed with LCD projectors that are connected with either notebooks or
desktop computers. More and more heads of schools are now playing an increasingly greater
role by ensuring better infrastructure facilities in the school. School administrators ought to be
praised for promoting a supportive ICT environment in their respective schools.
The survey analysis as depicted in Table 8 shows that in the use of MS PowerPoint
presentation only 41.2% out of a total of 109 respondents are considered as having the ability
to do presentation. Teachers need to acquire this particular skill as the multimedia
presentation could motivate students. MS PowerPoint is an essential presentation software
where ICT integration in teaching and learning of English can be effectively done.
Collaborative tools such as the interactive whiteboard, e-mail and tools like Yahoo or Msn
messenger that promotes chatting do take language learning beyond the classroom. The
survey analysis glaringly revealed that teachers collaborative skills such as ability to chat
with fellow teachers and students (45.9%) and ability to hold audio and video conversation
using MSN Messenger or Skype have been poor (64.2%). These collaborative skills are
indeed essential to provide further practice in listening and speaking skills outside the
classroom. The researchers are of the opinion that the productive use of ICT tools such as
Skype, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger could help to contain the falling standard of
English proficiency among primary and secondary school students in Malaysia in relation to
listening and speaking skills. If these tools are to be used effectively by teachers and students,
then some time ought to be set aside in the evening by the English teachers for audio and
video conferencing.
No ICT Skills

(Total number of respondents -109)

Poor
(%)
3
Moderate
(%)

Good
(%)
1 Ability to use Microsoft PowerPoint and do
presentation
22.9 35.8 41.2
2 Ability to use the spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel) 26.6 50.5 23.0
3 Ability to send and receive e-mail 29.4 33.0 37.6
4 Ability to use MSN Messenger or other tools to
communicate and collaborate with other teachers

48.6

33.0

18.3
5 Ability to integrate ICT tools in teaching and learning 14.6 54.1 31.2
6 Ability to take part in a video conference 63.3 29.4 7.3
7 Ability to chat with others using a chat programme 45.9 29.4 24.7
8 Ability to take part in an audio conference 64.2 26.6 9.2
Table 8. ICT Skills of Teachers
Training in ICT skills is crucial in implementing ICT integration in the teaching and
learning of English. As more teachers become competent in the use of basic ICT tools, there
would be more ICT integrated activities in the classroom. This would give a boost to English
language teaching and learning. Several interviews with English Department heads confirmed
the view that the teachers who integrated ICT tools in the teaching and learning of English
have more than average ICT skills. The extent to which teachers are given time and access to
pertinent training to use computers to support learning plays a major role in determining
whether or not technology has a positive impact on achievement. Students of teachers with
more than ten hours of training significantly outperformed students whose teachers had five or
fewer hours of training (Valdez et al., 2002). Computer skills training should be provided on
an ongoing basis as more new software and hardware are being introduced at a rapid pace.
Interim findings from ImpaCT2 indicate that even experienced teachers may find it
challenging to integrate ICT into their teaching if they are unfamiliar with software and
hardware (ImpaCT2, 2001). Teachers have been encouraged to integrate ICT tools in their
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teaching and learning and more recently a special team has been set up by the Ministry of
Education to monitor and promote greater ICT integration in the teaching and learning
activities in the classroom.
As depicted in Table 9, 50.4% of the respondents agree that the teachers attitude
towards ICT integration is not supportive. As of December 2005, 3699 English option
teachers throughout Malaysia have been given a two-week course on ways of integrating ICT
tools in teaching and learning activities (http://www.bppt.com.my). Close observation by the
researchers reveal that there is still great reluctance on the part of teachers to utilize and
integrate ICT tools in teaching and learning activities in the classroom. The negative attitude
of teachers can be a great hindrance in the way of ICT integration and e-learning. Personal
observations made on teachers during ICT training courses reveal that the participants were
enthusiastic to integrate ICT tools in the teaching and learning of English but however during
the implementation stage their enthusiasm wanes and they are back to their traditional mode
of delivery. Changing the mindset of teachers appears to be a Herculean task and therefore all
the stakeholders need to give due consideration to this matter.

Statement
Strongly Agree
(%)
Agree
(%)
Total
(%)
Teachers attitudes towards ICT integration is not supportive 7.3 43.1 50.4
Table 9. Attitude of Teachers
Interviews with ten English language Department Heads revealed that besides the lack
of ICT resources and poor ICT skills, teachers were generally unwilling to integrate ICT tools
in the teaching and learning of English owing to a number of other obstacles. These obstacles
are summarized as follows:
Exam pressure and fear of not being able to complete the syllabus.
Inadequate trolleys to house the LCD in the classroom
Over-burdened with administrative tasks
A lack of strong motivation and strong commitment on the part of the teachers.
School servers are not maintained and riddled with all kinds of stubborn virus.
No central database and schools are still using the file processing system
Absence of any kind of school management system in most schools
The nation is concerned about the issue of falling standards in English language.
Something smart has to be done quickly. The researchers strongly believe that ICT integrated
lessons which are interactive and which have multimedia elements if earnestly carried out in
the classroom would not only create enthusiasm but would surely exert a powerful
motivation among students of all levels. The keynote is interactive learning and the researcher
would like to suggest a shift from learning based on transmission and information transfer to a
more learner-centred approach built around interactive multimedia material. This would be in
line with Don Tapscotts Model where the teachers become facilitators in the learning process.
Don Tapscotts new learning paradigm is depicted in Figure 2 below (Tapscott, 1998).


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Figure 2. Don Tapscotts Model Showing the Shift from Broadcast to Interactive
Learning (permission obtained).
Teachers have been seriously teaching English right from Year One but however there
has not been a corresponding increase in students level of proficiency. The teacher interviews
revealed that the fundamental reason for this is the lack of practice. With the availability if
ICT tools such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or Skype, students can now talk to
their tutors or teachers on anything and at anytime. Regular dialogue or conversation with
teachers or between pupils would help to improve the listening and speaking skills of pupils at
all levels. English language practice and usage has to take place outside the classroom and
therefore the home environment ought to provide the necessary support by providing
broadband access to their children. It appears then the role of the English teacher in Malaysia
ought to be changed if further English language practice is to be given to pupils. Some time
need to be set aside for social interaction and collaboration between pupils and teachers after
school hours. Essential parental support in this context is therefore necessary and this can lead
to a higher attainment level in terms of language proficiency in the long run.
At the present moment of time, the provision of infrastructure facilities and ICT
resources that includes CD-ROMs produced by the Technology Division of the Ministry of
Education has increased tremendously. A number of multimedia teaching-learning materials
in the form of CD-ROMs developed by the Educational Technology Division and Syarikat
Telekom Smart School Sdn. Bhd. have been distributed to the 88 existing Smart Schools.
Please see Table 10 for information on the number of CD-ROMs distributed to Smart Schools.
As of January 2006, The Government of Malaysia considers all schools to be smart schools
and the courseware produced is now distributed to all Government schools.
Subject Total number of CD-ROMs produced Year/Form
English Language 408 (Covers 80% of Syllabus) Year 1,Year 2, Form 1, Form 2
Table 10. English Language Teaching Learning Materials Distributed to 88 Smart
Schools (Educational Technology Division Report, 8th March 2004 www.moe.edu.my)
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In order to improve the IT infrastructure facilities and resources, the Ministry of
Education has pumped in millions of ringgit in equipping schools and teacher training
colleges with up-to-date technology facilities. These include the following:
Classrooms with multimedia courseware and presentation facilities and groupware for
collaborative work.
Computer laboratories with broadband internet access and e-mail facilities.
Server room equipped to handle applications, management databases and provide
security.
Multimedia development Centre with tools for creating multimedia materials.
Library/Media Centre with a database centre for multimedia courseware and network
resources.
Smart School Management System for smooth and efficient administration of the
school.
It appears tremendous amount of work has already been done. In a letter to Telekom
Smart School (TSS) Sdn. Bhd, the Government of Malaysia has now officially accepted the
Smart School Integrated Solution on 10th January 2003 and the roll out of Smart Schools and
teachers equipped with appropriate IT infrastructure has begun (The Smart School Bulletin,
Volume 1 &2, August 2003). If there are adequate infrastructure facilities and ICT resources,
then do the primary and secondary school teachers have the right ICT skills to carry out
appropriate integration? This is not an easy question to answer. The results of the survey
analysis do show that the teachers generally have mastered MS Word (69.7%), MS
PowerPoint (41.2%), send and receive e-mail(37.6%) and able to retrieve information from
the internet(40.4%). However, the teachers are still poor in the use of collaborative ICT tools
such as MSN Messenger (18.3%), take part in audio conference (9.2%), chat with others
using a chat programme (24.7%).
ICT integration in the teaching and learning of English language is easily said than
done. ICT integration is best done if a simulation of a process or a video clip which explains a
difficult concept helps to make the meaning clear to pupils. In a language activity, a video
dialogue could provide interest and variety to a lesson. MS PowerPoint slides which have
multimedia elements that include interactive activities are able to engage the pupils attention.
ICT integrated lessons should not be just an add-on but rather ICT integration needs careful
planning and due consideration should be given as to the concept of when, when not and how
to integrate ICT tools in teaching and learning. One of the best ways to develop teachers ICT
skills and promote ICT-pedagogy integration in their teaching is the provision of ICT-based
training environments where on-demand access to materials, peers, and networks of experts
where expertise and advices can be obtained and active discussion can take place in relation to
technology or pedagogy (Pacey, 1999). The survey analysis and the interviews with several
English option teachers reflect that integration of ICT tools in teaching and learning English
had been done haphazardly without much thought been given to its appropriateness and
relevance to the process of teaching and learning English. The integration of ICT in teaching
and learning is more likely if the tools and resources of the Internet, multimedia, and related
technologies are seen as being integrally connected with literacy learning in the wider sense
of learning as a matter of accessing information, communicating, and applying knowledge
(Kress, 2003). There is then a dire need to train teachers on the finer aspects of ICT
integration. All the benefits of ICT integration would come to naught if teachers do not make
a genuine effort. The survey findings have shown that 50.4% of the respondents agree that
teachers attitudes towards ICT integration in not supportive. A concerted effort must be made
by all the stakeholders in the teaching profession to change the mindsets of English teachers.
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6. CONCLUSION
At the time of the survey, ICT resources in many of the schools especially vernacular ones
had been grossly inadequate. However, more recently within the last five years infrastructure
facilities and ICT resources in schools have increased tremendously. The survey findings
reveal that a fairly large number of teachers have the necessary ICT skills but yet the
utilization of the available ICT resources in English Language activities is far from
satisfactory. This is quite puzzling and the obvious reason could then be due to the poor
support given by teachers. The negative attitude of teachers in the use of technology in the
teaching and learning of English would therefore have to be addressed if we want the desired
results. Teachers have been encouraged time and again to use the web which has rich
resources in English Language teaching and learning. The World Wide Web comprise hyper-
linked documents that contain text, sound, animation, video and live streaming video that
provide powerful motivation to learners. It has hundreds of interactive free websites ready to
be used by teachers and students. Other useful ICT resources such as WEBCT, Blackboard 6
and other online discussion formats have been almost absent in the school environment in
Malaysia. The successful implementation of ICT integration in the teaching and learning of
English language needs the full cooperation and support from the school administration,
positive attitude of English option teachers, continuous training to update teachers ICT skills,
training on when, when not and how to use ICT tools appropriately, frequent, the appropriate
use of interactive websites, e-mail, discussion boards, courseware in the form of CD-ROMs
and an array of other related ICT tools. These can give a shot in the arm in arresting the
deteriorating standard of English language in our country. The researchers sincerely believe
that a move in this direction would surely result in improved proficiency among school
students in the near future and Malaysia would be in a strong position to make vision 2020 a
reality.

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