Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Samina Yasmin
Dr. David Betts
LRC 530
December 1st 2014
Research Proposal
Abstract
For the last decade, the researchers from underprivileged countries are exploring
the possibilities of CALL classrooms and the issues faced in this innovation. These
researches have looked not only at general implementation of technology, but also on
different technological tools in particular countries. This study aims at exploring the
technology use, challenges in the use of technology and suggestions for improvement
in the language classroom in Pakistan. Data will be collected primarily through the in-
Introduction
The invincible spread of technology has not spared Education from its fruitful
(CALL) has gained significant spread, both horizontally (around the world) and vertically
developed world is still lacking in its integration of technology in the field of education.
Language pedagogy is no exception and it still rests on outdated methods and tools of
conditions in such countries to determine what could be done to make the use of
It is not a recent research topic for developed countries to explore the challenges
that are faced in the implementation of technology in education. But the undeveloped
and developing countries are still working to explore the hardships that the practitioners
face in the implementation of technology in education. This study will help bring to light
More importantly, there have not been any studies to focus on the use of modern
Research Questions
Through the data of teacher interviews and class observations, this research
2 What are the challenges in the use of technology in or outside classroom, if any?
overcome them?
Literature Review
Research abounds in studies conducted on different contexts to explore how, how much,
and how often are technological tools in language pedagogy since 1970s. Recently, the
researchers from developing countries have also ventured into conducting researches
incorporating CALL in language classrooms. These studies have concluded what challenges the
teachers, administrators and students faced while trying to blend technology in language
pedagogy.
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL IN PAKISTAN 3
Barron’s (1987) study on the use of technology in library sciences in United states
concluded the issues of “funding, lack of appropriate course ware, logistical complexities,
inadequate faculty knowledge and skills, and inadequate rewards and incentives for faculty”
(p.288) serving as the barriers in the use of technology. Although these findings were observed
in United States of 80s, these issues can be found in many underprivileged countries even now a
days.
Tiene (2004) analyzed the “digital divide” (Warschauer, 2003) and the adoption of
educational efforts. He concluded that many of such efforts to introduce ICT in these
underprivileged countries fail because of the barriers like “the lack of ongoing support and a
failure to include teachers in ICT planning” (as cited in Richardson, 2011, p. 11).
Egbert & Yang (2004) focused on the use of technology in language pedagogy and have
tried to explore how to deal with the challenge of “limited technology context” (p. 282). They
presented a framework to make optimal use of available technologies negating the general
perception that only “advanced and cutting-edge technologies” (p. 280) can be effective in
creating affective CALL activities. Rather than focusing on the “digital divide” between the
people who have access to advanced technologies and people who do not, they focused on
“effective and ineffective use of technology” (Egbert, 2010, p. 1). Their argument is that “rather
than lamenting the fact that our tools are not the latest and greatest, we must pay attention to
using the tools at hand to students’ best advantage” (p.280). They gave examples of some classes
with limited technologies and proposed some possible CALL activities, arguing that these
limitations can be overcome with “creativity, efforts, and collaboration” (Egbert, 2010, p. 1).
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL IN PAKISTAN 4
They explained the solutions of possible challenges in such contexts that are “set curriculum,
Later, in the introduction to his book, Egbert (2010) elaborated further on the issues faced
in the use of technology in limited technology contexts that is more common in undeveloped
countries. He mentions different limitations in the use of technology in limited contexts such as
limited access to technology, limited internet connection, no software or old software, limited
hardware, limited training, limited funding, limited technical support, poor hardware
colleagues, and the lack of trained personnel, and the lack of student instruction for resource use.
He also lists certain strategies to deal with these limitations. First strategy is to establish a Linux
terminal-server model to connect one server CPU which would cost lesser resources. He also
suggested about the need of keeping the maintenance of computer labs constant on more frequent
terms.
Richardson (2011) examined the challenges and successes in the use of technology in
education by teacher trainers in Cambodia through a mixed method study, incorporating surveys,
interviews, and document analysis. His study revealed that “hardware incompatibility;
complexity; language barriers; the lack of electricity, computers, Internet access, and of practice
for trainees; and the inability to understand the advantages of these technologies” (p. 8) are the
major issues being faced by educationists and practitioners while using technology in
classrooms.
Highlighting the example of Bangladesh, Shohel and Kirkwood (2012) explores the
difficulties and challenges in using technology in learning and teaching in technology poor
countries. Especially with the desire to advance in education through implementing technology
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL IN PAKISTAN 5
in education, developing countries are trying to use technological tools and devices in teaching
and learning. But the researchers argue in this article that more research is needed to explore the
issues being faced in this implementation of contexts with limited resources. Studying the use of
ipods in language classroom by Bangladeshi teachers, they found that teachers faced a lot of
issues. Paralell to what Kukulska-Hulme (2009) findings, they concluded that these challenges
include the nature of ownership of the device, the use of multiple versus single device, and the
usability of the device. Along with that, lack of teacher training and access is a big hurdle in the
identifying areas of improvement in teacher education programs about the use of technology in
language teaching. The participants were student-teachers in an IEP (Intensive English Program)
in United states doing their MA TESOL. Along with other areas of focus, one research question
focused on the teachers’ perceived challenges in the use of technology. The issues they found in
the use of technology in classroom included the stress of lesson planning, teacher’s personal
preference or dislike of a technological tool, lack of access to technology, low e-literacy skills,
the perception of CMC being deficient as compared to face-t-face interaction. The study was
conducted through the use of a very small survey and the findings are generalized to a greater
The study will be conducted on the privately run English as a Second Language
(ESL) institutes in the city of Abbottabad. It is a small city that is known for its good
schools (0-10 grade) and colleges (11th to 16th grade). Though, the city lacks good
universities for higher education. The ESL institutes offer intensive English language
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL IN PAKISTAN 6
classes and preparation for English language proficiency exams like IELTS ad TOEFL.
These institutes are self-sufficient and un-accredited institutions that makes them the
free from accountability and surveillance other than that of the institute’s owner.
language institutes and vary in age from 24-40 years of age. These teachers are
generally Masters degree holders in English literature and linguistics that does not
incorporation. I do expect the same group of teachers because the basic criterion for
linguistics).
Methodology
It is a qualitative study of the CALL classes and teacher practices. The data
collection will be primarily through in-depth interviews of the language teachers based
on their teaching practices and experience. The interviews will be in two parts: Pre-
detailed interview about the teacher’s pedagogical practices, technology use, and
suggestions. The post-observations interview will basically target at any query arising
interview method with classroom observations. Access issues can be foreseen because
of the difficulty in observing classes. Generally the teachers avoid getting observed in
their classes and it is a threat call for them if they are being observed. Because the aim
of the study is to assess actual teaching practices, one reliability issue in the study
could be the limited number of class observations for each teacher. To deal with this
issue, random classes will be selected by the researcher for observation so that there is
less probability of conscious well-planned classes. The teacher consent form will
include the fact that the class observations will be random and without prior notice.
Anticipated Findings
Based on a prior pilot project and prior research studies, I can predict that the
possible findings may include a less number of people incorporating technology in their
language classes. The type of minimal technology used is still very basic like audio
appears to be due to a lot of challenges and issues that the teachers face. These issues
have been explored in literature and it was concluded that the primary issues are the
maintain the technology labs (Egbert & Yang, 2004; Egbert, 2010), the lack of technical
training of teachers (Fuchs & Akbar, 2013), the threatened feelings to the acceptance of
innovations (Richardson, 2011), and the inability to understand the advantages of these
technologies (Richardson, 2011). What I anticipate other than these issues is the
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL IN PAKISTAN 8
technology, and the social stigmas associated with the use of computers and internet.
CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING CALL IN PAKISTAN 9
References
Barron, D. (1987). The Use and Perceived Barriers to Use of Telecommunications Technology.
Chapelle, C. A. (2009). The Relationship Between Second Language Acquisition Theory and
Egbert, J., & Yang, Y.-F. D. (2004). Mediating the Digital Divide in CALL Classrooms:
280-291.
Egbert, J. (2010). CALL in limited technology contexts. San Marcos, Tex: CALICO, Texas State
University.
Fuchs, C., & Akbar, F. S. (2013). Use of Technology in an Adult Intensive English Program:
Shohel, M. M. C., & Kirkwood, A. (2012). Using technology for enhancing teaching and
37(4), 414.
Tiene, D. (2004). “Bridging the Digital Divide in the Schools of Developing Countries.”
Warschauer, M. (2003). Technology and social inclusion: Rethinking the digital divide.