Malaysian Online Journal of Instructional Technology (MOJIT) April 2006 ISSN 1823:1144

Vol. 3, No.1, pp 57-67

The Attitude and Motivation of English Language Teachers towards the Use of Computers
Nurul Atikah Abdullah, Mohamad Jafre Zainol Abidin, +Wong Su Luan, *Omar Majid & *Hanafi Atan The Centre for Languages and Translation Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Penang, Malaysia jafre@usm.my * School of Distance Education Universiti Sains Malaysia 11800 Penang Malaysia momar@usm.my, ahanafi@usm.my +Faculty of Educational Studies Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 Serdang, Malaysia suluan@educ.upm.edu.my Abstract The rapid development of computer technology has altered the way education is being delivered. This is especially so in the delivery of the English language course where the combination of various media attributes of the computer has the capability to enhance instructional outcomes. This paper reports on the study undertaken to elucidate the level of the attitude and motivation of English teachers in the usage of the computer for the delivery of the English course and the associated problems and constraints faced by them. The study is qualitative and quantitative in nature and involved 62 English teachers from 12 schools in a selected district in Malaysia. The findings revealed that the majority of the teachers had a positive attitude, were highly motivated towards the use of computers to teach English and actually used them for teaching and learning purposes. The findings also revealed that intrinsic rewards, such as responsibilities, a sense of self-worth and accomplishments, played an important role in enhancing the positive attitude and motivation. INTRODUCTION It is generally believed that a highly motivated teacher with the right attitude would always strive for excellence in his/her teaching practice. Professional development not only motivates but helps teachers to keep up to date with new and effective practices in teaching and learning. However, substantial and effective professional development is rare, and many teachers naturally gravitate towards the more familiar methods they remember from their own experience as students (Sparks, 1998). These conventional teaching techniques often conflict with new instructional strategies introduced in any education developmental programmes that require teachers to use cooperative learning, deploy solving activities and of late, to use the computer in their teaching.

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Teachers may welcome or resist the introduction of information technology into schools or may avoid it altogether. Those with a positive attitude towards the use of computers in education behave differently from colleagues with a less positive attitude (Ajzen, 1988). Teachers have to realise that their past and present teaching styles and methods are not necessarily incorrect but need to adapt and grow. They also have diverse beliefs about knowledge, teaching and learning, exhibit a wide range of familiarity with software and vary in their motivation to use the computer. Hence, regardless of how passionate administrators and policy-makers may be about the new machines, because of these differences among teachers, they will vary in using the new technologies (McKenzie, 1993; Potter, 1993; Passey and Samways, 1997) The information age is moving and rapidly progressing and teachers will have to prepare and equip themselves with the relevant knowledge and skills in the information technology-related area. Teachers today have access to the computer and are beginning to recognise it as a useful tool in the teaching and learning process. It is believed that students of today need many different skills to be able to learn, work and adapt in the ever-changing world. Thus, teachers have to be aware of how they can address these needs through the use of this important technology in their classroom teaching. In other words, they will have to learn, and be familiar with, the computer. However, there are a number of teachers who are still keeping to their traditional method of chalk and talk and textbook style of teaching. At the same time, the government is really concerned about improving the ability of the young generation to use English effectively. To realise the governments aspirations, teacher motivation and attitude as well as the various problems that the English language teachers face in using the computer must be looked into seriously. Accordingly, this study attempts to evaluate the situation that currently exists pertaining to teacher attitude and motivation and elucidate the problems they face in the secondary schools of a selected district. Additionally, it intends to look at the problems that might have an influence in the teachers decision to use or not to use the computer in their instructional delivery. The results of this study may provide some recommendations and/or intervention that might help to motivate the English language teachers facing problems in the use of the computer. Only by fulfilling their needs can the teachers be truly motivated and competent in their profession and to be able to help students to improve their proficiency in the English language. LITERATURE REVIEW Computers have become the most sought- after electronic devices in both homes and schools. They have captured the interest of the public and many parents believe that they have the ability to enhance learning (Spark, 1998; Ames, 1992). According to Cox et al. (1999), the growth of communication networks will change the image of the classroom for the twenty-first century. The global classroom will be connected by networks that reach around the world and across subject areas. It simply will not be possible for schools to resist the increasing influence of computer technology in the teaching and learning process. In addition, the marketplace will grow increasingly persistent that schools prepare students to be the workers and consumers of a networked society. It is therefore imperative that teachers and educational institutions rise to this challenge. Some teachers are not comfortable or skilled in the use of the computer and are therefore unable to use this technology to enrich the learning experience. Blumefeld (1992) reported that many teachers show little interest in assuming an active role in the use of this instructional technology, while others support and utilise it fully. Cox et al. (1999) also argued that the most crucial factors that underlie

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whether or not teachers use the computer are time and support. However, the findings of McKenzie (1993) and Stallard (1998) suggested that the main problem is attitudinal. Their research found that the majority of teachers are afraid of the computer, are unaware of the resources available and are unwilling to expand the extra effort in planning to use it in a presentation or make arrangements for the set-up and operation of the necessary equipment. Although research has verified the different beliefs of teachers towards instructional technology throughout the last four decades, numerous recent studies have shown that most teachers want to use the computer and to prepare their students for the world of technology outside the school (Dilworth, 1991). The attitude towards computer use is generated by an individuals salient beliefs about the consequences of continued use and his evaluation of these consequences (Ajzen, 1988). A primary motivation for computer adoption and use is the adopters belief regarding the usage outcome or his perceptions of the usefulness of the technology (Davis et al., 1989). Therefore, a positive attitude towards the consequences or outcomes of computer use results in a higher rate of usage. Attitude formed by beliefs and beliefs regarding computer use can exist on several levels, among which are utilitarian beliefs. Blumefeld (1992) found that teachers beliefs about the unique potential of computers to motivate students and enhance their self-esteem also influence decisions about computer use. According to the theory of Ajzen and Fishbein (1977) on Planned Behaviour and that of the Acceptance Model by Davis et al. (1989), the use of computers is predicted by the motive intentions to use them. This will be influenced by the beliefs of the users about the usefulness and ease of use. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are primary motivational factors for accepting and using the computer. If a teacher thinks that computer use is important to enhance teaching and learning, he will perceive computer use as having a positive impact on his work, making him more professional, more creative, better informed, and generally better educator (Passey and Samways, 1997). Thus, a teachers behaviour to use or reject the computer is determined by his intention to perform such behaviour and this intention is influenced jointly by the attitude (positive or negative), subjective norms (i.e., perceived social pressures from educational reform, parents, students, etc.) and beliefs about the usefulness and ease of use of the computer. Hence, the presence of motivated teachers having a positive attitude towards the consequences or outcomes of computer use results in a higher rate of usage. According to Porter (1993), extrinsic motivation refers to the performance of an activity. Extrinsic motivation is perceived to help achieve valued outcomes that are distinct from the activity itself, such as improving job performance, pay, etc. Intrinsic motivation refers to the performance of activity for no reason other than the process of performing it. As shown in technology acceptance studies, perceived usefulness is an example of extrinsic motivation, while perceived ease of use is an example of intrinsic motivation (Sedebery and Clark, 1990). Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the teacher and the use of the computer.

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The Attitude and Motivation of English Language Teachers towards the Use of Computers

Technology acceptance (use of computer)

Attitude towards use

Ease of use

Usefulness

Not motivated

Negative attitude

Behavioural change
Motivated Positive attitude

Actual use Figure 1: Conceptual Framework of Teacher Acceptance and the Use of the Computer METHODOLOGY This study made use of two types of surveys: a quantitative data survey consisting of a 40-item questionnaire and a qualitative data survey via oral interviews conducted on six English language teachers. A total of 62 randomly selected English language teachers from twelve schools in a selected district participated in this study. Their teaching experience ranged from less than five years to above 21 years and they were trained at different colleges and universities. Two sets of instruments were used in the study. The first instrument was a questionnaire given to the English language teachers and the second instrument was interviews with the teachers to gauge their attitudes and motivation. With the approval and help of the principals from these selected schools, arrangements were made with the heads of the English language sections to distribute the questionnaires to the English language teachers concerned. As this study was conducted in the month of November when most schools were relatively busy with their school year end examinations, no time limit was given. However, with the cooperation of the teachers, the questionnaires were returned and collected after one day. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Out of a total number of 62 respondents, 67.7% were female teachers whereas 32.3% were male. The fact that the number of female respondents was higher than that of males is indicative of the predominance of women in the teaching profession in Malaysia. 79% of the respondents were married while 21% were still single. The English language teachers who were university graduates accounted for 88.7% while the rest 11.3% were college-trained diploma holders. Out of the 62 respondents, 74.2% used technology while 2.8% did not do so in their classroom teaching as a means of academic preparation or as a physical tool in the classroom. It was also found

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out that standalone computer software was the most favourite (54.3%) among the teachers while few used the Internet or networking-related software (13.1%). According to Roblyer and Edwards (2000), enhanced voice recognition and the multimedia capabilities of standalone computer software, along with more powerful computers, now make it possible for students to have a language immersion experience without leaving the classroom. Moreover, the use of the standalone computer software has been made possible due to the Malaysian governments latest implementation of using English to teach subjects like Science and Mathematics in Primary One, Form One and Lower Six. Commencing in the year 2003, teachers who teach these subjects have been given the opportunity of using technology to teach in the class. They would each be supplied with a laptop, LCD (projector) and standalone computer software to conduct their English lessons. The objective is to enable them to help students to improve their English language proficiency. As such, not only students but the teachers as well would be motivated further where the learning and teaching process is concerned. Attitude on using the computer To determine their attitude, respondents in this study answered twenty items (related to their attitude towards the use of computers to teach English) using the 4-point Likert scale (4 being the highest). On this scale, attitude would be very low if the mean score was between 1.00 and 1.75, low if it was between 1.76 - 2.50; high if it was between 2.51 - 3.25 and very high if it was between 3.26 4.00. The overall mean attitude of teachers towards the use of computers to teach English was 3.044 with a standard deviation of 0.3981. Therefore, it could be said that generally, the teachers had a positive attitude towards the use of computers to teach English. The possible explanations for certain attitude and behavioural patterns might be apparent by identifying factors that seem to be related to certain responses (Porter, 1993).
Factors Computer Enjoyment Computer Importance Computer Involvement Computer Challenge Computer Avoidance Computer Discomfort Percentages 78.2% 85.5% 79.9% 80.1% 21.8% 18.3%

Table 1: Factors Contributing to the Usage of Computers Among Teachers Table 1 shows that 85.5% of the teachers indicated that they were aware of the importance of computers in education and so they took it as a challenge (80.1%) to teach English using the computer. This was followed by computer involvement (79.7%) and computer enjoyment (78.2%). Computer avoidance (21.8%) and computer discomfort (18.3%) which contributed to the negative attitude of the English language teachers in their use of the computer to teach appeared to be weaker factors.

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Motivation Intrinsic Extrinsic Overall

Mean 31.35 21.13 52.48

Table 2: Teacher Motivation Towards the Use of Computers Teacher motivation towards the use of computers is shown in Table 2. The overall mean of the motivation was 52.48. Generally, the teachers were more intrinsically than extrinsically motivated towards the use of computers to teach the language (Cameron and Pierce, 1994). A further analysis pertaining to intrinsic motivation is shown in Table 3.
Intrinsic Motivation Self-worth and satisfaction Competence Interest Determination Percentages 76.6% 76.4% 60.2% 88.7%

Table 3: Intrinsic Motivation Towards the Use of Computers A total of 88.7% of the respondents ranked a feeling of self-determination as the intrinsic factor that motivated them the most. This clearly indicated that English language teachers had the determination, were competent (76.4%) and did have a sense of self-worth to perform their job dutifully. They knew that they had to make good use of the computer to enhance their lessons and to help students in the learning of the language. The findings also indicated that English language teachers used the computer to teach not because of extrinsic factors such as the provision of laptops, computers or computer loans and various incentives, for instance, a 5 to 10% allowance but instead, they felt that they had to abide by the call of the government (organisation and administration, 74.2%) in using the computer to teach and at the same time, hoped to motivate the students in the learning of the English language through the use of computers.
Extrinsic Motivation
Recognition of accomplishment Incentives and benefits Career advancement and promotion Organisation and administration Working conditions

Percentages
38.7% 29.0% 46.8% 74.2% 29.9%

Table 4: Extrinsic Motivation on the Use of Computers Problems faced when using computers The teachers gave some comments and pointed out a few barriers that they faced concerning the use of computers in their teaching. Their views, both positive and negative, have been categorised as follows:

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Lack of access to computers

schools are not fully equipped (Respondent: female, 21 years of service) short of computers for students (Respondent: male, 11-15 years of service)

Time factor
to use the computer will take up a lot of time to prepare. (Respondent: female, 1-5 years of service) teachers do not have enough time to prepare the materials (Respondent: female, 21 years of service) time constraintlack of software (Respondent: male, above 21 years of service)

Lack of computer skills and training

Im willing to use it but we need trainingthere should be more workshops and seminars (Respondent: female, 16-20 years of service) Teachers are not trained properly before they implement it ... (Respondent: male, 11-15 years of service) Interesting concept but teachers face the problems of sourcing for (Respondent: female, 21 years of service) appropriate software...

To arrest these problems faced by many teachers, more computer laboratories must be built with enough supply of computers for teachers as well as students. More courses and training should be conducted and more courseware with a local content should be developed to promote greater computer usage among teachers. On the other hand, it is also obvious from the teachers comments that the use of computers would be very beneficial for both the students and the teachers. These comments are summed up as follows:

Positive perceptions towards the use of computers

Very helpful, enhance the classroom learning (male, 16-20 years of service) Teaching English using a computer would be fun and easy (female, 11 years of service) I truly believe that the use of computer in English as Second Language will be beneficial (female, above 20 years o service)

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the use of computers in ESL has to be strongly encouraged as they ease the learning and teaching process (male, 16 20 years of service)

Motivation for students

Students are very eager to learn when computer is used (female, 5 years of service) enhance classroom learningcan motivate students. (male, 16-20 years of service) it helps to sustain students concentration during lessons (male, 6-10 years of service) students find it interesting and amusingavoid the usual routine (female, 5 10 years of service)

Different mode of presentation

English related activities and materials can be obtained easily via (male, 16-20 years of service) Internet, CD ROM

itll be good for kinesthetic and visual learners especially (female, above 20 years of service) The software that I use is attractive and colourfulthe students like it (male, 6 10 years of service) The teachers comments, apart from revealing some personal reservations due to the fact that there is lack of computer knowledge and training and time constraints, indicated that overall, the teachers do have a positive attitude towards the use of computers in their teaching. TEACHER INTERVIEWS For further justification and understanding of the English language teachers motivation and attitude towards the use of computers in their classroom teaching, interviews with six teachers (selected randomly from three schools) were conducted. Two of the teachers were not really motivated nor had a positive attitude towards the use of computers. Both these teachers did see benefits in their students using computers in their learning activities but faced barriers in incorporating them on a more involved and frequent basis. Their problems were limited accessibility to hardware and appropriate software as well as a lack of training and computer skills. Their comments included the following: wellfirstly, the appropriate software is lackingand the computers I use are quite old outdated Im out of touch actually I have not attended any training or in-service toomoreover, there are not many courses or training for teachers

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I find that the main problem is because of software theres no computer lab in the school and I dont give assignments to students because students themselves have no access However, the other remaining four teachers interviewed appeared enthusiastic and motivated towards the use of computers to teach English. These teachers were in fact strong advocates for computer use in the school as they saw the importance of this useful technology in classroom instructions. They also saw the availability of computers as motivation for the students in the learning process and as a pedagogical potential whereby lessons can be delivered, explained or illustrated in a more interesting and entertaining way. students gained knowledge through computers find that using computers to teach these weaker studentscan get their attention students dont get bored, its something out of their routine Im always open to new ideas and I hope as time goes bywell be able to make more use of the computer I believe students are advancing very fast and we as teachers need to support ;the government in its move to develop the country in achieving ICT status of course, the use of computersmore of the motivation and also the fact because the computer is a very versatile toolcan actually exploit the tool and explain something to students in a better manner RECOMMENDATIONS As technology becomes more and more dominant in our everyday lives, it will continue to exert a constant pressure on education. This rapid progress, coupled with the development of highly interactive multimedia software, will equip teachers with a powerful tool to develop the potential of all students. Before the virtual classroom can evolve and develop, an in-depth study on how to prepare teachers psychologically and technically must be carried out. We need highly motivated and competent users to become the supporters for the creation of a new culture in education. Teacher professional development is absolutely essential if computers provided to schools are to be used effectively. Simply put, spending scarce resources on informational technology hardware and software without financing teacher professional development as well is wasteful. Experience around the world in developing, industrialised and information-based countries has shown that teacher training in the use and application of technology is the key determining factor for improved student performance (in terms of both knowledge acquisition and skills development enabled by technology). All universities and teacher training institutions have taken positive steps in equipping pre-service teachers with knowledge and skills in information technology. On the other hand, the educational ministry must also contribute by organising more workshops, seminars and short courses (in-service) to familiarise the teachers with the computer. For instance, skills on using Internet, e-mail and CD-ROM and multimedia applications are becoming increasingly essential and

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must be incorporated into the teaching of courses. With all these in hand, teachers will be more motivated towards the use of this resourceful tool. CONCLUSION Most teachers realise the tremendous potential computer can bring to teaching and learning. They will continue to use computers despite facing problems. The challenges facing teachers and shaping their motivation and attitude are vast and complicated, and affect them on a personal level. Teachers are expected to develop their technological skills and knowledge, be motivated and optimistic towards the use of computers to teach English. Finally, English language teachers must always use a variety of tools to produce successful learning experiences and the computer is one of them. Technology cannot be sidelined and in this case, the computer and the Internet are resources to enhance teaching and promote the successful performance of students.

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McKenzie, J (1993) Barriers to new technology part one: Staff balkanization. From Now on. The Educational Technology Journal, 4, 1, (On-line). Available http://fromnowon.org/FNOFeb93.html. Passey, D and Samways, B (1997) Information Technology- Supporting Change through Teacher Education, Chapman and Hall, UK. Porter, JD (1993) An Investigation of Secondary Teacher Motivation Orientation and the Attitudes About Extrinsic Incentives (Teacher Motivation), Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Robyler, MD and Edwards, J (2000) Integrating Educational Technology Into Teaching, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Sedebery. C and Clark, R (1990) Motivation and organisational incentives for high vitality teachers: A qualitative perspective, Journal of Research and Development in Education, 24, 13. Stallard, C (1998) Factors that influence the integration of technology into the secondary curriculum (on-line). Available: http://ed.info.apple.com/education/techlearn/adapt/adaptfactors.html. Sparks, D (1998) Using technology to improve teaching and staff development: An interview with Kathleen Fulton, Journal of Staff Development, 19, 1, 18-21.

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