Assessing the Attitudes of Pre-Service English Teachers towards the Use of the Internet

Year 2009, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 153 - 160, 01.08.2009

Gülşah Külekçi

Abstract

In the effective implementation of the Internet in the language classroom, it is important that language teachers and preservice teachers have positive attitudes towards using the Internet in teaching English as a foreign language EFL . This study reveals pre-service English teachers’ use and needs of the Internet. 195 third and fourth year students from DEU Buca the Faculty of Education, Department of English Language and Teaching constitute the sample of the study. The instrument used to accomplish the research purposes is Pre-service Teachers’ Attitudes towards the use of and needs for Internet Applications in English Language Teaching survey questionnaire. The results indicate that most of the pre-service teachers are eager to use Internet applications and they mostly have good opinions about using it. The study also points out that pre-service teachers have some concerns about using the Internet. They also need training in using Internet applications for EFL teaching

Keywords

the Internet use, pre-service English teachers

References

• AL-Mekhlafi, A. (2004). The Internet and EFL Teaching: The Reactions of UAE Secondary School English Language Teachers. Journal of Language and Learning, 2(2), 88-113.
• Aydın, S. (2007). Attitudes of EFL Learners Towards the Internet. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 3(2)
• Carrier, M. (1997). ELT Online: the rise of the Internet. ELT Journal. 51(3), 279-309. Oxford University Press
• Chafe, Allison. (1999) Effective use of the Internet in second language education: Benefits, challenges and guidelines for teachers. Retrieved February 18, 2009 from http://www.cdli.ca/~achafe/Internetinclassroom.html
• Eastment, D. (2001). Web Sites for the Language Teacher: Teachers. ELT Journal 55(2), 214-216.
• Ersoy, A. and Yaşar, Ş. (2003) İlköğretim 4. ve 5.sınıf Öğrencilerinin İnternet Kullanma Durumları. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi. 1(4).
• Forsyth, I. (1998). Teaching and Learning Materials and the Internet. London: Kogan Page Limited.
• Gündüz, Ş. (2007). Öğretmen adaylarının bilgisayar özyeterlikleri. 16th National Congress of Education (unpublished paper), Tokat: Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Education.
• İzgi, Ü. and Bekçi, B. (2007). Öğretmen adaylarının eğitim ortamında kullandıkları eğitim teknolojilerine ilişkin yeterlilikleri. 16th National Congress of Education (unpublished paper), Tokat: Gaziosmanpaşa University, Faculty of Education.
• Lasorenko, J. (1997). Wired for Learning. USA: Que Corporation.
• Lewin, L. (2001).Using the Internet to Strengthen Curriculum. USA:Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Linder, D. (2004). The Internet in every classroom? Using outside computers. ELT Journal. 58(1), 10-17.
• Luan, W.S., Fung, N.S., Nawawi, M. and Hong, T.S. (2005) Experienced and inexperienced Internet users among pre-service teachers: Their use and attitudes toward the Internet. Educational Technology & Society. 8(1), 90-103.
• Moran, C. and Selfe, C. L. (1999) Teaching English across the Technology/Wealth Gap. The English Journal. 88 (6), 48-55.
• Moursund, D. and Bielefeldt, T. (1999). Will new teachers be prepared to teach in a digital age? A National Survey on information technology in teacher education. Santa Monica. Retreived March 27, 2009, from http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME154.pdf
• Murray, D.E. and McPherson, P. (2004). Using the Web to support language learning. Sydney: Macquaire University
• Odabaşı, K., Kabakçı, I., and Çoklar, A. (2007) Internet, Çocuk ve Aile. Ankara: Nobel Yayın Dağıtım.
• Owston, Ronald D. (1997) The World Wide Web: A Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning? Educational Researcher. 26(2), 27-33.
• Öztürk, Okçu and Karamete (2008) Determination of preservice teachers’ opinions and attitudes towards usage of technological tools Ege University, Faculty of Education, Department of BÖTE, İzmir.
• Singhal, Meena. (1997) The Internet and Foreign Language Education: Benefits and Challenges. The Internet TESL Journal. 3(6).
• Teeler, D. and Gray, P. (1999). How to Use the Internet in ELT. UK: Longman.
• Teo, T. (2008). Pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards computer use: A Singapore survey. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 24(4), 413-424.
• Warschauer, M., Shetzer, H. and Meloni, C. (2000). Internet for English Teaching. Illinois, USA: Pantagraph Printing.
• Yavuz, F. , 1998, ‘Internet’in Ingiliz Dili Eğitimi Bölümündeki Çevirimiçi Lisansüstü Programlarının Gelişimine Olan Katkısı’, Master Thesis, Atatürk University.
• Yıldırım, A. and Şimşek, H. (2005). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Yutdhana, S., 2004, ‘A Needs Analysis of Thai High School Teachers in Using Internet Applications for Teaching English as a Foreign Language’, a published master thesis, Washington State University.