Digital Native/Digital Immigrant Divide: EFL Teachers’ Mobile Device Experiences and Practice

Yıl 2018, , 374 - 389, 16.10.2018

Graham Howlett Zainee Waemusa

https://doi.org/10.30935/cet.471007

Öz

The purpose of this study was to examine
how Thai EFL high-school teachers view and use mobile devices (such as smart
phones) in educational settings, and if the age-based digital native/digital immigrant
divide would highlight any differences in responses. The participants were 55
Thai EFL teachers in 8 schools of different sizes in Southern Thailand, who
were split into digital-native and digital-immigrant subgroups during data
analysis. Participants completed a 35-item Likert-type scale covering a range of
topics related to mobile devices in the EFL setting including their ability,
experience, school/personal policy, instructional utilization, and whether they
supported mobile devices as a learning aid. The results showed that while
digital native teachers consistently responded more positively towards the
benefits/uses of mobile devices in EFL teaching/learning than the older digital
immigrant teachers often at a significant level, all teachers -regardless of
age- agreed on the benefits and promotion of mobile devices as EFL learning
aids. Results of this study expand the knowledge base of EFL teachers’ mobile
device experiences and practice while raising awareness of significant differences
between digital natives and digital immigrants, and recommendations are made
for policymakers, schools, and teachers.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mobile devices in EFL context, Mobile assisted language learning, Digital native, Digital immigrant, Bring your own device, Mobile learning

Kaynakça

• Aldrich, S. T. (2017). Students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the use of mobile technology in university preparation classes (Unpublished master’s thesis). Massey University, Manawatu Campus, New Zealand.
• Alexander, B. (2004). Going nomadic: Mobile learning in higher education. Educause Review, 39(5), 29-35.
• Alsulami, S. (2016). The effects of technology on learning English as a foreign language among female EFL students at Effatt College: An exploratory study. Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture, 12(4), 1-16.
• Baker, W. M., Lusk, E. J., & Neuhauser, K. L. (2012). On the use of cell phones and other electronic devices in the classroom: Evidence from a survey of faculty and students. Journal of Education for Business, 87(5), 275-289.
• Beland, LP. & Murphy, R. (2015). In brief... Phone home: Should mobiles be banned in schools? CentrePiece Summer, 2015, 10-11.
• Cell phone-free classroom good for students, teacher says (2017, July 22). Thai PBS. Retrieved on 21 May 2018 from http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th
• Creswell, J. W., Clark. P., V. L., Gutmann, M. L., & Hanson, W. E. (2003). Advanced mixed methods research designs. In A. Tashakkori and C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioural research (pp.209-240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Dreyfus, S. E. & Dreyfus, H. L. (1980). A five-stage model of the mental activities involved in directed skill acquisition. Washington, DC: Storming Media.
• Dwaik, R. (2015). English digital as valuable blended learning tools for Palestinian college students. English Language Teaching, 8(11), 1-10.
• EF EPI (2017). Education First English Proficiency Index. Retrieved on 18 April 2017 from http://www.ef.edu/epi/
• Gunawan, J. (2016). Understanding culture in higher education in Thailand. Education for Health, Volume 29(2), 160-161.
• Jones, C., Ramanau, R., Cross, S., & Healing, G. (2010). Net generation or digital natives: Is there a distinct new generation entering university? Computers & Education, 54(3), 722-732.
• Kantamara, P., Hallinger, P., & Jatiket, M. (2006). Scaling-up educational reform in Thailand: Context, collaboration, networks, and change. Planning & Changing, 37(1), 5.
• Kantar, M. B. (2017) AdReaction Global Consumer Survey 2017. Retrieved on 23 March 2018 from http://www.millwardbrown.com/adreaction/integration/
• Kilickaya, F. (2013). Computer-based grammar instruction in an EFL context: Improving the effectiveness of teaching adverbial clauses. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 28(4), 325-340.
• Klopfer, E., Squire, K., & Jenkins, H. (2002). Environmental detectives: PDAs as a window into a virtual simulated world. Proceedings of IEEE international workshop on wireless and mobile technologies in education (pp. 95-98). Washington, DC: IEEE Computer Society.
• Koanantakool, T. (2016, May). Digital park for SMEs. Paper presented at Digital Thailand 2016, Bangkok, Thailand. Retrieved on 12 April 2017 from http://www.digitalthailand.in.th/ drive/DigitalInnovation/Thaweesak%20Koanantakool-%20Digital%20Park%20For%20SME .pdf
• Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., & Cain, W. (2017). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)? Journal of Education, 193(3), 13-19.
• Koehler, M.J. & Mishra, P. (2008). Introducing TPCK. AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology (Ed.), The handbook of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) for educators (pp.3-29). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Liu, M., Scordino, R., Renata, G. Navarrete, C., Yujung, K., & Lim, M. (2015). A look at research on mobile learning in K-12 education from 2007 to the present. Journal of Research on technology in Education, 46(4), 325-372.
• Mann, V.J. (2012). Cross-cultural teaching: Experience of American teachers in Thai higher education. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Hawaii, Manoa. (UMI No. 3520654).
• Martin, E. M. P. (2012). Digital natives and digital immigrants: Teaching with technology (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Northeastern University, Boston, MA.
• May, T. & Williams, M. (1998). Knowing the social world. Buckingham: Open University Press.
• McCarty, S., Obari, H. S., & Sato, T. (2017). Implementing mobile language learning technologies in Japan. Singapore: SpringerBriefs in Education.
• McCoy, B. R. (2016). Digital distractions in the classroom Phase II: Student classroom use of digital devices for non-class related purposes. Faculty Publications, College of Journalism & Mass Communications, 90. 1-43
• Ministry of Education. (2008). Thailand basic education core curriculum. Retrieved on 09 March 2018 from http://www.act.ac.th/document/1741.pdf
• Nalliveettil, G. & Alenazi, T. (2016). The impact of mobile phones on English language learning: Perceptions of EFL undergraduates. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 7(2), 264-272.
• National Institute of Educational Testing Service. (2017). Niets.or.th. Retrieved on 19 April 2017 from http://www.niets.or.th/
• National Statistical Office of Thailand. (2017). The 2016 household survey on the use of information and communication technology. Retrieved on 04 April 2017 from http://www.emarketer. com/Chart/Smartphone-vs-Total-Mobile-Phone-User-Penetration-Thailand-by-Region-March-2016-of-population/203960
• O'Bannon, B. W. & Thomas, K. M. (2015). Mobile phones in the classroom: Preservice teachers answer the call. Computers & Education, 85, 110-122.
• Office of the Basic Education Commission. (2017). Management information system: Secondary Education Service Area 16. Retrieved on 12 April 2017 from http://data.bopp-obec.info/ emis/index_area.php?Area_CODE=101716
• Pahomov, L. (2015). In pursuit of a cell phone policy. Educational Leadership, 72(8). Retrieved on 04 April 2017 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may15/vol72/ num08/In-Pursuit-of-a-Cell-Phone-Policy.aspx
• Palfrey, J. G. & Gasser, U. (2011). Born digital: Understanding the first generation of digital natives. Sydney: Read How You Want.
• Pheeraphan, N. (2013). Enhancement of the 21st century skills for Thai higher education by integration of ICT in classroom. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 103, 365-373.
• Phillips, B. J., Grosch, M., & Laosinchai, P. (2014). Mobile media usage by undergraduates and implications for m-learning instructional design. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 8(1), 1-15.
• Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants Part 1. On The Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.
• Saeedi, Z. & Biri, A. (2016). The application of technology in teaching grammar to EFL learners. The role of animated sitcoms. Teaching English with Technology 16(2), 18-39.
• Selwyn, N. (2010). Looking beyond learning: notes towards the critical study of educational technology. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 26(1), 65-73.
• Sittirak, N. (2016). Grammar-translation method in an EFL class in Thailand: A glance at an English Song’s lyrics. Journal of Education Thaksin University, 15(2), 30-47.
• Squire, K. & Dikkers, S. (2012). Amplifications of learning: Use of mobile media devices among youth. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 18(4), 445-464.
• Stockwell, G. & Hubbard, P. (2013). Some emerging principles for mobile-assisted language learning. Monterey, CA: The International Research Foundation for English Language Education. Retrieved on 08 April 2017 from http://www.tirfonline.org/english-in-the-workforce/mobile-assisted-language-learning
• Thomas, K. & Muñoz, M. A. (2016). Hold the phone! High school students' perceptions of mobile phone integration in the classroom. American Secondary Education, 44(3), 19-37.
• Thomson, A. (2009). Lecturers see the benefits of mobiles in classrooms. The Times Educational Supplement, 4832. Retrieved on 04 April 2017 from https://www.tes.com/news/tes-archive/tes-publication/lecturers-see-benefits-mobiles-classrooms
• Toledo, C. A. (2007). Digital culture: Immigrants and tourists responding to the natives' drumbeat. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 19(1), 84-92.
• Valarmathi. K. E. (2011). Mobile assisted language learning. Journal of Technology for ELT 1(2), 1-8.
• VanSlyke, T. (2003). Digital natives, digital immigrants: Some thoughts from the generation gap. The Technology Source, May/June 2003. Retrieved on 04 April 2017 from https://depd.wisc.edu/ html/TSarticles/Digital%20Natives.htm
• West, M. & Vosloo, S. (2013). Policy guidelines for mobile learning. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved on 12 April 2017 from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002196/219641E.pdf
• Williams, C. (2007). Research methods. Journal of Business & Economic Research, 5(3), 65-72.