Technology training for ELT teachers at a Private University in Malaysia

Abstract

Online teaching and learning are not new experiences in the field of ELT, but the sudden need for everyone globally to go virtual due to the pandemic is unprecedented. Currently,with theCovid-19 pandemic, online classes are beingconducted globally as a short- term emergency response to sustain education through crisis management. This study explores the effect of technology training on the teacher trainees’ preference to use print and digital media in the ELT classroom. As students in schools in the recent past years, the participants who are presently TESOL trainee teachers had never or rarely had the experience of using digital media in the ELT classroom. The study employs a qualitative method based on data gathered online through questions posed to TESOL trainee teachers during their online class on Media Resources in November 2020 – February 2021. A total of 10 TESOL trainee teachers responded to 8 open-ended interview questions posed to them digitally. Data collected was analysed qualitatively by identifying statements that respond to the research questions. Expression used in these statements were categorized to narrow down the themes. The expressions were then uploaded into a Word Cloud to identify the most significant expression that was used repetitively in response to each research question. The findings of this study will inform practice among teacher educators as the current generation of teacher trainees seemto be garnering momentumto improve the use of technology in the ELT classroom with a special focus on digital media and to encourage other ELT teacher trainees to gain confidence to use technology in their future ELT classroom. The above findings show that even though the 10 students had little exposure to digital technology when they were school students themselves, but with appropriate training to use print and digital technology and resources in the ELT classroom, they were confident of using both media resources in the future.