Ecuadorian high school teachers’ perceptions on ICT use in their EFL classes

Abstract

This study focuses on Ecuadorian high school teachers‟ perceptions on ICT use in their EFL classes. The objective is to identify and analyze the teachers‟ characteristics that either motivate or hinder the use of ICT´s. The study was conducted in Portoviejo city. The instruments for data collection were surveys and interviews which were applied to a sample of 20 EFL teachers, ten from private high schools and ten from public high schools. This study was based on mixed methods research (quantitative and qualitative) for analyzing the information that was gathered. The quantitative method determined the variables that affect positively or negatively the use of ICT as well as the differences in perceptions between genders. The qualitative method corroborated the results obtained from the questionnaires. The results of the study reveal that teachers‟ insecurity and teachers‟ apprehensiveness are psychological characteristics that impede the use of ICT among EFL teachers. On the opposite, psychological teachers‟ characteristics that affect positively the use of ICT are: teacher‟s motivation, teacher‟s innovativeness, teacher‟s high self-esteem and teacher‟s favorable attitude toward changes also called teacher‟s flexibility