A Close Look at the Use of Technology by Thai Teachers in Secondary EFL Classrooms

Abstract

This study investigated how teachers in Thai secondary schools integrated networked education technology tools in their classrooms; it is a sequel study to Boonmoh et al.’s (2021) examination of how teachers used and perceived such technology. This study also explored networked education technology tools, considered their teaching contexts, and highlighted how teachers created content and used it in their teaching. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 teachers in secondary schools of the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 33 (Surin Province), in the Northeastern Region of Thailand. A number of factors are believed to affect the use of technology in Thai secondary schools, such as class size, institution size, and use-value. However, the major factors identified in this current study were related to institution size (which may also affect class size) because the participants were from different-sized secondary schools. Their perceptions towards the use of technology were differentiated by school size. These teachers were from small- and medium-sized secondary schools in eight districts of Surin. Their use of the networked education technology tools was analysed based on the types of tools/applications used, types of activities, and topics of their use. The findings revealed that all 12 teachers knew technological tools and integrated technology to facilitate their use as classroom learning resources. Kahoot was the most used application in the classrooms. The use of technology was influenced by various aspects: students’ motivation, real-world integration, students’ familiarity, teachers’ self-development, time-saving, and the current circumstances (the COVID-19 pandemic). Their main purposes in using these tools were motivating and engaging students, preparing for tests, and career advancement. Most activities created in the applications were used as games or tests rather than for lessons. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications are discussed.