An Investigation Of EFL Teachers' ICT Use For Instructional Purposes At Four Vocational Schools In Shanxi Province

Over the past ten years, Chinese policymakers have intensively focused on integrating computer technologies into quality classroom. In recent years, the government pays more attention to vocational education and has increased its investment in higher vocational education. With support from the national government, most vocational schools have been strengthening hardware construction. Such special circumstances have provided our English teachers with good opportunities to enrich the teaching methods and explore new teaching models. However, well-developed hardware does not necessarily mean the promotion of teaching effectiveness. Research continues to show that computer technology is not being used effectively in Chinese English classrooms. Consequently, how to use computer technology effectively to achieve the optimal teaching result becomes major challenge for teachers.This study, based on a sample of 112 EFL teachers from four different higher vocational schools in Shanxi province, explores how computer technologies are currently being used by EFL teachers in vocational schools and the factors that predict such extent of use. The result shows that:1. Although the EFL teachers in vocational schools were using computers in their daily work, most of them treated computers as a modern tool to present instructions, and very few of them could use computers innovatively to assist their teaching.2. The findings revealed the same patterns in the frequency of EFL teachers'expertise in computer use as the level of computer use.3. The EFL teachers'access to computers was restricted. The findings indicated the highest perceptions of access to computers were at home and in their offices, while lowest perceptions of access were found in multimedia room and classroom.4. Almost all of EFL teachers have a generally positive attitude regarding computers as tools for instructional purposes. However, only a smaller group of participants changed their positive attitudes into the efficient EFL classroom teaching.That is to say, a gap remains from the awareness to the action.5. Most of teachers considered that they were not well supported in terms of technical support for classroom problems with the technology.6. The lack of good professional development opportunities in computer technology was also a problem for EFL teachers in vocational schools.7. Of all the selected teachers'characteristics, here were two statistically significant predictors for computer use: teaching experience and computer experience.8. Successful technology integration or quality classroom technology use was complex and depended upon a multitude of factors. The factors most influencing the low level of use of computer technology were teachers'perceived expertise, teachers'perceived support and computer experience.In view of the findings of this study and the conclusions arising from them, the following recommendations could be made to offer teachers the chance to make the necessary shift in their thinking and in practice to help them successfully integrate computer technology into EFL instruction:1. School leaders should take more initiatives regarding allocating funds to meet computer technology needs.2. It is necessary for the schools to provide continuous, long-term in-services and sufficient technical support to the staff to enhance the effective integration of computer technology into instruction.