Voices from the periphery: Perceptions of Indonesian primary vs secondary pre-service teacher trainees about corpora and data-driven learning in the L2 English classroom

Abstract

Data-driven learning (DDL), or the use of language corpora for the purposes of language learning and teaching, has seen a marked increase in research interest within ICT-rich WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) contexts. However, less is known about its adoption in nations such as Indonesia where ICT/CALL training is underdeveloped, a situation indicative of a potential “digital divide” between the haves and have-nots when it comes to adoption of DDL worldwide. The present study reports on a series of DDL workshops and lesson planning activities within a CALL training program for pre-service L2 English-as-a-foreign-language teachers in Indonesia at both primary and secondary school levels. Training included an online course in DDL for academic writing, DDL expert's comments on trainees’ lesson plans, and a series of online workshops. Trainees’ perceptions of the training and the potential implementation of DDL within the Indonesian L2 English teaching context were explored through questionnaire and interview data. The findings painted a mixed picture of pre-service trainees’ appreciation for the potential of corpora to greatly assist the practice of language learning and teaching, tempered by acknowledgement that integrating corpora into classroom practice in the Indonesian context would be a considerable challenge. Primary school teachers were also significantly less likely than secondary school teachers to be willing adopt corpora in their future teaching practice. We address the source of these concerns while offering suggestions for future DDL training involving pre-tertiary educators.