TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF TURKISH NOVICE EFL TEACHERS AFTER ONLINE PRACTICUM

Abstract

Although technology is a vital part of 21st-century education, teachers in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts face challenges when using digital tools in their teaching. Studies have been conducted with in-service teachers to understand their beliefs and practices with digital learning of English. However, there is a gap in the literature about investigating the technology integration beliefs and practices of newly graduated EFL teachers who experienced online teaching practice during their pre-service education. Thus, this study aimed to investigate how novice teachers’ online practicum affects their teaching with technology in face-toface classrooms. To this end, this study adopted a qualitative case study research design and collected data through six open-ended questions from 20 Turkish novice EFL teachers who received their teaching practice and school experience courses online and conducted semi-structured interviews with 5 participants. The thematic analysis of the data showed that the participants were aware of the importance of technology use, and their online teaching practice experience helped them get familiar with teaching English with digital tools before graduating. However, the lack of resources and support in their current face-to-face teaching contexts prevented them from using technology. The findings revealed that teacher education programs should offer updated content and opportunities for creating digital material to prepare EFL teachers for the future.