The use of technologies in teaching IELTS at naturally english speaking language center (NES) teachers and students perspectives master of TESOL

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY --- THESIS THE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING IELTS AT NATURALLY ENGLISH SPEAKING LANGUAGE CENTER NES: TEACHERS’ AND ST

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY

- THESIS

TRAN THI THUY DUNG

THE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING IELTS AT NATURALLY ENGLISH SPEAKING LANGUAGE CENTER (NES): TEACHERS’ AND

STUDENTS’ PERSECTIVES

BA RIA VUNG TAU 2022

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

BA RIA VUNG TAU UNIVERSITY

-

THESIS

THE USE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING IELTS AT NATURALLY ENGLISH SPEAKING LANGUAGE CENTER (NES): TEACHERS’ AND

STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES

Submitted to the Postgraduate Institute in partial fulfilment of the Master’s

degree in TESOL Course code: MTSOL18K2

By

TRAN THI THUY DUNG Student’s code: 18110101 Supervised by: NGUYEN HOANG TUAN, Ph.D

BA RIA VUNG TAU 2022

MASTER’S THESIS REPORT

Ba Ria Vung Tau, 20 th March 2022

Student name: TRAN THI THUY DUNG Sex: Female

Date of birth: 30 January 1982 Place of birth: Vung Tau Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Student code: 18110101

I- Thesis title: “The use of technologies in teaching IELTS at Naturally English

Speaking Language Center (NES): Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives”

II- Objectives:

This study aims to closely and thoroughly inspect teachers’ and student’s perspectives of using technologies in teaching IELTS with knowledge-based approaches at the context of Naturally English Speaking Language Center (NES) The research objectives are as follows:

- To investigate the teachers’ self-efficacy, attitudes and ICT utility toward use of

technologies in teaching IELTS at the context of NES

- To investigate students’ Perceived of Easy to Use (POEU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), attitudes, behavior towards ICT use, as well as contextual factors of ICT use to learn IELTS at NES

To answer the two below thesis’ question:

1 From teachers’ perspectives, what are benefits and challenges when using ICT to teach IELTS at NES?

2 From students’ perspectives, what are students’ benefits and challenges when using ICT to learn IELTS at NES?

This study was conducted at the context of Naturally English Speaking Language Centre (NES) Participants were 25 IELTS teachers and 200 students from classes from Preparation-IELTS and IELTS classes of 4 Vung Tau branches of the system They participated in surveys designed with system of questionnaires and semi-structured

interviews which focused on plenty of factors Firstly, these questionnaires are about

teacher’s and students’ perspectives on ICT use for IELTS teaching and learning Secondly, five elements to consider when studying for the IELTS utilizing IT tools: ICT Utilizing, English Environment, Interactive ability and means, Strategic and organizational learning and knowledge-based approach In addition, a statics of technology tools used for teaching IELTS also made for a reference and comparison on the technology need of teachers and students so that the researcher makes any conclusion or and suggestion on how the teachers and students at NES use ICT Orderly, there are many technology-based facilities such as self- study rooms, smart classrooms, multimedia rooms to assist students to study English As a result, in order to learn properly, learners must assume responsibility

III- Starting date: June 1st 2020

IV- Completing date: March 30th 2022

V- Academic supervisor: Nguyen Hoang Tuan, Ph D

ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR SCHOOL DEAN

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the Master’s Thesis submitted today entitled:

SPEAKING LANGUAGE CENTER (NES): TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’

PERSPECTIVES”

Ba Ria Vung Tau, March 2022 TRAN THI THUY DUNG

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I, TRAN THI THUY DUNG, a candidate for the Master of TESOL degree, thus declare that I accept the University's rules for the keeping and use of Master's Theses deposited in the library

In accordance with these terms, I agree that the original of my Master's Thesis deposited in the library should be available for study and research purposes, in accordance with the Librarian's regular rules for the care, lending, and replication of theses

Ba Ria Vung Tau, March 2021

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to

my Supervisor, Dr Nguyen Hoang Tuan, for his professional guidance, efforts, and support he provided me during the many stages of completing my Master Thesis His unwavering encouragement, counsel, and patience have been essential to me His leadership abilities, teaching quality, true compassion, and academic integrity have taught me a great deal about what counts most in lecturer education and in life

I would like to take this occasion to thank the examiners for reviewing my proposal and providing detailed remarks and recommendations during the thesis defense

I am particularly grateful for the active engagement of students and teachers in this study project, as well as the assistance of teachers and students at Natural English School Without the crucial information they contributed, this study would not have been feasible

Finally, I want to express my thankfulness to my family for their unfailing support and encouragement Without them, I might not have gotten as far in my academic career as I have

ABSTRACTS

The research aimed to investigate teachers’ self-efficacy, attitudes and ICT utility toward use of technologies in teaching IELTS at the context of NES and to investigate students perceived of easy to use (POEU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), attitudes, behavior towards ICT use, as well as contextual factors of ICT use to learn IELTS at NES A descriptive qualitative method, surveys and interviews were used as instruments The quantitative data from questionnaires were processed by SPSS, while the qualitative data from interviews were analyzed using the content analysis approach

The result of this research shows that the teachers used kinds of technologies including informative constructive tools, communicative tools, resignation devices and constructive tools Teacher preferred use of technology because students motivated, interested and surrounded by English environments for gaining knowledge for IELTS strategies Also, ICT helped teachers displaying materials, send assignments and give notification very conveniently motivate students to learn This study also shows that students are interested in using ICT in learning IELTS and be motivated to learn In addition, various aspects of technology used in Ielts teaching by developing innovative curricula that take advantage of recent scientific and technological developments Training teachers in technological skills was to ensure effective and quality subject delivery Providing technical media such as audio-visual and modern technical programs, and establishing student-teacher platforms that maximize positive language learning outcomes

Some previous relevant literature has been studied The correlation with modern teaching skills has been completely evaluated for the goals of this study Accordingly, the researcher discusses the main research question, clarifies the importance of the research objectives and hypotheses, and summarizes the findings The study was finished by making a number of recommendations that could help to improve teaching methods even further by promoting the wider use of current technologies

Keywords: knowledge-based approach; impacts of technology; ICT; IELTS

learning; English learning environments effectively; benefits; challenges

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2.2.1 Knowledge-based approach in teaching and learning IELTS 10 2.2.2 The Use of ICT in Teaching and Learning IELTS 13 2.2.3 Benefits and Challenges in using ICT in teaching and learning IELTS from

2.3 Previous Studies on the Benefits and Challenges of Technology in Improving

4.1.1 From teachers’ perspectives, what are benefits and challenges when using

4.1.2 From students’ perspectives, what are benefits and challenges when using

4.2 Discussions 60

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Demographic findings from teachers

Table 4.2 Demographic findings from teachers

Table 4.3 Demographic findings from teachers

Table 4.4: The frequency ICT used, the kind of ICT and the ways/reasons/purpose to

use ICT integration in teaching and learning IELTS Table 4.5 Teachers’ perspective in using ICT tool

Table 4.6 The benefits of using ICT – teachers’ perspectives

Table 4.7 Demographic findings from students

Table 4.8 Demographic findings from students

Table 4.9 Demographic findings from students

Table 4.10: Means of students’ perspective in ICT use Table 4.11 Students’ perspective in using ICT tool

Table 4.12 The challenges in using ICT to learn IELTS – Students’ perspective

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: “Technology Acceptance Model” (Davis et al 1989)

Figure 2: A Conceptual framework modified of TAM 2 and TPACK (Source: Venkatesh & Davis, 2000, Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler, & Shin 2009)

Figure 3: Sequential explanatory design (Creswell, 2009, p 209)

LIST OF ABREVIATIONS

TBLL Technology-based Language Learning

CALL Computer-Assisted Language Learning

NES System of Natural English Centers

ICT Information and Communication Technology

MALL Mobile-Assisted Language Learning

TPACK Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Model PEOU Perceived ease of use

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an English proficiency exam which measures candidate’s English proficiency for higher academic study in the four basic English language skills – listening, reading and writing This certificate has become widely accepted in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada

As a result of the increased demand for IELTS preparation, several IELTS preparation courses have been offered in various regions around Vietnam in various formats, including official instruction at public schools, private language centers, and one-on-one tutoring lessons at home However, little is known about the viewpoints of teachers and students in the country's IELTS courses (preparation courses and IELTS courses) IELTS and other high-stakes language assessments have long been thought to have a direct impact on educational procedures and stakeholders To date, the majority of language testing and assessment research has focused on determining how these examinations affect instructional practices (e.g teaching methodology, lesson content, and materials) Test effect has been considered as a reflection of how teachers modify their teaching approaches in order

to prepare students to fulfill the test's criteria

This phenomena is commonly referred to as 'washback' or 'backwash,' implying that course materials and teaching methods are altered in response to the results of the assessments (Alderson, 2004; Bachman, 1990; Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Hawkey, 2006; Hughes, 1989; McKinley & Thompson, 2018) And, to some extent, past research has effectively explored the benefits and challenges or difficulties that IELTS teachers students have, their potential causes, and solutions to these problems Time constraints, a lack of background knowledge, an enthusiastic learning atmosphere, modern technology tools for learning, and a lack of interactive capacity and means were identified as the five most pressing issues The interference

of Vietnamese, worry, a lack of exposure to the English language, and the cultural

gap between the two languages in question were also highlighted as four linked causes on which the majority of the participants agreed

Furthermore, despite the fact that different problems, reasons, and suggestions for learners participating in the described endeavor were highlighted, no real relationship was formed between the presented issues and their sources, as well as the resulting recommendations To sustain high levels of excellence in vocations and highly satisfying everyday lives in an ever changing and diversified society, continuous learning is required The fast spread of information and communication technology (ICT) is hastening job insecurity and requiring everyone to renew professional knowledge and competence, which is frequently their responsibility All teachers wish for their students to embrace responsibility The responsible student is eager to work with the teacher and other members of the learning group for the greater good of everyone If you're looking for something to do, you've come

to the right place The responsible student is eager to work with the teacher and other members of the learning group for the greater good of everyone In the mood

to discover solutions to the issues, causes, and recommendations that are thought the most urgent, acute, and useful

And the purpose of the study is to try to figure out what the issues, reasons, and,

as a result, recommendations are for such a concept As a result, the study's goal is

to conduct a more in-depth, empirical investigation of the issue To this purpose, the study enlisted the help of 200 IELTS students and 25 teachers from four NES facilities in Vung Tau City, who were asked to give their impressions via convenience interviews and surveys Next, the analysis was conducted with the comparing the means of the items listed in the questionnaire based on the Ielts band descriptors managed to discover a series of problems, causes, and suggestions considered the most relevant to the NES’s teachers and learners, concerning Ielts teaching and learning The result is to serve as a foundation for Ielts teachers and students to identify recurring challenges and propose relatable solutions

According to Ertmer & Ottenbrat (2010), teaching with technology necessitates teachers developing their knowledge of pedagogical approaches in a variety of parts

of the planning, implementation, and evaluation processes Teachers, for example,

must be able to build plans for teaching students software, select appropriate computer applications to meet the curriculum's instructional needs and their students' learning needs, and manage computer hardware and software, including the use of technology in education, particularly in the teaching and learning process Any application of a tool strategy, according to the study, is more relevant and effective when the user has a solid understanding of the conceptual foundation and understands the benefits of employing the strategy tool In this regard, the researcher considers the respondents' comprehension of the concept of Technology Integration,

as well as their identification of the advantages or benefits of using Technology Integration, to be critical to the effective use of technology in education Furthermore, the method teachers teach the students has a big impact on the factors that cause ups and downs in student learning motivation For example, in order to keep students' attention and interest when using technology in the classroom, teachers must be familiar with technological tools and skills NES has employed ICT to assist teachers in teaching students, particularly in the area of English.One of the most difficult tasks for an ielts teacher is to encourage students to take use of all of the options available to them and to take greater responsibility for their own learning While learning is a dynamic process, Vietnamese students are notorious for being passive learners Vietnamese students expect their teachers to teach them rather than going out and discovering things for themselves While the communicative approach and learning-centeredness are being introduced and applied into pedagogy of institutions in Vietnam as well as in some other Asian countries, little attention is paid to the idea of raising the learner’s awareness of a more independent learning style through the use of technology Technology will provide learners with new options for language acquisition; it will ensure a life-long learning process for those who understand how to take advantage of all that technology has to offer At recent years, technology has been employed to teach English in a number of Vietnamese high schools, private English centers, and colleges In Vietnam, the development and implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has had a significant impact on language learners' autonomy In Vietnam, the increased usage of ICT has clearly altered

English learning approaches English learners in Vietnam may control their own learning process and access to a wealth of important information, such as English online resources, English study tools, and online dictionaries, by utilizing technology to learn English language better and faster Many students in the context

of NES use these NES technologies outside of the classroom on a regular basis, and their English language skill has improved significantly However, in order to determine its true usefulness, a thorough examination of the images is required, followed by the provision of solutions for NES and students to better incorporate into the training program and learning plan

1.2 Statement of the Problem

At NES, besides a great deal of benefits gaining from ICT’s use there are numerous challenges in teaching and learning Ielts As a result, both teachers and students must accept responsibility for learning proficiently and independently Despite this, students continue to have significant challenges studying Ielts for a variety of reasons To begin with, some students may dislike using technology in their English language studies Second, they might not be self-taught Finally, they may face a variety

of challenges in learning English Fourth, they may not be able to properly learn English using technology-based solutions As a result, in order to find plausible solutions to such problems, the purpose of this study, as defined by the scope of this paper, is to investigate English teachers' and learners' attitudes and strategies toward technology-based language learning in the context of the Naturally English Speaking Language Center (NES)

1.3 Aims of the Study

This study aims to closely and thoroughly inspect teachers’ and student’s

perspectives of using technologies (ICT) in teaching Ielts with knowledge-based approaches at the context of Naturally English Speaking Language Center The

requirements are as follows:

- To investigate the teachers’ self-efficacy, attitudes and ICT utility toward use

of technologies in teaching Ielts at the context of NES

- To investigate students’ POEU, PO, attitudes, behavior towards ICT use as well

as contextual factors of ICT use to learn Ielts at NES

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study will look at how teachers use technology (ICT) as a tool or as an application for teaching, as well as how they use technology (ICT) to overcome challenges in teaching IELTS at NES Otherwise, the current study uses a mixed methods approach to determine student demand for ICT and satisfaction with ICT use to overcome problems in acquiring the four Ielts abilities of hearing, speaking, reading, and writing The participants in this study are

25 Ielts teachers and 200 Ielts students from four NES branches The questionnaire and structured interview, as well as statics of ICT tools, were used as research instruments in this study To determine the NES stakeholders' tasks to improve the efficacy of Ielts teaching and learning via ICT at NES, quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS and content analysis, respectively

semi-1.6 Significance of the Study

The following is the outcome of this study for instructors, students, and researchers: Theoretically, the research aims to learn about the technology (ICT) that has been used in the classroom, particularly in teaching Ielts, as well as the ways in which teachers use various types of (ICT) in teaching English Practically, the research can contribute to future research by gathering information or data about the use of technology information and communication in teaching and learning English Instructors can also become more conscious of their own assumptions and habits in the classroom when it comes to learner autonomy Finally, all of these may contribute to increased use of technology-based autonomous language learning methodologies not

only at NES but also in other Vietnamese English centers By supporting the provision

of infrastructure and performing professional development autonomous language learning courses in NES, the study can also assist English teachers in using ICT into their instruction The research may also assist NES students and stakeholders in promoting perspectives and developing the required attributes and skills for implementing technology-based autonomous language learning methodologies outside

of the classroom

1.7 Definitions of the Terms

The definitions of terms were used for this study

o Teachers’ and Students’ perspectives means a particular way

of thinking about something, especially one that is influenced by your beliefs or experiences

o Teaching-Learning means the process of transmission of knowledge,

imparting skills and formations of attitudes, values and behaviors between teacher and student

o Technology-based facilities are effective tools including CALL, ICT, MALL,

web-based … to support learners and teachers in learning and teaching Ielts at NES

o Self-evaluation is a method for methodically observing, analysing, and valuing

your own professional actions and outcomes in order to enhance or stabilize them Self-evaluation is the process of examining and evaluating one's own professional performance

o Self-learning is described as a means of gathering information, processing it,

and retaining it without the assistance of another person It is the learner's obligation to learn and retain knowledge without the assistance of another human resource

o Technology-based language learning (TBLL) includes the Internet, intranets,

satellite broadcasts, audio and video conferencing, bulletin boards, chat rooms, webcasts, e-books, and CD-ROMs TBL also includes phrases like online learning and web-based learning, which solely refer to learning that takes place

via the Internet, and computer-based learning, which is limited to learning that takes place on computers

o Strategies: Brown (2001: 124) describes the strategies as “the specific attacks

that we make on a given problem”

1.8 Organization of the thesis

This thesis includes 5 chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction: Some initial overview of the thesis which set the general

context of the research They are “Background of the study”, “Statement of the problem”,

“Research objectives of the study”, “Research questions”, “Scope of the study”, “Significance

of the study”, “Definitions of the key terms” and “Organization of the thesis”

Chapter 2: Literature review: This chapter shows the theoretical background of some

previous studies and it is composed of 2 main sections: theoretical foundation of Ielts teaching and learning and previous studies relating to integrate the use of technology-based language learning and knowledge-based approaches in light with the thesis questions of teacher’s and students’ benefits and challenges when using ICT in teaching and learning IELTS

Chapter 3: Research Methodology: The research methods used to perform this study

are described in this chapter This chapter detailed the strategies for gathering, evaluating, and presenting data in order to answer the research questions Questionnaires are the most used study tools This chapter is divided into four sections: research design, instruments, data collecting, and data analysis

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions: This chapter reveals the study's findings and

conclusions, as well as the study's conclusions' remarks The findings are arranged according

to the study's questions The findings of research question 1 are presented first, followed by the findings of research questions 2 and 3, and finally, the findings of research question 4

Following that, the findings are discussed in detail

Chapter 5: Conclusion:

The last chapter contains a summary of study findings, as well as an explanation of the thesis' inescapable limits and recommendations for future field-related research Finally, recommendations for future research are made It also finishes the study by recommending some theoretical and pedagogical implications

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction

This chapter examines scholars' definitions of the IELTS, including General IELTS and The Use of Technology in teaching and learning IELLTS The chapter starts with IELTS definitions, then moves on to technology theories of TPACK, and TAM for technology integrating in teaching and learning, and focus on theories defining teachers’ and learners’ perspectives on using ICT in teaching and learning IELTS The following

is a discussion of various ways, such as knowledge-based approaches, technology-based learning, and viewpoints to encourage and improve learners' learning with the use of technology in English language teaching and learning, with an emphasis on ICT integration The next part, based on theoretical framework, are focused to the benefits and challenges on teachers’ perspectives in ICT’s use in teaching Ielts The next step is

to look into students' self-learning methodologies, as well as their attitudes, responsibilities, and decision-making abilities in learning Ielts, as well as their motivation and real language learning activities outside of the classroom In the final sections, previous studies and a conceptual framework are presented

2.2 Concepts related to the study

2.2.1 Knowledge-based approach in teaching and learning IELTS

✓ IELTS and IELTS’ features

The International English Language Testing System (Ielts) is well-known as a high-stakes English test and one of the most popular English proficiency assessments

in the world Ielts (http://www.ielts.org/) is a testing system that assesses language competency for the purpose of studying or working in English-speaking countries where English is the primary language of communication There are two kinds of IELTS: Ielts Academic and Ielts General As a result, Ielts might be called a proficiency test Also, Hughes (2003), Achievement examinations, on the other hand, are directly tied to how individual students and groups do in language classes G Fulcher (2010), Similarly, accomplishment assessments primarily test learners' knowledge at the time

of the test, independent of previous language abilities Final achievement exams and progress achievement tests are the two types of achievement assessments In general, dependable examinations can accurately assess a person's ability regardless of when or

where the exam is given According to Chalhoub-Deville and Turner (2000), the more extensive the testing technique and maker variability is realized, the more reliable a test

is

Aside from the first quantitative characteristic of test usefulness, reliability, there

is another linked notion in language testing It's also worth looking into validity Quaid

(2018), dependability is a criterion for validity because inaccurate test scores do not guarantee valid interpretation and application Furthermore, reliability is concerned with the smallest effect of measurement error, whereas validity is concerned with the highest effects of the language skill measured, Bachman, L.F (1990) Furthermore, validity is "an integrated evaluative evaluation of the degree to which empirical data and theoretical rationales support the sufficiency and appropriateness of conclusions and actions based on test scores," Messick Fulcher, G (2010)

In Ielts, the washback is recognized impact on the educational process, and thus

on society as a whole, has been confirmed The washback refers to the consequences that could be beneficial or unexpected bad, and the impacts are related to teaching practice, learning outcomes, and courses Because the number of English speakers is rapidly increasing, international examinations such as Ielts and its effects necessitate careful academic consideration, including the above-mentioned difficulties of reliability and validity This is because the tests are well-known and have a high cash-in value Such an impact is frequently felt on two levels: at the macro level, which involves social structures, and at the micro level, which concerns individuals, Green (2007) The washback refers to the impacts of teaching practice, learning outcomes, and courses, which can be good or unintended negative Because the number of English speakers is rapidly increasing, worldwide examinations such as Ielts and its effects necessitate careful academic consideration, including the difficulties of reliability and validity mentioned above

✓ A knowledge-based approach

A knowledge-based approach is one that adapts theories, information, and traditions from a variety of fields and applies them to coaching engagements as and when necessary Learning is more relevant to real life when it is based on knowledge

that students already possess and knowledge that they will acquire The first stage in implementing knowledge-based learning is to ensure that you have a good understanding of what pupils currently know You can achieve this by chatting to pupils, looking at their previous work, or having them explain what they know to you The final phase in knowledge-based learning is to assess how far pupils have progressed Teachers must be involved in comprehending the fundamental principles that they have been teaching, as well as work with students to ensure that learning has occurred Knowledge-based learning necessitates evaluations The finest assessments allow students to demonstrate what they've learned, such as through presentations or group work Tests and exams can also be employed, but they should not be used to evaluate students

✓ Knowledge-based approaches in teaching and learning IELTS is considered as following:

Under various social, economic, and political conditions, Brandt (2003) proposed that a learning organization should have characteristics such as an

"institutional knowledge base and processes for creating new ideas," "system for obtaining feedback on products and services," "ability to refine basic processes," and

an "open system sensitive to the external environment." "Two fundamental forms of knowledge are tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge," according to Edvinson and Malone (1997) The former is acquired through firsthand experience and is difficult to convey orally or verbally, whereas the latter is acquired through formal education and training as well as on-the-job experience As a result, being able to monitor language learning The findings and conclusions of the study, as well as the study's final remarks, are revealed in this chapter

✓ Why to use Knowledge-based approach in teaching Ielts?

Only those who know how to make the best use of their skills will be able to survive in the dynamic and even stormy successor market The majority of Ielts courses are offered by educational institutions The use of the approach is, however, limited to the classroom Unlike typical teaching and learning for other professions, which rely on one-way directional instruction, Ielts preparation necessitates a greater level of

understanding and experience, as well as activities that emphasize sharing This is because applicants must have a sufficient command of the language to be regarded proficient for a specific purpose (2.2.1), and achievement exams primarily assess learners' current knowledge (2.2.1) on themes such as politics, economics, biology, science and technology, and etc Furthermore, because just a few teachers are able to provide real-world expertise in particular sectors, pupils are unprepared to work with unfamiliar issues

In terms of Ielts' washback effects, academics currently consider that overseas students and researchers must study Western academic writing in order to perform in the Anglo-American setting This viewpoint, in a sense, imposes Western academic traditions on the entire world society, implying that other approaches are not acceptable Because of the strong washback power of Ielts, communicative features of writing should be stressed in the Ielts writing test rather than rigorous rhetorical standards

The former is obtained through direct experience and is difficult to convey orally

or verbalize, whereas the latter is transmitted and acquired through formal education and training as well as on-the-job experience As a result, not only for information dissemination but also for knowledge application, the capacity to manage the

acquisition of these two forms of knowledge is critical

2.2.2 The Use of ICT in Teaching and Learning Ielts

2.2.2.1 Definition of ICT

Information and communication technology is referred to as ICT Information and communication technology (ICT) can be defined as the mixture of "information technology" and associated technology, notably communication technology, according

to UNESCO (2002) According to Lucas and Rusman (2015), information technology involves hardware and software for performing one or more data processing tasks, implying that technology encompasses more than just hardware and software Communication technology, such as the telephone, email, Facebook, and Twitter, is an electronic system that is used to communicate between individuals and groups of people

In language learning based on Hartoyo in Budiman (2012) stated that, ICT tool included: Computer assisted language learning (CALL), Information, Publication Form

and Intercultural communication and used in teaching and learning IELTS as below:

- Audio and video: TV, iPhone, iPad, Laptop, Computer

- Lcd Projectors, laptop, desktops, tablets, iPhone, iPad, TV

- Platforms, Google Classroom

- Social media and Applications: Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as internet forums, chat rooms, and message boards where people may meet and discuss internet, video, and photo sharing sites such as YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter Teachers and other educators can use social media effectively to further their own professional growth

- Power point, Microsoft Office…

- E-book, postcard and others

2.2.2.2 The Use of ICT in Teaching and learning IELTS

The globe has shed the prior obstacles to cross-linguistic communication thanks

to new information technology Davis (1989) first defined TAM as a theory that explains the factors influencing the intention to use information technology in order to improve performance in organizations While TPACK is a theoretical framework for describing the interaction and integration of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge needed to successfully integrate technology use into teaching (Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler, & Shin, 2009) The use of ICT in the classroom is not a new notion or practice for English teachers all over the world (Rank, Warren, and Millum, 2011), especially in non-native speaking countries The most common application of information and communication technology (ICT) is to offer learners with authentic content Students can use these materials to improve their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills Staying abroad and using multimedia are two efficient approaches to improve pupils' language skills (Muslem & Abbas, 2017)

The use of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) modifies learners' attitudes about learning and boosts their self-confidence (Lee, 2001) For teaching and learning, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have some advantages For learners, they take an active role in the learning process, which can help them retain more self-sufficient Finally, learners can digest new learner-centered educational resources and improve their language acquisition skills (Costley, 2014; Tutkun, 2011)

- Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of technology

- The intention to use technology, the attitude to use ICT, behavior and actual usage: TAM further applies the intention to various learning technologies and diverse media-based learning environments, including online and mobile learning (Huang, Lin, & Chuang, 2007)

Therefore, we applied the concept of TPAK and TAM as theorical framework for the study

2.2.3 Benefits and Challenges in using ICT in teaching and learning IELTS from teachers’ and students’ perspectives’

In order to answer the two research questions that focus on teachers’ and students’ perspective on benefits and challenges in teaching and learning Ielts, based on prior theories reviewed, some below theories are modified to form the theoretical framework for the research

Collins Dictionary define the benefit of something is the help that you get from

it or the advantage that results from it The benefits of using technology in English language teaching and learning have been studied According to Hennessy (2005), the usage of ICT motivates teachers and students to work in innovative ways

However, integrating ICT into teaching and learning is a complex process that can be fraught with challenges "Challenges" are the term for these obstacles (Schoepp, 2005) A challenge is defined as "any condition that makes development or achievement

of an objective difficult" (WordNet, 1997, as cited in Schoepp, 2005, p 2) When teachers use new technology, their emotional state is critical because it may influence their decision-making and conduct (Kramarski & Michalsky, 2010) To match proper technology to instructional approaches, a number of difficult activities are required (Kramarski & Michalsky, 2010; Shin, 2013) So, when considering the elements that influence technology adoption, not only the cognitive but also the emotive aspects should be taken into account TPACK has been linked to teacher self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, perceived utility of technology, and intention to utilize technology, according to researchers (Abbitt, 2011; Alsofyani et al., 2012) When instructors learn how to use technology in a technology-based learning environment, they are more likely to view its ease of use and utility

In addition, according to TAM model ((Davis, Bagozzi, &Warshaw, 1989, p 985), external factors influence perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use; perceived usefulness influences perceived ease of use; both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use influence intention to use; and finally, intention to use effects actual usage In this study, preservice teachers' intentions to use technology for instruction are influenced by TPACK and teacher self-efficacy as cognitive and affective factors

Figure 1: “Technology Acceptance Model” (Davis et al 1989)

Accordingly, teachers’ and students’ benefits and challenges on using ICT in teaching and learning IELTS can be describe as below:

2.2.3.1 Teachers’ perspectives’

Venkatesh and Davis (2000), when instructors are faced with new technology, two critical aspects from the extended variables around them impact their judgment about how and when they will use it:

External Variables: This reflects the problems that teachers experience while

integrating a new technology into their teaching and learning process that are beyond their control The following are some of the difficulties: Limited network connectivity and accessibility; Schools with limited access to ICT; Ineffective training; Time constraints teacher incompetence

Self-efficacy of teachers: Teacher self-efficacy refers to a teacher's personal

perceptions of his or her own abilities and capabilities as a teacher It covers their perceptions of their capacity to plan instruction as well as their ability to meet instructional goals (Gavora, 2010) as well as their belief in their abilities to help students learn (Hoy, 2000) Teacher self-efficacy has also been shown to have a favorable impact

on student achievement in numerous studies Teachers who have a high level of

self-efficacy are more inclined to incorporate creative elements into instructional activities

and willing to take risks and try new things

Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness: While perceived ease of use

is the degree to which users believe they will use new technology without particular difficulty, perceived usefulness means how much individual users recognize that new

technology will help improve performance (Davis, 1989)

Intention to use technology: The degree to which a user will be able to use

technology in the future might be defined as their intention to use technology Scholars have suggested that the intention to use technology is a type of technology adoption behavior that is related to perceived ease of use and utility (Chow et al., 2012; Lee & Lehto, 2013; Teo, 2011) To support prior studies on the correlations between the variables described above, we used intention to utilize technology as a final dependent variable in this study

2.2.3.2 Students’ Perspectives

Davis et al (1989) developed the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), based

on the Theory of Reasoned Action TRA is general whereas TAM relates to technology; TAM takes this model and derives from it two variables which determine attitude (Gilbert & Kelly, 2005)

• Attitude toward use: students’ positive or negative feeling about performing the target behavior (e.g., using a system)

• Behavioral intention: The degree to which the student formulated conscious plans

to perform or not perform some specified future behavior

• Actual Usage: As predictors of perceived usefulness and usage intentions, we looked at subjective norms, voluntariness, and image and cognitive instrumental processes (learning relevance, output quality, outcome demonstrability, and perceived ease of use)

2.2.4 Organizational Learning

Organizational learning related to elements of knowledge perceive, data mining, self-evaluation, cooperative learning and strategic learning This is to serve determining the relationships among influencing factors of integrate ICT in teaching and learning Ielts Accordingly, the finding out of practices applied by the teachers to teach Ielts

effectively will be sorted out

- Data Mining: (Lee, 1996; He 1999; Liu, 2002), as a result, proposes that

knowledge-based consecutive language training in order to teach students to focus on key words, sentence structures, transitions, and paragraph arrangements in speeches, as well as the knowledge delivered and disseminated by speakers, in order to transform information into knowledge, a process known as "data mining" Data mining can help students realize the benefits of extraction from experience, patterns, and linkages in data, manage complexity, and make the most use of identified, documented, and stored expertise in

the context of language acquisition skills at the undergraduate level

- Self-evaluation: Students in Ielts classes, on the other hand, experience heavy

workloads since they are expected to complete multiple tasks at the same time or in a short period of time, such as "hearing, listening, analyzing, memorizing, and interpreting" (Weber, 1989; Gile 1995) As a result, students' self-evaluation skills are critical for knowledge acquisition and learning since they promote conceptual understanding Self-evaluation research focuses on how students learn from their experiences and how they construct knowledge (Villano, 2006) These experiences have

an impact on pupils and influence their decision to use efficient learning practices

- Cooperative learning: Cooperative learning stresses active contact between teachers

and students, with students being "not only responsible for learning," but also for assisting their peers in learning and subsequently "creating an atmosphere of achievement" (Johnson, 2001) Students can benefit from interacting with teachers and peer students with varied backgrounds and specialties Both students and teachers can benefit from the suggested cooperative learning by receiving assistance from their peers and successfully completing their teaching and learning

- Strategic Learning: "Specific acts taken by the learner to make learning easier, faster,

more pleasant, more self-directed, more effective, and more transferable to different settings," according to Oxford (1990) Learners can utilize a variety of resources and language learning practices to help them learn a new language more efficiently (Oxford,1990:8) These tools, according to Oxford (1990), encompass acts, behaviors, stages, or techniques that learners frequently utilize to boost their second language acquisition progress Wenden claims that learning can't happen without learning

strategies, and autonomy can lead to 'all talk, no action' (Wenden, 1991:29) This viewpoint is backed up by Oxford, who claims that autonomy entails conscious control over one's own learning processes (Oxford, 1991:29) According to Pickard's results, the participants mostly used reading and listening as productive abilities rather than speaking and writing, and they established their own independent tactics based on their perceived requirements rather than seeking teacher supervision (Pickard, 1996) According to Chamot (2005), essential factors such as the learner's goals, the learning situation environment, and the learner's society's existing cultural values all play a part

in the use of language learning strategies by language learners

2.3 Previous Studies on the Benefits and Challenges of Technology in Improving Language Skills

Scholars have addressed ways to apply the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to increase users' positive perceptions of technology and their intention to use it (Cheung & Vogel, 2013; Teo, Su Luan, & Sing, 2008) TAM was first characterized by Davis (1989) as a theory that explains the elements that influence the decision to use information In order to increase organizational effectiveness, companies are turning to technology The perceived utility and simplicity of use of external influences influence the intention to employ technology since technology is the most important idea That have an impact on these two notions should be taken into account (Davis, 1989) Recent study has emphasized the importance of external factors In TAM, there are elements that influence perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness (Venkatesh, Thong, &

Xu, 2008) TAM applies the intention to use technology in addition to the intention to utilize technology

According to recent studies, the severity of this obstacle varies by country Teachers' lack of technological proficiency is a major barrier to their acceptance and implementation of ICT in poor countries, according to study (Pelgrum, 2001; Al Oteawi, 2002) Teachers' lack of technological ability has been regarded as the key impediment in Syria (Albirini, 2006) In Saudi Arabia, a lack of ICT skills is a major impediment to integrating technology into science education (Alwani, 2005; Almohaissin, 2006) A report on ICT use in European schools was published by Empirica (2006)

2.4 The Conceptual Framework

To answer two captioned thesis questions raised on article 1.4, the relationships listed following will be investigated:

1 The relationship between TPACK and teacher’s self-efficacy as cognitive and affective factors that influence Ielts teachers’ intention to use technology for their instruction They are included external variables influence perceived usefulness and perceived ease

of use; perceived ease of use affects perceived usefulness; both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use affect intention to use; and ultimately the intention to use influences actual usage (time or habits of ICT’s use, kinds and ways of use)

2 The relationship between TPACK and students’ attitudes towards the use of technology for self-learning based on technology-based language: Cognitive, affective and behavioral; metacognitive and social affections The proposed contractual framework comprises a number of aspects that are directly related to the study's main goal, and it illustrates how knowledge and perceptions influence the perceived utility and ease of use of ICT integration The components in the conceptual framework have been methodically intertwined, so that the interrelationships between them may be used to assess their efficiency in assisting instructors with ICT integration The fundamental variable that supports the essential features in the aforementioned structure, such as ease-of-use, functionality, flexibility, accessibility, and integration, is instructors' will

to integrate ICT Furthermore, teachers' and students’ intentions to utilize technology are greatly influenced by their judgments of the system's utility as well as perceived ease of use, which impacts their actual use of ICT

Context

Figure 2: A Conceptual framework modified of TAM 2 and TPACK (Source: Venkatesh & Davis, 2000, Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler, & Shin 2009)

ICT

Knowledg e-Based Approach

IELTS

Knowledge

Stakeholders

and ICT Tools

Interactive ability &

means

Perceived Usefulness

Perceived ease of Use

Usage Behaviour

Attitude towards using

Frequency/time, Way and Kind

of ITC Use

Usage measures

Organizational learning Factors:

Knowledge perceives Data mining

Self-evaluation Cooperative learning

Strategic learning

Age Gender Education Income, …

Chapter summary

In conclusion, a careful examination of related theories of literature and issues

of teachers' and students' perspectives about Ielts teaching and learning to employ quantitative measures to fully capture the various perceptions of knowledge-based approach, self-evaluated, and data mining, particularly with the issue of using technology to promote it With the use of technology in English language learning, students can have more influence over their learning processes, and teachers can become more efficient when working with computers The researcher uses the literature

as a framework for compiling questions for the questionnaire and interview The framework emphasizes the different types of ICT that teachers and students use

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A mixed method approach is used in this study, which includes both quantitative and qualitative methods To answer the research questions, this incorporates both a quantitative analysis of questionnaire data and a qualitative study of focus group interview data (Creswell, 2003) The research questions were created to examine teachers' and students' perspectives of ICT implementation in Ielts classrooms in NES,

as well as the obstacles or hurdles they face

3.1 Research Site

In 2005, a chain of Natural English School (NES) was formed and expanded in the field of English training NES has previously offered a variety of English courses appropriate for all ages and English demand for children aged 6 to 15, and Adults, including Cambridge Certificates at three levels of Starters, Movers, and Flyers, as well

as IELTS and TOEIC preparation courses, preparing you to move out into the world NES offers many major English courses for adults

At the research period, there are around 280 Ielts students learning at 4 branches

of NES at all levels There are around 28 Ielts teachers All the above teacher and students were sent survey questionnaires However, there are 200 Ielts students and 25 teachers taking part in the research and sending back the survey elements for researched

& Tashakkori, 2009) According to Sanderlowski (2000), a quantitative or qualitative technique alone does not give researchers with the whole range of facts required to thoroughly comprehend a topic Mixed method research clearly has the advantage of

providing a detailed qualitative description of ideas, trends, and attitudes that can be utilized to add meaning to quantitative data

The paradigm of sequential explanatory design created by Creswell (2009) was adopted for the data gathering process in this study, as shown in Figure 3 below

Figure 3: Sequential explanatory design (Creswell, 2009, p 209)

Due to the requirements of the thesis question, the quantitative data is divided into two groups of questionnaires They are for teachers’ affects and the students’ effects on using ICT in teaching and learning Ielts mentioned on two thesis question

- The survey questionnaires for teachers are to investigate the relationships (positive

or negative) between affects mentioned on article 2 of chapter 2

- The survey questionnaires for students are to investigate the relationship (positive and negative) between affects mentioned on article 2 of chapter 2

In order to establish the amount to which each type of data gave substantial responses to study questions about learner self-learning, the quantitative and qualitative data analysis required equal weighting of both categories of data

3.3 Research implements

The scale of the research survey is for 4 branches of Natural English School with

25 Ielts teachers and 200 students as the sample collection back results Two separated survey questionnaires were issued as below:

- Teacher group with a total of 62 items

- Student group with a total of 36 items

were used as the first main instrument in this study to analyze the effectiveness

of ICT integration in teaching and learning Ielts in Natural English School A total of

225 questionnaires sets (200 sets for students and 25 sets for teachers) were collected back These answers based on 5-Likert scale ranged from 5= Strongly Agree, 4 = Agree, 3= Neutral, 2= Agree and 1= Strongly Agree According to the study’s questions required, teachers and students are divided into two groups: a group of teachers (25) and a group of students (200) Accordingly, each group take separated questionnaires sets

✓ Survey Questionnaires Set for teachers consisted of two parts with 4 sections per set:

- Part I is about the demographic background of the respondents consists of 8 items that includes gender, race, teaching experience, type of school, school area, preference of teaching style, highest academic qualification and the ability of handling ICT in teaching

- Part II with 3 sections 2,3 and 4 in the questionnaire focus more into teacher’s perception and the elements of effectiveness of ICT integration in schools Section 1 with 22 items that look into teacher’s actual usage of ICT in teaching, section 2 consists

of 14 items that looks into the positive effectiveness of ICT integration for teachers in learning meanwhile section 3 comes with 26 items that looks into the negative effective elements or challenges of ICT integration in teaching

The questionnaire for this quantitative study was adapted and modified from Gulbahar and Guven's original questionnaire, which was deemed appropriate for this investigation The researchers planned and constructed some of the items in accordance with the title chosen, such that the items developed met the needs of both study questions

✓ Survey Questionnaires Set for students consisted of two parts with 3 sections per set:

- Part I is about the demographic background of the respondents consists of 7 items that includes age, gender, year of Ielts study, time spent for Ielts study with ICT, and the ability of handling ICT in teaching

- Part II with two sections 1 and 2 in the questionnaire focus more into students’ perspectives and the elements of positive and negative effectiveness of ICT integration

in Ielts learning Section 1 comes with 27 items that looks into teacher’s perception of

benefits in using ICT in Ielts teaching Section 2 consists of 16 items that look into the negative effectiveness of ICT integration for students in learning Ielts

The questionnaire used for this quantitative study was adopted and modified from the original questionnaire designed by Gulbahar and Guven (2008) that is considered suitable for this research Some of the items are designed and developed by the researchers accordingly with the title chosen so that the items developed are able to provide the answers needed for both research questions

3.4 Sample and Instrument

Two self‐developed cross‐sectional survey questionnaire sets consisting of 62 and 43 items tested among respondents The questionnaire was based on 5‐point Likert Scale ranging from: 5 = always, 4 = often, 3 = sometimes, 2 = rarely and 1 = never A total of IELTS 200 students and 25 teachers at NES were selected and giving feedback

as the sample for the study The sample responded to the statements given and chose their answers based on their perceptions The survey was distributed by hand to the respondents

3.4.1 Questionnaire

The purpose of the questionnaire is to describe the characteristics of NES Ielts teachers Biodata, qualifications and education, IELTS training certification, types of Ielts students, General Ielts modules (Pre-IELTS; IELTS), understanding about Ielts, teaching materials, ways of recruiting Ielts students, experience taking the Ielts test, language teaching experien11ces; types of used ICT, duration of use, ways of use, and the impact of use ICT on Ielts on teaching and learning (see Appendixes) The research questions are the driving force behind the production of questionnaire items The questionnaire is provided in both English and Vietnamese to make it easier for teachers who read both languages to comprehend the questions

3.4.2 Interviews

This is to acquire additional in-depth information and cross-check the data obtained from the questionnaire, as well as data from individual audio-recorded interviews The interviewing procedure is divided into two parts Part 1 is used for teachers and part 2 is used for students The interviews are not limited to, a face-to-face, one-on-one basis Open-ended questions were used in a semi-structured manner, using inductive probing – “asking questions that are based on the interviewee’s responses and

simultaneously linked to the research objectives” (Guest et al 2013, p 114) The information gathered during the interviews is considered and analyzed

There are two main regions for interview topics:

- To determine the benefits of ICT’s use in teaching and learning Ielts

- To determine the challenges of ICT’s use in teaching and learning Ielts The interviews for teachers and students are applied adequately and accordingly

3.5 Data Collection Procedure

The questionnaires were sent out in March of 2021 The data was distributed randomly within one week, and the surveys were delivered by hand to responders The surveys are gathered after a month has passed for data analysis, output, and research findings

At four branches of NES, interviews are done with groups of teachers and students 3.4.2 explains the goal of the interviews Each group gets at least forty minutes

to complete the interview, and each student has five to ten minutes to respond to the interview questions The responses of the students are recorded and analyzed Qualitative content analysis is used to analyze the material gathered from the semi-structured interview The interviews took place in the NES's Library and Information Center's self-study area Participants are advised that their participation in the interviews

is entirely voluntary and has no bearing on the outcome of the study The interviews are conducted in Vietnamese and are audio-recorded so that they can be transcribed later

3.6 Data Analysis Procedure

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 is used to aggregate and evaluate all of the data collected from the respondents The study employs both descriptive and inferential analysis Using descriptive analysis, the researchers determine the frequency and proportion of the overall population in the demographic context To determine the values, quantitative data from the surveys is analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21 for Windows 10 Many academics use SPSS to evaluate their quantitative data since it is a strong all-around data management tool Furthermore, it is utilized to calculate the mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage in order to measure the efficacy of ICT integration for students in learning as well as the effective features of ICT