Enhancing students’ digital literacy at EFL classroom: Strategies of teachers and school administrators

Hussien Mohamad Razak, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Norizan Abdul Razak, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Pramela Krish, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

 10.21831/cp.v41i3.43107

Abstract


Promoting digital literacies is the apparent goal of an extensive array of educational initiatives in all educational contexts. However, very limited attention has been directed toward the strategies of promoting students’ digital literacies in the literature. Thus, this qualitative study aims to identify the strategies of EFL teachers and school administrators in promoting EFL students’ digital literacies to thrive in the new normal challenges. Semi-structured interviews with 6 EFL teachers and 6 school admins from the Arab international schools in Kuala Lumpur were gathered using a convenient sampling technique. The qualitative data were analysed and reported thematically. The findings of the study revealed that teachers reported four strategies to promote students’ digital literacy: motivating students, conducting training workshops, actual use of digital technologies in the classroom, and enhancing classroom digital infrastructure. Similarly, school admins reported four strategies: rising parents’ awareness towards the importance of digital technologies, training teachers and students, enhancing classroom infrastructure and redesigning the EFL classroom. These findings offer implications for policymakers and researchers, especially those interested in enhancing students’ digital literacies. The results require further urgent large-scale investigations to address the factors that currently constrain the promotion of digital technologies.

Keywords


digital literacy; strategies; English teachers; school administrators; EFL students; Malaysia

Full Text:

PDF

References


Aitokhuehi, J. O., & Ojogho, J. (2014). The impact of computer literacy on students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools in Esan West Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. Journal of Education and Human Development, 3(3), 265–270.

Al-Barakat, A., & Bataineh, R. (2008). Jordanian student teachers’ use of computers to develop primary stage pupils’ literacy skills. International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT, 4(4), 64–87.

Alakrash, H. M., & Abdul Razak, N. (2021). Technology-Based Language Learning: Investigation of Digital Technology and Digital Literacy. Sustainability, 13(21), 12304.

Alakrash, H. M., & Razak, N. A. (2020). Towards the Education 4.0, Readiness Level of EFL Students in Utilising Technology-Enhanced Classroom. International Journal of Interaction, Humanity and Change Humanity and Change, 13(161–180).

Alakrash, H. M., & Razak, N. A. (2021). Education and the fourth industrial revolution: Lessons from COVID-19. Computers, Materials and Continua, 951–962.

Alavi, S. M., Borzabadi, D., & Dashtestani, R. (2016). Computer Literacy in Learning Academic English: Iranian EAP Students’ and Instructors’ Attitudes and Perspectives. Teaching English with Technology, 16(4), 56–77.

Alenezi, A. (2018). Barriers to participation in learning management systems in Saudi Arabian universities. Education Research International, 2018.

Bataineh, R., & Baniabdelrahman, A. (2006). Jordanian EFL students’ perceptions of their computer literacy. International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT, 2(2), 35–50.

Bawden, D. (2001). Information and digital literacies: a review of concepts. Journal of Documentation.

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2017). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage publications.

Drotner, K., & Kobbernagel, C. (2014). Toppling hierarchies? Media and information literacies, ethnicity, and performative media practices. Learning, Media and Technology, 39(4), 409–428.

Erstad, O. (2015). Educating the Digital Generation-Exploring Media Literacy for the 21st Century. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 10(Jubileumsnummer), 85–102.

Fraillon, J., Ainley, J., Schulz, W., Friedman, T., & Gebhardt, E. (2014). Preparing for life in a digital age: The IEA International Computer and Information Literacy Study international report. Springer Nature.

Gharawi, M. A., & Khoja, M. M. (2015). Assessing basic computer applications’ skills of college-level students in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business, and Industrial Engineering, 9(4), 1240–1245.

Gilster, P. (1997). Digital literacy. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Gudmundsdottir, G. B., Loftsgarden, M., & Ottestad, G. (2014). Nyutdannede lærere: Profesjonsfaglig digital kompetanse og erfaringer med IKT i lærerutdanningen. Senter for IKT i Utdanningen.

Hatlevik, O. E., & Christophersen, K.-A. (2013). Digital competence at the beginning of upper secondary school: Identifying factors explaining digital inclusion. Computers & Education, 63, 240–247.

Kannan, S., Sharma, S., & Abdullah, Z. (2013). Principal’s Strategies for Leading ICT Integration: the Ma-laysian Perspective. Creative Education, 3(08), 111.

Khambari, M. N. M., Luan, W. S., & Ayub, A. F. M. (2020). Promoting Teachers’ Technology Professional Development through Laptops. Editorial Board, 137.

Krumsvik, R. J. (2014). Teacher educators’ digital competence. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 58(3), 269–280.

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2006). Digital literacy and digital literacies. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 1(1), 12–24.

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2015). Digital literacy and digital literacies: Policy, pedagogy and research considerations for education. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 9, 8–20.

Leu, D. J., Kinzer, C. K., Coiro, J. L., & Cammack, D. W. (2004). Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the Internet and other information and communication technologies. Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading, 5(1), 1570–1613.

Livingstone, S. (2012). Critical reflections on the benefits of ICT in education. Oxford Review of Education, 38(1), 9–24.

Livingstone, S., Bober, M., & Helsper, E. (2005). Internet literacy among children and young people: Findings from the UK Children Go Online Project.

Mabayoje, M. A., Isah, A., Bajeh, A. O., & Oyekunle, R. A. (2016). An assessment of ICT literacy among secondary school students in a rural area of Kwara State, Nigeria: A community advocacy approach. Covenant Journal of Informatics and Communication Technology, 3(1).

Nawaz, A., & Kundi, G. M. (2010). Digital literacy: An analysis of the contemporary paradigms. International Journal of Science and Technology Education Research, 1(2), 19–29.

Ozdamar-Keskin, N., Ozata, F. Z., Banar, K., & Royle, K. (2015). Examining digital literacy competences and learning habits of open and distance learners. Contemporary Educational Technology, 6(1), 74–90.

Paesani, K. W., Allen, H. W., Dupuy, B., Liskin-Gasparro, J. E., & Lacorte, M. E. (2015). A multiliteracies framework for collegiate foreign language teaching. Pearson.

Payton, S., & Hague, C. (2010). Digital literacy in practice: case studies of primary and secondary classrooms. Futurelab.

Røkenes, F. M., & Krumsvik, R. J. (2016). Prepared to teach ESL with ICT? A study of digital competence in Norwegian teacher education. Computers & Education, 97, 1–20.

Sabti, A. A., & Chaichan, R. S. (2014). Saudi high school students’ attitudes and barriers toward the use of computer technologies in learning English. SpringerPlus, 3(1), 1–8.

Schwab, K. (2017). The fourth industrial revolution. Currency.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v41i3.43107

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


 

Social Media:

     

 

 Creative Commons License
Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan by Lembaga Pengembangan dan Penjaminan Mutu Pendidikan UNY is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/index.

Translator
 
 web analytics
View Our Stats