Classroom intervention of Web-based Technology Teaching in Malaysian Secondary Schools

Abstract

This paper reports part of a larger study in the nine districts of Perak, Malaysia, to investigate how teachers in the Secondary Schools can be empowered to integrate technology into their teaching using Web tools. Two hundred and sixteen Secondary Schools, from both rural and urban districts were involved in this study. This study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine the ways the teachers can effectively integrate Web tools in their teaching, based on attitudes, knowledge and belief towards its use.  English, Mathematics and Science teachers from Form 3 and Form 4 in the Secondary School were the main focus of this study. Apart form the questionnaire, which was administered to 664 Secondary School teachers, detailed observations and interviews were conducted on ten selected teachers belonging to rural and urban schools. This study attempts to give teachers an insight into what their classroom context should look and feel like if they are to integrate Web tools as a powerful teaching tool. The study also examined the types of support, training and environment that facilitate the effective integration of Web tools in teaching. The findings suggest that while teachers were enthusiastic about their engagement with Web tools they experienced problems embedding it in their teaching due to insufficient time due to work load, poor infrastructure or lack of training and not on statements that accentuate “technological illiteracy” or “technophobia”.