Research on Technology Integration into Instruction in Primary and

With the emphasis on the importance of integrating technology into instruction in the educational systems of Taiwan for more than a decade, increasing studies on technology integration into teaching practices in primary and secondary schools have been conducted in different regions of Taiwan (Chen, 2005; Chen, 2006; Huang, 2006;

Huang, 2011; Li, 2013; Tang, 2005; Wu, 2006; Yang, 2004). As more and more studies on technology integration into instruction have been done in terms of different learning areas such as Chinese (Chen, 2003; Huang, 2012), English (Chang, 2003;

Chang, 2012; Chen, 2008; Deng, 2004; Huang, 2003; Lin, 2010; Yang, 2008), mathematics (Hong, 2011; Huang, 2008; Huang, 2010; Lee, 2006; Ou, 2008; Yang, 2006), science and technology (Chang, 2008; Chiu, 2009; Lin, 2005), social studies

(Lu, 2005; Tang, 2005), and so on. Related research in different learning areas would be presented in the following except English, which would be discussed in the next section.

With reference to technology integration into Chinese instruction, Chen (2003) found that 30 Chinese teachers in high schools had positive attitudes toward it according to the findings of the survey and the interviews. As for the teaching practices of their IT integration, “Five-stage Framework” including “Entry stage,”

“Explore stage,” “Integration stage,” “Advancement stage,” and “Invention stage”

was adopted in the study. The findings revealed that nine teachers belonged to “Entry stage” for they did not use any information technology into instruction, six teachers belonged to “Explore stage,” and two belonged to “Integration stage.” However, no one belonged to “Advancement stage” and “Invention stage.” It was a pity that thirteen teachers would not be categorized to any single stage as a result of the personal attributes. Concerning students’ learning achievement and attitudes, Huang (2012) conducted a study in two sixth-grade Chinese classes, and the students from these two classes were divided into two groups. The experimental group received IT integrated instruction with the use of multimedia while the control group received regular instruction. The results showed that the experimental group achieved significant results in learning these two lessons, and the interaction either among students or between students and the teacher was enhanced, especially on their learning motivation and interests as well as their use of metacognition.

Recently studies on the current implementation of integrating technology into mathematics instruction have been conducted. In Huang’s (2008) study, the questionnaire was administered to examine the present situation of 321 junior high school mathematics teachers’ use of technology into teaching practices in Tainan County. The findings revealed that most teachers’ use of technology belonged to a low or medium level; the main barrier to technology integration was lack of time while the main barrier to technology integration into mathematics instruction was difficulty in obtaining and making mathematics teaching materials. Additionally, compared with users, nonusers perceived lack of knowledge of teaching methods and information literacy as well as lack of confidence in integrating technology into instruction as the barriers hindering their technology use. Another similar research conducted by Ou (2008) investigated the current situation of 199 junior high school teachers’

technology integration into mathematics instruction from 59 schools in Taipei. The

results indicated that Taipei City Government provided schools with adequate hardware and software resources due to the implementation of Grade 1-9 Curriculum for Information Technology Integration; however, the current content of the curriculum still needs to be improved regarding IT integration. Teachers were under much pressure of integrating technology into practices; they especially had trouble controlling over time for making teaching materials and measuring the teaching efficiency. Although they were provided with sufficient hardware and software resources, time was still the biggest challenge for them. Besides, senior teachers who seldom used computers encountered more difficulties in integrating technology into mathematics instruction than other teachers.

In addition to the present situation of the mathematics teachers’ technology integration into teaching practices, students’ learning achievement and attitudes toward it have been concerned as well. For example, a study on technology integration into instruction in division was conducted by Lee (2006) to probe into students’ learning attitudes, achievement, and retention as well as their perceptions of it. The subjects, 32 third graders from two classes in two elementary schools in Tainan, were equally divided into two groups. The experimental group received technology integrated instruction while the control group received regular instruction. Based on the results, students’ learning attitudes showed no significant difference between the two groups while their learning achievement and knowledge retention revealed significant difference. And the findings of the interview indicated that most students from the experimental group had positive attitudes toward technology integration into instruction in division. The similar results have been presented in Huang’s (2010) and Hong’s (2011) research in terms of learning achievement. Huang investigated the effects of information technology integration into teaching practices about the length concept in the first grade of an elementary school in Taichung City. The 45 subjects selected from the first graders were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group received IT-integrated instruction while the control group received traditional instruction. According to the results of the length concept tests and the interviews, students in the experimental group showed significantly greater improvement in the learning achievement test than students in the control group. The other similar study conducted by Hong (2011) aimed to enhance students’

mathematics proficiency level and learning attitudes with IT-integrated instruction.

The subjects, 84 tenth graders from a senior high school in Yunlin County, were

divided into two groups. The experimental group received a six-week IT integrated instruction while the control group received a six-week traditional instruction.

According to the results from the pretest, the posttest, questionnaires, and interviews, low achievers improved in the learning achievement test, especially on their conceptual comprehension. Furthermore, these low achievers’ learning motivation was aroused, which inspired more active learning attitudes in most of the students.

However, the results of the learning achievement did not achieve the significance in Yang’s (2006) study, which explored the influence of technology integration into mathematics teaching of fraction on the fourth graders in a public elementary school in Taipei County. The subjects from two classes were divided into two groups. The experimental group received IT-integrated instruction while the control group received regular instruction. The results from “The Math Attitude Scale,”“Elementary Fraction Math Achievement Test,” and “Concept of Fraction Attitude Survey” showed that there was no significant difference in students’

learning achievement in fraction between the two groups while their learning attitudes toward mathematics revealed significant difference.

Research on the current situation of how science and technology teachers integrate technology into instruction has been done by several researchers. For instance, Lin (2005) surveyed the present situation of science and technology teachers’ integration of information technology into teaching practices in junior high schools in Tainan City. The findings showed that junior high school science and technology teachers in Tainan City still needed to work on integrating IT into instruction, and with regard to the application to the Internet, they just surfed the Internet and searched some information through it; however, they lacked the experience of posting teaching problems, sharing instructional perspectives, or setting up a website on the Internet. Another survey was administered by Chang (2008) to examine the present situation, willingness, and needs of elementary school science and technology teachers’ IT integration into teaching practices. It was found that the elementary school science and technology teachers had a high level of information literacy, strong willingness, and needs for integrating IT into practices. Moreover, it was suggested that if the teaching difficulties could be reduced, the teachers’

information literacy, teaching strategies, and teaching willingness could be increased, and the teaching needs could be met, it would help the science and technology

teachers with IT integration into instruction. Concerning students’ learning achievement, Chiu (2009) conducted a study to explore the learning achievement of technology integration into science and technology instruction about the concept of refraction of Optics on elementary school students and their perceptions of it. The participants, the fourth graders from two classes in an elementary school in Shihlin District, Taipei City, were divided into two groups. The experimental group received an eight-week IT integrated instruction through the application of multimedia, animation, the electronic textbook, and the interactive electronic whiteboard while the control group received an eight-week traditional instruction. The results from

“Refraction Learning Sheets,” “The Questionnaire about Information Integration into Refraction of Optics,” “Interview questionnaires” as well as the pretest and the posttest of “Refraction concept test of Optics” indicated that students in the experimental group performed better academically in refraction of Optics than those in the control group according to various learning sheets, and students in the experimental group also made more progress than those in the control group in terms of the learning achievement. Besides, most of the students were willing to receive IT integrated instruction, which they perceived would benefit their learning in a positive way.

As for the social studies teachers’ technology integration into instruction, a study conducted by Tang (2005) aimed to survey how social studies teachers in elementary schools in Hualien integrate the Internet resources into instruction. The results revealed that social science teachers asked students to search for information related to the topic of the textbook or the workbook most frequently, and they also suitably provided students with related learning websites and learning sheets in order to guide them to learn through the Internet. However, school hardware and software resources such as the Resource Center of Internet Teaching Materials, the equipment for linking computers to the TV or the overhead projector, multimedia or computer classrooms would apparently influence teachers’ use of the Internet resources into teaching practices. Moreover, Lu’s (2005) action research investigated the curriculum planning and the implementation process of elementary teachers’ integration of IT into social studies instruction including the problems teachers encountered, the strategies they came up with, and the students’ learning performance. This action research was conducted by a team, the researcher and the school teachers who planned the IT-integrated curriculum together. According to the results from the interviews, team

meetings, students’ works, unit inspection lists, curriculum questionnaires and the team’s self-reflection, IT integration into instruction helped to enhance students’

learning interests in social studies and increase their ability to use technology. It was also suggested that teachers’ information literacy and students’ information competence should be taken into consideration when teachers integrated IT into teaching practices. Furthermore, the problems which the team encountered when applying technology to instruction included classroom management, teaching time, equipment problems, and students’ learning performance.

2.2.2 Research on Technology Integration into English Instruction in Primary