Teachers’ Rationale and Use of Technology: A Comparative Study Involving a Public Technical College and a Private High School

Abstract

The aims of the study were twofold. First, it explored the technological applications that teachers at a wealthy private school incorporated in their classrooms and the rationale adopted. Second, it compared the findings with a previous study that investigated the stated needs and use of technology of teachers at a public technical college. The participants in the current study included the head of the foreign language department and 10 English teachers at a private high school. The head was interviewed to determine the need for technological incorporation. A training workshop was then organized to match the expressed needs. After one semester, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The findings revealed that all 11 teachers used technology applications to facilitate classroom learning resources. Kahoot and Quizizz were the most popular applications used, as the teachers reported that they felt these applications could motivate and encourage their students’ learning. When comparing the results with our previous study, the main differences were in terms of the number of participants who actually used technology, the types of applications used, and the rationales for use and non-use of technology. On the basis of these findings, the pedagogical implications and suggestions are discussed.