Development of a teacher questionnaire on the use of ICT tools to teach first language writing

ABSTRACT

The need for the education system to teach twenty-first century skills produces an  emphasis on the teaching of first language (L1) writing on the assimilation into the teaching process of information and communications technology (ICT) tools that promote writing. The purposes of this study are to examine general aspects of the integration of ICT tools into teaching-learning-evaluation processes and the unique aspects of ICT tools relevant to teaching L1 writing. A research questionnaire was developed to examine the disciplinary aspect of teaching L1 writing alongside general aspects of integrating ICT into teaching. The research tool tested on 391 L1 secondary school teachers. The findings show that e teachers perceive themselves as having achieved some mastery of the ICT tools examined and that they agree with positive statements about the value of using ICT tools in L1 teaching. Although they sometimes-to-often use ICT tools to assess their students' writing, they make limited use of them to teach L1 writing. We suggest that there may be a disciplinary barrier to ICT tool use in teaching in the form of a lack of teacher appreciation that ICT tools can greatly promote the teaching of L1 writing.

KEYWORDS:

• First language
• ICT, teaching, writing
• mother tongue

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the The MOFET Institute.

Notes on contributors

Orit Avidov-Ungar

Prof. Orit Avidov-Ungar is the Head of the Graduate School and a senior lecturer at Achva Academic College, Israel. She also lectures in the Faculty of Education and Psychology in the Open University. She heads the specialization in professional development program at MOFET (the institute for research, curriculum, and program development for teacher educators). Her research explores the empowerment and professional development of teachers, and the leadership of organizational change in education systems with an emphasis on the implementation of innovative technologies in education systems.

Aliza Amir

Dr. Aliza Amir holds a position of a lecturer at the Achva College for Education in the Hebrew Language department and in the faculty of education, and is the head of the Hebrew Language department. Amir's research studies focus on the Hebrew language and its teaching in elementary and secondary school, generic and disciplinary literacy. Dr. Amir's research studies combine the disciplinary issues and the teachers' development point of view. Alongside her academic work at the college, she is the coordinator of the program Shalhevet (integration of literacy skills in all disciplines) in the Israeli ministry of education and is the person in command of the professional development of the supervisors of the Hebrew Language and of the teaching of Hebrew in the central district of Israel. She is a member of ARLE (International Association for Research in L1 Education) and takes part in an international research study on the writing of school children.