Fostering Taiwanese EFL Teachers&rsquo; Constructivist Instructional Beliefs Through Teaching Goals and ICT Use

Yu-li  Chen,

Fostering Taiwanese EFL Teachers’ Constructivist Instructional Beliefs Through Teaching Goals and ICT Use

Discipline: Education

Abstract:

In Taiwan, as language and communication becomes a necessity in the foundations of global competitiveness and economic success, technological development and the enhancement of foreign (English) language proficiency of college students are two major issues in the recent educational reform. This sequential explanatory mixed-method study presents an analysis of the extent of Taiwanese EFL teachers’ constructivist teaching goals and beliefs and their implementation of constructivist practices. It also investigates the relationships between these variables and their ICT use. Results show that higher education EFL teachers who are constructivist-oriented, tend to use ICT more. Structural equation modeling found a significant path from the EFL teachers’ teaching goals to their instructional pedagogies, and then to their teaching beliefs. Implications suggest that to increase higher education EFL teachers’ ICT use, assistance in the cognition of constructivism might help modify their existing beliefs about instruction.