Teaching English with Interactive Whiteboards: The Experience of English Teachers in a Private Language Institute

[[abstract]]教育政策的提案與施行向來是校園科技革新的催化劑。教育部於民國九十年規劃「中小學資訊教育總藍圖」，融入當時的九年一貫課程。為了落實教學數位化，教育部更於九十六年度擴大推動「資訊融入教學計畫」，全面補助十五個縣市，正式引進互動式電子白板。無疑地，電子白板在教學應用上的推廣不僅僅需要相關教育政策的支持，還需要財源上的挹注。近年來，政府為各級學校購置電子白板的補助措施，應有助於電子白板於教學應用上的發展與普及。然而，電子白板在臺灣教育的相關文獻與研究，仍方興未艾，而關於這項新興的教學科技，在資源相對較匱乏的彷間補習班之應用與研究，更不在話下。有鑒於此，本論文希望能縮減研究落差，故針對臺灣南部某一所私立語言補習班進行調查，主要研究目的為探討補習班英語教師對於電子白板的教學應用與心得。 本研究採質化方式，運用Patton (2001)的分層採樣(stratified sampling)策略，依照教學經驗選出三位英語教師，作為本論文的個案研究對象：一位為資深英語教師同時也是該補習班的教育訓練專員、一位為稍具經驗的英語教師、而最後一位則為經驗較不足的新進教師。本研究主要是藉由六次的課堂觀察及一次的焦點團體訪談進行資料收集。所收集的資料則採用Erickson (1985)的質化詮釋模式(interpretive model of qualitative inquiry)，進行系統化分析，最後得到三項推論。 本研究透過三個焦點研究命題來探討並推論研究結果。第一個研究問題主要探討教師對於利用電子白板提升整體教學(whole-class teaching)的看法。推論顯示，電子白板的多媒體能供性(multimedia affordance)，讓老師於備課時對於教材教法的規劃與選用，更具彈性及多樣性。另一方面，透過電子白板所呈現的視覺化教材，則能強化整體教學的效果。第二個研究問題主要在了解教師如何使用電子白板加強學生的互動性。推論顯示，教師利用學生和電子白板上學習內容的互動(learner-content interaction)，以及學生和電子白板學習介面的互動(learner-interface interaction)，作為教學活動的導引，來提升學生和學生間的互動(learner-learner interaction)。第三個推論說明學校提供在職教師的定期教育訓練及新進教師的的教學工具訓練，可有效輔助教師們使用電子白板進行教學。總而言之，本研究關於英語教師對電子白板的教學應用經驗與心得可提供研究學者、教育專家、和教育政策擬定者，對於私立語言補習班實施電子白板教學的現況，有更深入的見解。[[abstract]]Government proposals have been the catalyst for technological revolution in schools In 2001 the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan promoted a blueprint of technology-integrated education in association with the nine-year integrated curriculum Starting the academic year 2007 the MOE had expanded the promotion of technology integration in education funding more than 15 cities and counties to localize the use of interactive whiteboards (IWB) for establishing high-quality e-learning environments in Taiwan Arguably applications of IWB in education depend heavily on the support of the government policies and monetary provision In recent years the provision of interactive whiteboards in schools is claimed to positively impact the development of teaching with IWB in Taiwan Given that IWB research is relatively new in Taiwan and even more so in private language institutes this study aims to explore English teachers’ perceptions and uses of IWB in a private language institute in southern Taiwan As a qualitative inquiry the present study adopted Patton’s (2001) stratified sampling strategy to select three teachers from the observed institution based on their teaching experience with IWB; that is a teacher trainer at the relatively highest teaching experience level a senior teacher at the moderate level and a novice teacher at the beginning level Data was collected through six class observations and focus group interview Specifically this study adopted Erickson’s (1985) interpretive model of qualitative inquiry to guide the data collection process and the analytic procedure to determine how the participating teachers’ application of IWB influenced the nature of teaching and learning In the end three assertions were interpreted and generated from the analytical results The primary findings of this study are discussed according to three research questions proposed in this thesis The first question was set to examine teachers’ perceptions about effects of IWB on whole-class teaching The results lead to an assertion that the multimedia affordance of IWB allows for flexible lesson planning and visualization of content for the enhancement of whole-class teaching The second research question investigated how teachers use IWB to support student interactivity The results suggest an assertion that teachers may engage students to have learner-content interaction and learner-interface interaction in teaching activities mediated by IWB as jump-starts to promote learner-learner interaction The third assertion in response to the third research question is that institutional supports on on-job training for in-service teachers and tool training for novice teachers are facilitative to teachers’ teaching with IWB The concluding results of the teachers’ teaching perceptions and uses provide researchers educators and policy makers with a deeper understanding of how IWB is currently practiced in language classrooms in private language institute