Exploring the Use of Course Management System in EFL Courses in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Yu, Wen-Kai, 于文凱
• Other Authors: Sun, Yu-Chih
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70765440760912539130

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 英語教學研究所 === 98 === The need to integrate computer technology and the Internet into teaching and learning process has become a focus in higher education (Groves & Zemel, 2000). Course management system (CMS) is being promoted as a tool to improve and assist teaching through the provision of flexible and online learning. However, in the field of language teaching, comparatively scant research has focused on the relationship between teachers’ and students’ attitudes and CMS. This study aimed to present the underling factors affecting Taiwanese college teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward the use of CMS in English courses. Liaw et al.’s (2007) Three-tier Technology Use Model (3-TUM), a conceptual approach chiefly adapted from Technology Acceptance Model (Davis et al., 1989), was used to determine the teacher and student participants’ attitudes. The researcher used both qualitative and quantitative methods to discuss and interpret the teacher and student participants’ attitudes. Questionnaires were administered to 53 Taiwanese college English teachers and 241 students from two universities. Five major variables were embedded in the questionnaires: (a) perceived self-efficacy, (b) perceived enjoyment, (c) perceived usefulness, (d) behavioral intention, and (e) perceived quality of CMS. In addition, 7 teachers and 7 students participated in the semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Quantitative data analysis involved Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to perform and compute descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analyses. Qualitative data analysis involved content analysis for open-ended questions and post hoc interviews. Analyses of the data showed that, for teachers, there were correlations among the five major variables. However, not all the five variables had causal relationship with each other. For students, there were correlations and causal relationship among the five variables. Summarizing from the qualitative results, although many participants expressed positive feedback toward CMS and how they would use it, still some other participants shared their dissatisfaction with the system. Based on the results, a new causal relationship model is therefore proposed. The findings of this study would inform the development of future research for the continuing adoption and integration of CMS in English courses. Finally, possible explanations for the results, implications of the findings, limitations of the study, and suggestions for future research are provided.