Using IT in the English classroom : Its impact on Swedish students' performance and motivation

• Main Author: Gonzalez-Aller, Cristobal
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Mälardalens högskola, Akademin för utbildning, kultur och kommunikation 2015
• Subjects: IT; ICT; technology; computers; digitalization; motivation; EFL (English as a Foreign Language); education; Sweden; high school; SDT (self-determination theory); performance; pedagogy
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-27600

Information Technology (IT) has been integrated in many foreign-language classrooms for some decades now. However, one of the many questions related to IT at school is whether it is beneficial for students and, if yes, in what way. This study compares two different teaching approaches in the English classroom in a Swedish secondary school. A digital approach and a traditional approach were tested during some teaching sessions, where two groups of students were compared to gauge the possible influence of IT on performance. In addition, questionnaires were administered to the students in order to measure their opinion of IT use in general and whether they find it motivating in class. The results suggest that a digital approach can boost performance and create more positive attitudes among the students than the more traditional approach.