EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION INTO ENGLISH

COURSEBOOKS: A CASE OF UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN

TURKEY

Tutku Özkan

MASTER’S THESIS

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES TEACHING

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING PROGRAM

GAZİ UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

JUNE, 2022
 TELİF HAKKI VE TEZ FOTOKOPİ İZİN FORMU

Bu tezin tüm hakları saklıdır. Kaynak göstermek koşuluyla tezin teslim tarihinden itibaren

altı (6) ay sonra tezden fotokopi çekilebilir.

YAZARIN

Adı : Tutku

Soyadı : Özkan

Bölümü : İngiliz Dili Eğitimi

İmza :

Teslim Tarihi :

TEZİN
Türkçe Adı : İngilizce Ders Kitaplarındaki Teknoloji Entegrasyonunun
Değerlendirilmesi: Türkiyedeki Ortaöğretim Örnekleri

İngilizce Adı : Evaluation of Technology Integration into English

Coursebooks: A Case of Upper Secondary Schools in
Turkey

i
 ETİK İLKELERE UYGUNLUK BEYANI

Tez yazım sürecinde bilimsel ve etik ilkelere uyduğumu, yararlandığım tüm kaynakları

kaynak gösterme ilkelerine uygun olarak kaynakçada belirttiğimi ve bu bölümler dışındaki

tüm ifadelerin şahsıma ait olduğunu beyan ederim.

Yazar Adı Soyadı: Tutku ÖZKAN

İmza :

ii
 JURİ ONAY SAYFASI

Tutku Özkan tarafından hazırlanan “Evaluation of Technology Integration into English

Coursebooks: A Case of Upper Secondary Schools in Turkey” adlı tez çalışması aşağıdaki

juri tarafından oy birliği / oy çokluğu ile Gazi Üniversitesi İngiliz Dili Eğitimi Anabilim

Dalı’nda Yüksek Lisans tezi olarak kabul edilmiştir.

Danışman: Doç. Dr. Asuman AŞIK

(İngiliz Dili Eğitimi Anabilim Dalı, Gazi Üniversitesi) …………………….

Başkan:

(İngiliz Dili Eğitimi Anabilim Dalı, Gazi Üniversitesi) …………………….

Üye:

(……………………………………………………….) ……………………

Tez Savunma Tarihi:

Bu tezin İngiliz Dili Eğitimi Anabilim Dalı’nda Yüksek Lisans tezi olması için şartları

yerine getirdiğini onaylıyorum.

Prof. Dr. Yücel Gelişli

Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü Müdürü …………………

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Albert Einstein

The very first step of a never ending adventuring! I am grateful that there are a lot of

marvelous people who contribute to my adventuring. First of all, I would like to express my

deepest appreciation to my supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asuman Aşık, for her invaluable

contribution, continuous support, and illuminating feedback during my study. I have learned

so much from her. I also would like to thank Prof. Dr. Mehmet Demirezen, for his invaluable

encouragement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cemal Çakır for his sparkling inspiration, and Assist. Prof.

Dr. İsmail Fırat Altay, for being a role model to me. They have enlightened my way through

their invaluable support and ignited my courage all the time. I am grateful that our paths

have crossed.

I would like to express my deepest love and thankfulness to my mother Fazilet Özkan and

my sister Selin Özkan. You mean so much to me.

I would like to commemorate those who will always be alive in our hearts: my father Sedat

Özkan, my grandmother Fatma Ergazi, and my aunt Nurşen Dalkılıç.

I would like to thank my aunts Gülhatun Ergazi, Sahre Yılmaz, Narişen Tantoğlu, and my

uncles Bünyamin Ergazi, and Sadettin Ergazi for their invaluable support all the time. I

would also like to give a sincere thanks to my cousin Fatoş Dalkılıç Çelik. She was always

iv
there when I needed her. I wanted to give a special thanks to her for giving birth to Aren

Çelik, who brings joy to our family. I am so lucky that I am surrounded by an amazing big

family!

A special thank you goes to my beloved friends, Ayşe Avcıoğlu, Hanım Türkyılmaz, Merve

Zararsız, Deniz Köroğlu, Tilbe Pekkıyıcı, Hande Çakırtekin, Şule Yavuz, İrem Karatekin,

and Duygu Balaban, for their invaluable support, love, and inspiration. Wholeheartedly, I

am grateful that I am always surrounded by their warmth and magic.

Also, a special thank you is extended to my gorgeous friends, Matthijs Snijders and Scott

Beaudette, for their endless support and invaluable comments on my study.

Lastly, I am ready for a series of upcoming adventures that require hard work but bring joy

and excitement at the same time!

v
EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION INTO ENGLISH
COURSEBOOKS: A CASE OF UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN
TURKEY

(Master’s Thesis)

Tutku Özkan

GAZI UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

June, 2022

ABSTRACT

In recent years, the concepts of technology and language learning material have become a
continuing concern within the field of language education. Given the fact that coursebooks
have an essential position among language learning materials, it is of paramount importance
to ensure that they keep pace with the latest advancements in technology. For this reason,
the purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the content of current English
coursebooks used in the 9th and 10th grades in the Turkish context regarding technology
integration. Thus, an evaluation checklist was developed and used in this study. Also, five
(n=5) English teachers’ opinions on the current subject were consulted in order to establish
triangulation. In addition, their opinions on their classroom practices regarding technology
integration were investigated. To collect the data, semi-structured interview questions were
sent to the participants through an online form application. While analyzing the data, content
analysis procedures and validity and reliability strategies were followed. The findings of the

vi
coursebook analysis indicated that even though there are some noteworthy attempts to
integrate technology into current coursebooks, a well-designed and systematic standard
incorporated into the content of the coursebooks is still lacking. The findings of the semi-
structured interviews indicated that although English teachers have positive attitudes
towards technology use in language education and appreciate technology integration into
current coursebooks, they think that the existing coursebooks fail to provide high-quality
technological affordances. Also, they reported some barriers to their technology integration
practices such as a lack of technological facilities, inadequate time, heavy curriculum, etc.
Taken together, the findings of this study offer valuable insights into the development of
technology-integrated coursebooks and technology-enhanced classroom practices. It is
hoped that the research will contribute to the field for development and the design of English
coursebooks integrating technology effectively.

Keywords : Learning materials, materials evaluation, coursebook evaluation,

technology integration, computer assisted language learning
Page Number : xx + 200
Supervisor : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Asuman AŞIK

vii
 İNGİLİZCE DERS KİTAPLARINDAKİ TEKNOLOJİ
ENTEGRASYONUNUN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ: TÜRKİYEDEKİ
ORTAÖĞRETİM ÖRNEKLERİ

(Yüksek Lisans Tezi)

Tutku Özkan

GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ

EĞİTİM BİLİMLERİ ENSTİTÜSÜ

Haziran, 2022

ÖZ

Son yıllarda, teknoloji ve dil öğrenme materyali kavramları dil eğitimi alanında süregelen
bir ilgi odağı haline gelmiştir. Ders kitaplarının, dil öğrenme materyalleri arasında temel bir
pozisyona sahip olduğu göz önüne alınırsa, teknolojideki son gelişmelere ayak
uydurabilmelerini sağlamak önem arz etmektedir. Bu nedenle bu nitel çalışmanın amacı, 9.
ve 10. sınıflarda kullanılan İngilizce ders kitaplarının içeriklerini, teknoloji entegrasyonu
açısından Türkiye bağlamında incelemektir. Bu nedenle bir kontrol listesi geliştirilmiş ve
çalışmada kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca, 5 İngilizce öğretmeninin konu hakkındaki görüşlerine,
üçgenleme yöntemini sağlayabilmek için başvurulmuştur. Ek olarak, İngilizce
öğretmenlerinin, teknoloji ile ilgili olan sınıf içi pratikleri hakkındaki görüşleri de
incelenmiştir. Veriyi toplamak için yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme soruları, katılımcılara
çevrimiçi bir form uygulaması aracılığıyla gönderilmiştir. Veriyi analiz ederken içerik
analizi prosedürleri ve geçerlik ve güvenirlik yöntemleri takip edilmiştir. Ders kitabı
analizinin bulguları, teknolojiyi mevcut ders kitaplarına entegre etmek için bazı kayda değer

viii
girişimler olmasına rağmen, ders kitaplarının dijital içeriği için kaliteli ve sistematik bir
standardın hala eksik olduğunu göstermiştir. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmenin bulguları,
İngilizce öğretmenlerinin dil eğitiminde teknoloji kullanımına yönelik olumlu tutumlara
sahip olmalarına mevcut ders kitaplarındaki teknoloji entegrasyonunu takdir etmelerine
rağmen, mevcut ders kitaplarının yüksek kalitede teknolojik olanaklar sağlamadığını
düşündüklerini göstermiştir. Ayrıca, teknolojik olanakların eksikliği, yetersiz zaman, yoğun
müfredat vb. gibi, teknoloji entegrasyon uygulamalarının önünde bazı engeller olduğunu
bildirmişlerdir. Bulgular birlikte ele alındığında, bu çalışma teknolojiyle bütünleşik ders
kitaplarının ve teknolojiyle zenginleştirilmiş sınıf uygulamalarının geliştirilmesine ilişkin
değerli bilgiler sunmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın, teknolojiyi etkili biçimde entegre eden
kitapların geliştirilme ve tasarlanma sürecine katkı sağlaması umulmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler : Öğrenme materyalleri, material değerlendirme, ders kitabı

değerlendirme, teknoloji entegrasyonu, bilgisayar destekli dil
öğrenimi
Sayfa Adedi : xx + 200
Danışman : Doç. Dr. Asuman AŞIK

ix
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TELİF HAKKI VE TEZ FOTOKOPİ İZİN FORMU ................................. i

ETİK İLKELERE UYGUNLUK BEYANI .................................................. ii

JURİ ONAY SAYFASI .................................................................................. iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................... iv

ABSTRACT .................................................................................................... vi

ÖZ .................................................................................................................. viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ x

LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................... xiv

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................... xviii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS....................................................................... xx

CHAPTER I ..................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................... 5

Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................... 7

Significance of the Study ................................................................................................ 7

Assumptions ..................................................................................................................... 9

Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 9

x
 Definitions ...................................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER II ................................................................................................. 11

REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...................................................................... 11

An Overview to English Coursebooks ......................................................................... 11

Advantages of Using English Coursebooks ......................................................... 13

Disadvantages of Using English Course Books ................................................... 14

Coursebook Evaluation in Foreign Language Education .................................. 15

Research on Technology Integration: International Studies .................................... 18

Research On Technology Integration: Studies in Turkey ......................................... 25

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Technology Integration .............................................. 28

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Technology Integration: International Studies 29

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Technology: Studies in Turkey .......................... 38

CHAPTER III ................................................................................................ 45

METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 45

Context and Research Design ...................................................................................... 45

Sample of the Study ...................................................................................................... 47

Participants ............................................................................................................. 47

Coursebooks ........................................................................................................... 49

Data Collection Tools .................................................................................................... 50

Checklist .................................................................................................................. 50

Semi-Structured Interview .................................................................................... 51

Data Collection Procedure ........................................................................................... 53

Data Analysis ................................................................................................................. 53

xi
 Validity and Reliability of the Study ........................................................................... 55

CHAPTER IV ................................................................................................ 57

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .................................................................. 57

Findings and Discussion Related to Coursebook Evaluation .................................... 58

The Evaluation of the Coursebook Teenwise ....................................................... 58

Language Skills and Components in the Coursebook Teenwise ........................ 74

Activities and Assignments in the Coursebook Teenwise ................................... 77

Evaluation of the Coursebook Count Me In ........................................................ 88

Language Skills and Components in the Coursebook Count Me In .................. 95

Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In ........................................................... 97

Findings and Discussion Related to the Website EBA ............................................. 106

Findings and Discussion Related to Teachers’ Attitudes ........................................ 120

Findings and Discussion Related To Pedagogical/Curricular Considerations in

Terms of Technology use in Foreign Language Instruction ............................ 120

Findings Related to Teachers’ Opinions Concerning the Availability and

Adequacy of Digital Teaching Tools................................................................... 136

Perceptions of Institutional/Administrative Support for the use of Digital

Resources in Language Instruction .................................................................... 140

Beliefs Concerning Teachers’ Skills and Knowledge with Respect To

Integrating Digital Media In English Language Instruction ........................... 143

Findings Related to Teachers’ Comments ......................................................... 153

CHAPTER V................................................................................................ 159

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................ 159

Pedagogical Implications ............................................................................................ 162

xii
 Suggestions for Further Research ............................................................................. 166

REFERENCES ............................................................................................ 167

APPENDICES ............................................................................................. 183

APPENDIX 1. Evaluation Checklist ......................................................................... 184

APPENDIX 2. Semi-Structured Interview ............................................................... 189

APPENDIX 3. Approval Forms ................................................................................. 197

xiii
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Demographic Information of the Participants ....................................................... 48

Table 2. An Overview of the Coursebooks ........................................................................... 50

Table 3. The Categorization for ICT Tools (Luo & Lei, 2012)............................................ 51

Table 4. The Data Analysis Process .................................................................................... 54

Table 5. General Features of the Coursebook Teenwise ..................................................... 59

Table 6. The E-content of the First Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise ............................ 62

Table 7. The E-content of the Second, Third, and Fourth Themes in the Coursebook

Teenwise ............................................................................................................................... 64

Table 8. The E-content of the Fifth Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise ............................ 65

Table 9. The E-content of the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Themes in the Coursebook

Teenwise .............................................................................................................................. 66

Table 10. The E-content of the Ninth Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise ......................... 67

Table 11. The E-content of the Tenth Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise ......................... 67

Table 12. The Distribution of the Activities in the Coursebook Teenwise ........................... 75

Table 13. Total Number of Activities/Assignments and Technology-Integrated

Activities/Assignments in the Coursebook Teenwise ........................................................... 78

Table 14. Number of the Types of Technology-Integrated Activities/Assignments in the

Coursebook Teenwise .......................................................................................................... 79

xiv
Table 15. Number of the Types of ICT Tools for Technology Integrated

Activities/Assignments in the Coursebook Teenwise ........................................................... 80

Table 16. General Features of the Coursebook Count Me In.............................................. 89

Table 17. The E-content of the First Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In ..................... 90

Table 18. The E-content of the Second, Third, and Fourth Themes in the Coursebook Count

Me In .................................................................................................................................... 91

Table 19. The E-content of the Fifth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In ..................... 92

Table 20. The E-content of the Sixth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In ..................... 92

Table 21. The E-content of the Seventh Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In ................ 93

Table 22. The E-content of the Eighth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In .................. 93

Table 23. The E-content of the Ninth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In .................... 94

Table 24. The E-content of the Tenth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In.................... 94

Table 25. The Distribution of the Language Skills and Components in the Coursebook Count

Me In .................................................................................................................................... 96

Table 26. The Distribution of Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In ........................... 98

Table 27. The Distribution of Integrated Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In .......... 99

Table 28. Number of the Types of Technology-Integrated Activities in the Coursebook Count

Me In .................................................................................................................................... 99

Table 29. Number of the Types of ICT Tools for Technology-Integrated Activities .......... 100

Table 30. Pedagogical/Curricular Considerations regarding Technology Use in Language

Education ........................................................................................................................... 121

Table 31. Teachers’ General Opinions on Digitial Technologies ..................................... 122

Table 32. Teachers’ General Opinions on Technology Integration into English

Coursebooks ....................................................................................................................... 124

xv
Table 33. Teachers’ General Opinions on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital

Technologies ...................................................................................................................... 126

Table 34. Teachers’ Advices on the Drawbacks of Digital Technologies ......................... 127

Table 35. Teachers’ Preferences for Complementary Materials ....................................... 128

Table 36. Teachers’ Opinions on the Curriculum ............................................................. 130

Table 37. Teachers’ Opinions on the Coursebooks ........................................................... 132

Table 38. Teachers’ Suggestions for Technology Integration into the Coursebooks ........ 134

Table 39. Teachers’ Observations on Students’ Feelings about Technology-Integrated

Lessons ............................................................................................................................... 135

Table 40. Teachers’ General Opinions on the Availability and Adequacy of Digital Teaching

Tools................................................................................................................................... 136

Table 41. Teachers’ General Opinions on the Availability of Digital Tools in their

Institution ........................................................................................................................... 137

Table 42. Teachers’ Opinions on Current Computing Facilities in their Institution ........ 138

Table 43. Teachers’ Opinions on the Internet Access in their Institution ......................... 138

Table 44. Teachers’ Opinions on the Available Language Learning Programs in their

Institution ........................................................................................................................... 139

Table 45. Teachers’ General Opinions on the Administrative Support for the Use of

Technology ......................................................................................................................... 141

Table 46. Teachers’ Opinions on their Institutions’ Policy towards Technology Use ...... 141

Table 47. Teachers’ Opinions on the Administrative Support for the Use of Technology 142

Table 48. Teachers’ Suggestions for their Institutional Environment ............................... 142

Table 49. Teachers’ General Attitudes towards their Skills and Knowledge regarding

Technology Integration ...................................................................................................... 144

xvi
Table 50. Teachers’ General Attitudes towards Using Technology in Language

Education ........................................................................................................................... 145

Table 51. Teachers’ Feelings about Using Digital Tools .................................................. 146

Table 52. Teachers’ Opinions on their Technology-Related Skills.................................... 146

Table 53. Teachers’ Experiences about Training on Using Digital Technologies ............ 147

Table 54. Teachers’ Experiences in their Pre-Service Education ..................................... 148

Table 55. Teachers’ Experiences in their In-Service Education........................................ 149

Table 56. Teachers’ Suggestions Related to Technology-Enhanced Learning

Environments ..................................................................................................................... 151

Table 57. Teachers’ Opinions on the Effect of their Colleagues regarding Technology

Integration.......................................................................................................................... 152

Table 58. Teachers’ General Comments ............................................................................ 153

Table 59. The Most Critical Points Reported by Teachers ................................................ 154

Table 60. The Most Urgent Issues Reported by Teachers ................................................. 155

Table 61. Teachers’ Summary Statements ......................................................................... 156

xvii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. The SAMR model ................................................................................................ 22

Figure 2. The SAMR model parallel with Bloom’s Taxonomy .......................................... 24

Figure 3. Figures on the overview page of the coursebook Teenwise ................................ 60

Figure 4. The website opening when 2-d barcodes in the coursebook Teenwise get

scanned ................................................................................................................................. 61

Figure 5. The website opening when 2-d barcodes in the coursebook Teenwise gets scanned

using a mobile device........................................................................................................... 63

Figure 6. An example of a content summary ...................................................................... 69

Figure 7. An example of a video lecture ............................................................................. 70

Figure 8. An example of a presentation............................................................................... 72

Figure 9. An example of the game time and check yourself parts from the coursebook

Teenwise .............................................................................................................................. 74

Figure 10. An example listening activity from the coursebook Teenwise .......................... 82

Figure 11. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise ... 83

Figure 12. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise ... 84

Figure 13. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise ... 84

Figure 14. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise ... 85

xviii
Figure 15. The pointing system of a quiz in the 8B section in the coursebook Teenwise ... 87

Figure 16. An example listening activity in the coursebook Count Me In........................ 100

Figure 17. An example activity including a video in the coursebook Count Me In.......... 101

Figure 18. An example technology-integrated activity in the coursebook Count Me In .. 101

Figure 19. An example technology-integrated activity in the coursebook Count Me In .. 102

Figure 20. The soft copy version of the coursebook Teenwise ......................................... 106

Figure 21. the Games and Activities section for the 9th grade on the website EBA ......... 107

Figure 22. An example activity from the Games and Activities section for the 9th grade on

the website EBA ................................................................................................................ 108

Figure 23. An example figure for the Question Bank part for the 10th grade on the website

EBA.................................................................................................................................... 110

Figure 24. An example question for the 10th grade on the website EBA .......................... 110

Figure 25. An example figure taken from the mobile application .................................... 111

Figure 26. The section of interactive practices on the website EBA ................................. 112

Figure 27. An example reading text on the website EBA ................................................. 113

Figure 28. An example activity on the website EBA ........................................................ 114

Figure 29. The activity books for the 10th grade on the website EBA .............................. 114

Figure 30. An example activity from the activity book section on the website EBA ....... 115

Figure 31. An example activity from the activity sheets section on the website EBA ..... 116

Figure 32. An example activity from the skills-based activity book section for the 9th grade

on the website EBA ........................................................................................................... 117

Figure 33. An example guidance for the use of the skills-based activity books part ........ 118

Figure 34. An example activity from the interactive skills-based activity book section .. 119

xix
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

the MoNE The Ministry of National Education

ICT Information and Communication Technology

CALL Computer-Assisted Language Learning

MALL Mobile-Assisted Language Learning

TELL Technology-Enhanced Language Learning

EFL English as a Foreign Language

ESL English as a Second Language

ELT English Language Teaching

CMC Computer-Mediated Communication

LMS Learning Management System

xx
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The 21st century has witnessed information technologies blossoming remarkably (Guo &

Xu, 2016). Especially, the last two decades have witnessed a remarkable evolution in

information and communication technology (ICT) throughout the world (Pandya, 2016). The

term ICT is generally understood to mean any product that electronically stores, retrieves,

manipulates, conveys or receives data in a digital format (Pandya, 2016). ICTs are

substantial tools for both providing and sharing information effectively (Yuksel & Eren,

2016).

Expectedly, such an innovative era has led to a growing research interest in modern

technologies. Such innovative technologies predictably have a significant impact on

education because integrating technology into education has hotly been debated in the

literature for many years (Caldwell, 2019) and technology has found its way into education

through the developments and novelties it has embodied (Pandya, 2016). Namely, the

concepts of technology and education have inevitably intertwined with each other for many

years. As a result, technology integration is getting more and more prevalent in education to

develop teaching and learning processes (Gilakjani, 2017) because technology may

potentially support such processes if it is embedded into fruitful teaching practices in

education (Onalan & Kurt, 2020). Therefore, it has been reported that technology integration

is often regarded as one of the most crucial teaching methods (Almalki, 2020).
1
In particular, the past two years have seen increasingly rapid advances in the field of

technology integration into education due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The outbreak of

COVID-19 has forcibly changed our lives in every field including education (Fitri & Putro,

2021). Thus, the effect of this pandemic on education is likely to exist in the long term

(Hoofman & Secord, 2021). In this regard, ICT has become the most crucial tool for

achieving educational purposes. Therefore, teachers have started to reevaluate their

knowledge and skills with regard to technology integration into their online practices

(Onalan & Kurt, 2020) and they have started to integrate ICT into their teaching

consequently (Fitri & Putro, 2021). There is, therefore, a need for investigating teachers’

attitudes regarding their technology integration practices into classroom settings since it is

almost certain that this pandemic has irreversibly changed educators’ attitudes, thereby

changing their ordinary classroom practices and routines.

In the light of recent events in technology integration into education, it is becoming difficult

to ignore the existence of a growing body of literature that recognizes the importance of

technology in English language teaching and learning. Recent evidence suggests that there

has been a blossoming increment in the published studies on the use of technology in English

language teaching (Varalakshmi, 2016). More importantly, there appears to be some

agreement that what is enlightening in the use of technology in teaching and learning English

is the pedagogical effectiveness of the current educational processes. In this regard, many

recent studies (Ahmadi, 2018; Al-Kadi, 2018; Ghasemi & Hashemi, 2011; Kuru-Gonen,

2019; Pandya, 2016; Saglam & Sert, 2012) have shown that the regular use of technology

does not assure that technology integration into language teaching is successfully

implemented. This view is supported by Kim, Kim, Lee, Spector and DeMeester (2013)

which claim that simply presenting information through interactive whiteboard without any

interaction opportunities provides no pedagogical benefits. Namely, simply the existence of

modern technologies in the classroom does not guarantee better learning experiences (Yang

& Huang, 2008). Similarly, Gilakjani and Leong (2012) assert that the existence of

technological resources does not guarantee their practical use in language education.

2
Considering all of this evidence, it seems that the relationship between SLA inquiry and

CALL practice needs to be well balanced for creating a fruitful learning environment (Al-

Kadi, 2018; Pandya, 2016).

Since learning materials and teaching are inextricably related to each other, recent trends in

effective technology integration have led to a proliferation of studies investigating digital

learning and teaching materials. Such materials conferring technological adaptations

conspicuously yield exhaustive opportunities for learning a language since previous research

has established that learners are provided with opportunities to learn and build meaning for

themselves in educational settings where technology-enhanced materials are adopted (Mills

& Tincher, 2003). In this respect, it is becoming extremely difficult to ignore the coexistence

of learning materials and technology since materials supporting technological affordances

in tutored settings have a significant effect on learning experiences of learners.

Consequently, materials providing technological affordances are getting more and more

popular. Admittedly, there are some reasons why a great deal of importance is placed on

such technological affordances. Thus far, previous studies confirmed the effectiveness of

computer technology as a quite prominent tool contributing to the improvement in

educational programs throughout the world (e.g. Guo & Xu, 2016; Gultekin & Karabinar,

2016) because they could offer a wide range of learning and teaching materials through their

comprehensive and complex operating systems. In addition, virtual reality technologies that

can embody a multitude of digital tools could also be regarded as a quite beneficial tool in

teaching English (Ozkan, 2017; Yang, Chen & Jeng, 2010). Furthermore, technology-

integrated learning is known to be associated with contributing to learning academic English

(Carhill-Poza, 2017). These exemplar fractions of CALL studies provide evidence that

technology-enhanced materials could yield miscellaneous opportunities that can serve

anyone’s purposes in learning languages. In this way, learners could find a wide range of

learning materials that suit the purposes of their individual learning. Thus, materials

supporting technological affordances are becoming pervasive day by day. In this regard,

there is a strong possibility that studies investigating technology integration into language

3
education are likely to become more common in the future (Onalan & Kurt, 2020) and more

attempts to embed technology into materials are likely to appear accordingly.

As previously stated, there has been an increasing interest in technology integration into

education throughout the world. Consequently, most countries have started to make

investments in educational technologies with the aim of exploiting such technologies

accordingly (Rahmati, Izadpanah & Shahnavaz, 2021) because there appears to be some

agreement that education, being an indispensable part of our lives, requires some adaptations

for keeping up with the necessities of the 21st century. The evidence reviewed here seems to

suggest that education systems must renew themselves in accordance with the emerging

technologies along with social and cultural adaptations (Batdi, 2017).

Having discussed the issues of technology-enhanced materials and language education, it is

now necessary to focus on the practical side of the aforementioned implications. Practically

speaking, language classrooms are expected to adopt digital technologies because such

technologies potentially offer a variety of educational benefits (Asik, Kose, Yangın-Eksi,

Seferoglu, Pereira & Ekiert, 2020). As far as the technology integration process is concerned,

a reasonable approach to examine this process could be to take the current curriculum into

consideration because there unsurprisingly is a robust association between these two. In

broad terms, curriculum can be defined as one of the most important elements for promoting

and achieving educational objectives. Thus, the curriculum needs to be continuously and

frequently evaluated so that it can subsequently keep up with the latest advancements in

technology. However, curriculum evaluation is not regularly and systematically conducted

in the Turkish context. For this reason, making necessary adjustments to the curriculum does

not seem manageable in Turkey (Batdi, 2017). This indicates that the curriculum needs to

be closely scrutinized in order to ameliorate the shortcomings of current language education.

In this respect, it is important to understand the link between curriculum and coursebook

because curriculum plays a crucial role in the process of preparation as well as the selection

of coursebooks that have predominantly reigned supreme in educational settings. Returning

now necessarily to the issue of language learning materials, considerable literature has grown
4
up around the theme of technology-enhanced materials used in language teaching and

learning as discussed above. However, it is important to focus on the considerable impact of

coursebooks as a prominent learning tool on language education. Admittedly, coursebook

content has a great influence on classroom practices and several attempts have been made to

scrutinize the influences of coursebooks on language learning. Nonetheless, the research to

date fails to give sufficient consideration to the issue of technology integration into English

language coursebooks. In the light of existing research, investigating technology integration

into English coursebooks should be a continuing concern within the field of language

education because such an investigation could offer fresh insights into the development of

quality language education.

Returning briefly to the subject of teachers’ attitudes, they could potentially play a key role

in taking necessary actions for effective technology integration into educational settings.

However, specifically evaluating their attitudes towards the association between current

coursebooks and technology might provide a deeper insight into the process of designing

effective language teaching materials, thus leading to more promising educational

experiences and outcomes.

Statement of the Problem

Coursebooks are essential resources for active teaching and a crux of the learning continuum

(Solhi, Mert, Çelen & Kısa 2021). They undoubtedly occupy an important position in the

teaching and learning processes. Therefore, studies investigating the content of coursebooks

have expectedly blossomed in recent years. In the light of recent trends in coursebook

evaluation, it is likely to find a considerable amount of literature. For example, there are

studies (e.g. Cakır, 2010; Solhi, Masrı, Şahin & Yılmaz, 2020; Tekir & Arikan, 2007)

evaluating English coursebooks used in primary or elementary schools in Turkey. There are

also studies evaluating English coursebooks used in upper secondary schools (e.g. Söğüt,

2018; Solhi et al., 2021;) as well as associated studies investigating the upper secondary

5
school English curriculum in the Turkish context (e.g. Batdi, 2017; Karakas, 2019).

However, examining the content of English coursebooks with regard to technology

integration is presumably getting more and more intriguing with the advancement of recent

technologies as technology integration into materials is of great importance to keep up with

the demands of our century. However, previous studies have not dealt with the aspect of

technology integration, thus leaving the issue of technology integration into English

coursebooks in the Turkish context uncharted. Therefore, little is known about the content

of upper secondary school English coursebooks in terms of compliance with technology.

Moreover, the issue of how to integrate technology into English coursebooks is relatively

unexplored in the Turkish context because the curriculum of K-12 schools prepared by the

Ministry of National Education (MoNE) does not provide guidance on the ways of

integrating technology into educational practices (Vatanartiran & Karadeniz, 2015).

As regards teachers’ perceptions, there are numerous studies investigating language

teachers’ opinions about the content of English coursebooks or curricula (e.g. Zehir-Topkaya

& Kucuk, 2010). However, previous studies do not give sufficient consideration to teachers’

opinions on technology integration into English coursebooks and their classroom practices

in this regard. In other words, little attention has been paid to upper secondary school English

teachers’ opinions on the integration of technology into both currently used coursebooks and

their instructional practices. In this respect, investigating teachers’ opinions on current

coursebooks in terms of technology integration and their classroom practices in this

educational context is expected to generate fresh insight into designing resourceful language

teaching and learning materials used in tutored settings. In addition, the English curriculum

of upper secondary schools is expected to derive a practical benefit in terms of technology

integration. In sum, examining the content of current coursebooks as well as teachers’

insights potentially throws valuable light on the ways of improving English education in

upper secondary schools in Turkey.

6
Purpose of the Study

There are two primary aims of this study. Firstly, this study aims to investigate the content

of 9th and 10th grade English coursebooks by the MoNE in terms of technology integration.

Secondly, this study seeks to explore the opinions of upper secondary school teachers of

English on technology integration into present coursebooks and their classroom practices

accordingly.

This study is guided by the research questions below:

1. How is technology integrated into the content of the 9th and 10th grade English

coursebooks used in Turkey?

2. What type of technology-integrated activities do English coursebooks used in the 9th and

10th grade in Turkey include?

3. What do English teachers think about the content of English coursebooks used in upper

secondary schools in Turkey in terms of technology integration?

4. What do English teachers think about their technology integration practices into the

classroom with regard to English coursebooks?

Significance of the Study

As mentioned earlier, previously published studies have failed to address whether the content

of English coursebooks encapsulates technological affordances even though extensive

research has been carried out on technology integration into foreign language education.

Moreover, there are no studies exploring both the scope of technology integration into

current English coursebooks and teachers’ classroom practices regarding current English

coursebooks. Practically speaking, this study potentially yields overarching insights into the

development of language education in upper secondary schools in Turkey. Building upon

the aforementioned implications, it is now necessary to particularize some studies spanning

the focal point of this study.

7
As detailed earlier, integrating modern technologies into education is of paramount

importance. However, previous studies fail to give sufficient consideration to technology

integration into education (Li, 2014) even though there is a growing trend in this issue.

Nevertheless, simply investigating this technology integration process without the attitudes

of teachers would expectedly be a futile attempt because teachers are quite noteworthy

elements of instructional processes. However, teachers’ attitudes towards the integration of

technology into education are neglected. For example, there are studies indicating that

teachers’ attitudes towards the effective implementation of computer technologies are

notably neglected (see Gilakjani & Leong, 2012) even though computer technologies

undeniably have a significant impact on language education. Thus, this study seeks to

investigate the process of language education from the perspectives of teachers, aiming to

provide an overview of the relationship between language education and technological

affordances provided by current English coursebooks. Adopting such an approach could be

illuminating because studies such as that conducted by Alshumaimeri (2008) have shown

that decision-makers need to encourage teachers to reflect upon their practices in order to

potentially attain insight into the practical use of new digital technologies in educational

settings. Namely, English teachers play a crucial role in creating educational settings where

the insightful use of digital technologies is adopted (Carhill-Poza, 2017).

Admittedly, there are studies investigating technology integration into foreign language

education. However, most studies conducted in Turkey have failed to address the context of

upper secondary schools. Instead, most studies in the field of technology integration into

foreign language education have tended to focus on the higher education context in Turkey

(Zengin & Aksu, 2017). Namely, previously published studies on this issue have mostly

focused on higher education levels. Therefore, a reasonable approach to tackle this issue

could be to conduct more studies in the context of upper secondary schools in Turkey.

8
Assumptions

First of all, it is assumed that the interview questions are comprehended by the English

teachers of upper secondary schools. Secondly, it is assumed that the interview questions are

honestly answered by the participants.

Limitations

There are certain limitations to this study. First of all, this study is conducted in the Turkish

context. Therefore, globally encompassing other countries is beyond the scope of this study.

In addition, the study has a limited number of participants since it is not possible to

encompass all the English teachers working in public upper secondary schools in Turkey.

Also, the context is limited to English coursebooks by the MoNE used in 9th grade and 10th

grade in public upper secondary schools. Thus, it might not be possible to generalize the

findings of this study to the other grade levels which are the 11th and 12th grades.

In addition, one should bear in mind that the data collection tool is designed by the researcher

owing to a lack of a checklist related to technology integration into English coursebooks.

Thus, the researcher employs a variety of validity and reliability strategies as discussed in

greater detail in the methodology part.

There is undeniably a relationship between coursebooks and curricula. Thus, this study

provides a quick review of the upper secondary school English curriculum with the aim of

contributing to a better understanding of the context which is under scrutiny. However, it is

not the task of this study to specifically examine the upper secondary school English

curriculum.

Even though this study tries to explore teachers’ attitudes towards English coursebooks with

regard to technology integration as well as their classroom practices in this regard, it is

beyond the scope of this study to provide a comprehensive discussion of the nexus between

teachers’ attitudes and their classroom practices. In addition, the reader should bear in mind

9
that the study is based on coursebook evaluation. Thus, a full discussion of teachers’ attitudes

lies beyond the main scope of this study.

Evidently, qualitative and quantitative methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

However, this study encompasses qualitative methods since such methods could be more

useful for capturing in-depth information on the attitudes of teachers and coursebook

content. Therefore, there has been no quantitative evidence on the subjects under scrutiny.

This indicates a need to carry out more research using quantitative methods because further

research could shed more light on this matter.

Definitions

a. Coursebook refers to ‘’a resource in achieving aims and objectives that have already been

set in terms of learner needs’’ (Cunningsworth, 1995, p. 7).

b. Curriculum can broadly be defined as ‘’what is taught in school, or a set of subjects’’

(Mulenga, 2018, p. 5).

c. According to the definition provided by the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Online (2022), technology refers to ‘’new machines, equipment, and ways of doing things

that are based on modern knowledge about science and computers’’.

d. Technology integration refers to ‘’a condition in which technologies play an active,

ordinary, and original role in language pedagogy’’ (Torsani, 2016, p. 45).

e. According to the definition provided by the online dictionary of Merriam-Webster (2022),

the term attitude refers to ‘’a feeling or way of thinking that affects a person's behavior’’.

f. According to the definition provided by the online dictionary of Merriam-Webster (2022),

practice refers to ‘’to do (something) regularly or constantly as an ordinary part of your

life’’.

10
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter firstly focuses on the existing literature on English coursebooks and the impact

of coursebooks on language education with the aim of providing insights into language

teaching materials. In this respect, the advantages and disadvantages of using coursebooks

are reviewed. Then, the issue of coursebook evaluation in foreign language education is

presented. Relatedly, international and national studies on technology integration into

language teaching and learning are provided respectively. Finally, international and national

studies on teachers’ attitudes towards technology integration are discussed.

An Overview to English Coursebooks

Learning a foreign language might expectedly be a daunting process because it potentially

implicates numerous processes that could be ambiguous, challenging, or perplexing for

learners in any of such processes. Therefore, it is of great importance to mitigate the negative

effects of learning processes as previous studies have highlighted thus far. This could be

achieved in a number of ways. In this respect, it is worth considering that language learning

materials have a huge impact on learning processes. The term language material can be

defined as any instrument that supports language learning (Solhi et al., 2020). Such materials

expectedly play a major role in English teaching (Howard & Major, 2004). Thus, teachers

profoundly depend on a wide range of teaching materials with the aim of both supporting
11
their practice and enriching student learning. Among a wide range of English teaching

materials available, coursebooks potentially provide opportunities for practicing the four

basic language skills as well as associated sub-skills that are necessary for a typical language

course (Littlejohn, 1992, p. 1).

The term main coursebook is a familiar concept for those in the field of English language

teaching. They can broadly be defined as colorfully and meticulously designed English

language teaching materials. Coursebooks typically have supplementary components such

as workbooks, teacher’s books, assessment tests, or any digital tool as well as they offer

different levels of language proficiency (Littlejohn, 1992, p. 1-2).

Before proceeding to examine the abovementioned components, it is necessary to focus on

the content which is another significant aspect of coursebooks. The content of coursebooks

is typically prepared based on some pre-established criteria for practical implementation

(Hişmanoğlu, 2011; Howard & Major, 2004; Solhi et al., 2020). In the same vein,

Cunningsworth (1995, p. 7) points out that coursebooks should be viewed as a tool for

achieving goals and objectives that are previously established in accordance with learner

needs. Namely, the studies presented thus far suggest that numerous criteria related to learner

needs could play a preliminary role in designing the content of coursebooks.

As discussed above, coursebooks are designed in accordance with a number of learner needs.

As learner needs dynamically change, coursebooks do not remain the same. For example,

up-to-date coursebooks offer more comprehensive content for language teaching and

learning in contrast to earlier coursebooks that include mostly reading texts with some

questions as well as some sentences to be translated (Littlejohn, 1992, p. 2). This indicates

that coursebooks need to be designed aligned with the current necessities of the world.

Consequently, such an approach could be a quite contributing factor for establishing more

practical and useful learning objectives for learners. In this respect, there is a strong

possibility that coursebooks might concretely yield more promising learning outcomes if

they are meticulously designed.

12
 Advantages of Using English Coursebooks

There are a variety of English learning and teaching materials available for students of

various levels and ages. However, a great deal of importance is unsurprisingly placed on

coursebooks. Namely, coursebooks undeniably occupy an essential position in the teaching

and learning processes. They can potentially have a rewarding effect as well as an impeding

effect and such effects can expectedly and changeably coexist. In this regard, it would be

wise to take the context and other related elements into account in order to fully comprehend

the effects and take necessary actions accordingly.

To start with the advantages of using English language materials, Tomlinson (2008) suggests

that English language materials potentially contribute to learner autonomy as well as

encourage individualized learning experiences. In this respect, they have a considerable

impact on learner success as previous studies have shown that autonomous and

individualized learning experiences have been thought of as key factors in successful

language learning. In this respect, it is of paramount importance to ensure that coursebooks

contribute to the aforementioned experiences since they are one of the most widely used

language learning materials.

Coursebooks basically serve as a guide with a wide range of examples of teaching various

subjects and they potentially serve a variety of purposes, such as providing language input,

fostering communication, enriching classroom practices through supporting language skills,

and enabling learners to learn outside of the classroom (Şahin, 2020). In the same vein, Chou

(2010) notes that coursebooks provide a well-organized content in coherence with

the subjects and genres across the four skills area (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)

as well as offer a defined set of achievement outcomes that explain what learners are

anticipated to do. Collectively, these studies highlight that coursebooks can be defined as

powerful input providers supporting the four language skills both within and out of the

classroom as well as promoting communication through instructional experiences.

13
Additionally, a different standpoint has been asserted by Chou (2010) who writes that

English coursebooks may be practical and useful for many inexperienced teachers because

they can effortlessly prepare the ready-made activities and lessons. This would be highly

beneficial to those inexperienced teachers who are just beginning to teach (Chou, 2010)

because English language coursebooks provide a pre-determined structure that is practically

convenient and functional (Hişmanoğlu, 2011). This view is supported by Şahin (2020) who

argues that coursebooks offer a certain framework to benefit from. As previous studies have

reported, the uncomfortable feeling of being naïve in the field could be mitigated by

reasonable reliance on what coursebooks offer.

Taken together, these studies provide important insights into the benefits of using English

language coursebooks. On the other hand, all the previously mentioned implications

potentially suffer from some serious shortcomings. Thus, the chapter that follows attempts

to consider such shortcomings of using English language coursebooks.

Disadvantages of Using English Course Books

For the teaching and learning processes, coursebooks are indispensable resources (Solhi et

al., 2020). However, there are some disadvantages of using English language coursebooks.

For example, there could be a number of issues and problems such as unappealing content,

repetitious activities, and insufficient language exposure (Chou, 2010). In addition, the lack

of engaging reading materials may also slow down the learners' linguistic development,

thereby resulting in a plateau effect. To resolve this issue, all coursebooks should be chosen

based on their educational values and whether they fulfill the curriculum's objectives as

Chou (2010) suggested. Although such solution strategies are useful in some cases, they

cannot offer an all-embracing remedy for any shortcoming because coursebooks inevitably

provide a non-authentic representation of language through simplifying language use, thus

creating very little chance to achieve communicative purposes (Tomlinson, 2008). In this

regard, very little attention has been paid to the issue of authenticity. To solve this problem,

14
Tomlinson (2008) claims that the dimension of language representation should be much

broader instead of simply introducing the input.

Tomlinson (2008) puts forward another perspective indicating that the concern of producing

pedagogically rich coursebooks might be overshadowed by the concern of producing

financially lucrative coursebooks. Namely, the financial matters might negatively affect the

process of producing pedagogically rewarding coursebooks. Undeniably, the physical

properties of coursebooks may have an impact on the users’ decisions. Keeping this

unavoidable impression in mind, the users need to take the other qualities into account with

the aim of choosing the coursebook which is the best fit for their learning purposes.

Lastly, Cunningsworth (1995, p. 10) asserts that overdependence on coursebooks could

undervalue the role of individual contributions, thus confining creativity and flexibility.

Understandably, the predetermined framework of coursebooks does not leave much room

for creativity. Thus, a drawback is that the role of individual contributions becomes

unavoidably demarcated.

Thus far, previous research has established that English language teaching materials should

include meaningfully and purposefully designed content in order to foster interaction,

support integrated skills, and motivate learners to build learning skills and strategies. They

should also be flexible, appealing, and authentic (Howard & Major, 2004). Having briefly

discussed the potential drawbacks of using coursebooks, a brief summary of the literature

relating to coursebook evaluation is provided in the next section.

Coursebook Evaluation in Foreign Language Education

The language coursebooks undeniably occupy a prominent place in foreign language

education (Solhi et al., 2020) and they have a systematic framework prepared for practical

use (Solhi et al., 2021). As previously stated, recent developments in technology have

unavoidably heightened the need for integrating technological affordances into coursebooks

in order to suit the purposes of today’s education. In this respect, there is a need to redesign
15
the content of coursebooks with regard to educational purposes (İyitoglu & Alci, 2015)

because learning objectives could be achieved in an effective way when coursebooks are

tailored to the needs of the learners (Solak & Bayar, 2015).

With respect to the redesign process, the curriculum has a pivotal role in bridging the gap

between educational practices and the individual (Özmen, 2017) as previous studies have

indicated that there is a robust link between curriculum and coursebook. Having indicated

the relationship between curriculum and coursebook, it is now important to focus on where

to start. Firstly, technology should become an integral part of the curricula (Li, 2014) because

this potentially could pave the way for adopting teaching materials that embrace modern

technologies, thereby enriching educational environments (İbrahim, 2010). Secondly,

technological affordances that are preliminary grounded in the curriculum should be

transferred into the content of coursebooks. Thirdly, the issue of practical implementation of

the abovementioned phases needs to be taken into consideration. However, it is an intriguing

process that might be better investigated in further research.

Returning now to the issue of technological affordances in coursebooks, several studies have

reported that there is not enough attempt to make use of the advantages that technology

potentially offers. Moreover, it has been reported that English coursebooks used in the

Turkish context are not entirely aligned with digital technologies (Çebi, 2018). Thus, there

is a need for technological affordances which are successfully embedded in coursebooks. To

achieve this, coursebooks need to be evaluated as coursebook evaluation could yield

important insights into the effectiveness of language education (Solhi et al., 2021). In this

respect, Solhi et al. (2021) investigated the effectiveness of English coursebooks used in

upper secondary schools in Turkey because coursebook evaluation can play an important

role in addressing the limited English proficiency level of Turkish learners, which has been

hotly debated over the years. Apparently, Turkish learners have not achieved the expected

level of competency in English over the last few decades because their English proficiency

levels have been repetitively ranked quite low by the criteria measured globally (Solhi et al.,

2020). Therefore, there would seem to be a definite need for coursebook evaluation because
16
such an evaluation might also provide practical implications for the MoNE in terms of

improving the quality of upper secondary school English coursebooks.

Returning briefly to the subject of the limited English proficiency of Turkish learners,

evidence suggests that a key aspect of success is instant and practical changes in English

coursebooks. In this regard, the concepts of coursebook and technology are central to the

improvement of language proficiency. Even though previous studies (e.g. Solhi et al., 2021)

found out that upper secondary school English coursebooks have some sections providing

opportunities for creating e-portfolios or personal websites with the aim of enriching

students’ educational practices both inside and outside of the classroom, a systematic

understanding of how technological affordances in coursebooks contribute to effective

language learning is still lacking.

It is now necessary to delve into the issue of coursebook evaluation. The purpose of

coursebook evaluation is to objectively evaluate educational materials through using a

systematic framework including questionnaires or checklists (Şahin, 2020). Among a variety

of evaluation procedures, using a checklist is probably the most widely used method of

making the evaluation process more organized and easier as Şahin (2020) points out. The

term checklist is defined by Mukundan, Hajimohammadi, and Nimehchisalem (2011, p.

1128) as ‘’an instrument that helps practitioners in English Language Teaching (ELT)

evaluate language teaching materials, like textbooks’’. Expectedly, there are no universal

criteria for checklists and they might vary depending on the context. In this respect, a number

of techniques have been developed to create checklists aligned with the topic under

investigation. Up to now, a number of studies have begun to evaluate the content of

coursebooks. In this regard, there are various studies using miscellaneous checklists for a

variety of evaluation purposes. For example, there are studies (e.g. Ahour, Towhidiyan &

Saeidi, 2014; Miekley, 2005; Mukundan & Nimehchisalem, 2012) using or developing

checklists in order to evaluate various aspects (e.g. content, skills, activities, cultural

elements, physical properties, and teachers’ manual) associated with coursebooks.

Regarding digital content, it is also likely to find various studies using checklists in order to
17
evaluate the content of English electronic books used in the high school context (e.g. Anshar,

Emilia, & Damayanti, 2014) or the content of English learning websites (e.g. G. Z. Liu, Liu

& Hwang, 2011; Yang & Chan, 2008). Overall, what is not yet clear is the scope of

technological affordances existing in English coursebooks. Thus, these implications

highlight the need for a comprehensive evaluation of technology integration into English

coursebooks because language education and technology are inextricably linked

(Hişmanoğlu, 2008).

Having discussed the need for coursebook evaluation, it is necessary to include teachers’

perspectives in the study because their perspectives could provide a deeper insight into the

subject under scrutiny. Thus, investigating their attitudes towards English coursebooks and

their classroom practices in this regard could throw new light on improving the technological

affordances of English coursebooks, thus improving the quality of language education

concomitantly.

Research on Technology Integration: International Studies

As detailed earlier, one purpose of this study is to evaluate the integration of technology into

English coursebooks. Undoubtedly, there are several factors responsible for the practical

implementation of technological affordances in coursebooks. Therefore, a comprehensive

understanding of such technological affordances expectedly lies beyond the pure

investigation of the coursebook content. Namely, a greater focus on technology integration

might practically yield insights for improving the factors that are known to be associated

with the practical implementation of technological affordances in coursebooks. Thus, what

follows is a brief discussion of international studies on technology integration.

The advancement of technology and its increasing prevalence in daily life prompted

researchers, educators, and practitioners to use numerous technologies to achieve

productive outcomes (Al-Kadi, 2018). In this regard, there has been an increase in new

methods and approaches embracing digital technologies to support English teaching and

18
learning over the past century. Before proceeding to examine such international contexts, it

is important to briefly explain the nature of technology integration processes. Being a

complex process, technology integration can be defined as manipulating any kind of digital

technology in language instruction in a meaningful way (Al-Kadi, 2018). The term

technology integration tends to be used to refer to CALL (computer-assisted language

learning) and its equivalents such as MALL (mobile-assisted language learning), TELL

(technology-enhanced language learning), etc. Such associated terms are often used

interchangeably and without a precise distinction (Al-Kadi, 2018). Even though there are

various associated terms used to mainly refer to CALL, ‘’having a generally accepted term

available to us is helpful’’ (Levy & Hubbard, 2005, p. 148). Namely, the term CALL is used

to refer to situations in which any component of computer technologies can be found as Al-

Kadi (2018) suggests. Therefore, the term CALL is used in its broadest sense to refer to all

equivalent terms in this study.

Returning now to the issue of technology integration, Özmen (2017) investigated the

national curricula of various countries such as Singapore, Australia, The United Kingdom,

New Zealand, and Finland regarding technology integration policies. It is found that even

though it is a necessity for countries to incorporate technology into their educational settings,

ICTs are mostly considered as a separate part of education. However, this would not be a

fruitful approach because previous studies (Ahmadi, 2018; Al-Kadi, 2018; Ghasemi &

Hashemi, 2011; Kuru-Gonen, 2019; Pandya, 2016; Sağlam & Sert, 2012) have indicated that

using technological resources does not guarantee the effective processes of teaching and

learning. Namely, technology should be an integral part of education instead of being treated

as a separate part of it. In this way, it potentially fosters interaction, promotes a more

autonomous learning environment, and provides input as well as opportunities for output. It

also contributes to learners’ motivation as well as developing their cognitive skills (Ahmadi,

2018). In his literature review, Gilakjani (2017) has revealed that technology integration into

education substantially improves the processes of English learning and teaching in the Iran

context. In the same vein, Pandya (2016) has asserted that successful technology integration

19
in English language teaching settings has resulted in novel changes such as authentic and

efficient communication, enhanced motivation and autonomy amongst learners, and

increased learner participation in classroom discussions and attendance. Similarly,

Varalakshmi (2016) has indicated that using technology in the classroom helps students to

be engaged and motivated as well as prepared for higher education and their future

profession. Altun (2015) has found out that technology-integrated teaching substantially

promotes teaching and learning processes and encourages learners to better accomplish.

Zhang and Zou (2020) have indicated in their literature review study that modern

technologies promote language teaching and learning practices and interactions as well as

contribute to learners’ motivation. In the same vein, İbrahim (2010) asserts that digital

technologies make the learning environment more student-centered, stimulate teacher-

student interaction, and promote collaborative learning, thereby potentially enriching the

processes of teaching and learning. Taken together, these studies clearly indicate that

technology is now a fundamental concept of effective learning atmospheres.

Delving now into the issue of technology integration in greater detail, Wu and Chen (2018)

have investigated the effectiveness of e-books in terms of language learning in the Chinese

context. They have found out that integrating e-books into reading texts improves learners’

reading comprehension skills, thus having a positive effect on improving reading

comprehension. Being a state-of-the-art technology, integrating virtual-reality technologies

into the language classroom improves the English learning practices of students in the

Taiwan context (Yang et al., 2010), thus yielding benefits for teaching English (Ozkan,

2017). Regarding mobile-assisted language learning, Poláková and Klímová (2019) have

confirmed the effectiveness of mobile devices and applications in providing a number of

activities that promote language learning. It is also found that the use of mobile applications

has a positive effect on secondary school students’ achievement tests in terms of vocabulary

learning. In addition, they foster a collaborative learning environment and create a more

enjoyable learning atmosphere for students compared to the traditional learning

environments. This view is supported by Ghavifekr and Rosdy (2015) which point out that

20
technology-integrated teaching and learning are more efficient compared to the traditional

methods because integrating ICT tools into educational settings potentially creates more

vigorous, stimulating, appealing, and fruitful learning atmospheres for both teachers and

learners. In the same vein, Rahmati, Izadpanah and Shahnavaz (2021) have found in their

meta-analysis that technology-integrated teaching yields more effective learning outcomes

compared to traditional teaching methods.

As regards computer technologies, Guo and Xu (2016) have found that integrating such

technologies into the college English curriculum can completely fulfill the needs of the

learners in the Chinese context since it can yield many advantages such as providing an

efficient and a quality language learning and teaching environment, improving students'

understanding abilities, promoting their autonomy as learners and occupying an essential

role for them in the instruction process. This view is supported by Azmi (2017) in his review

study finding that the proper use of computers in language classrooms promotes students’

positive attitudes, boosts learning, enriches communicative atmospheres, encourages learner

autonomy, and motivates learners.

In her experimental study, Bilyalova (2017) has found out that the use of ICT in language

learning contributes to promoting individual learning, learner participation and enthusiasm,

and objective assessment. In addition, such technologies help students to overcome their

psychological barriers. In this way, they could receive information from a variety of

sources, share their experiences and interact more productively. In sum, technology

integration into language learning and teaching processes yields more dynamic,

advantageous, systematic, and encouraging learning atmospheres (Bilyalova, 2017).

Similarly, Mullamaa (2010) has asserted that digital technologies support the principles of

language acquisition, thus building up a more learner-centered, intriguing, flexible, and

stimulating learning process. She has also indicated that this process helps students to

become active participants through progressively making them more engaged and

encouraged.

21
Thus far, this section has provided an overview of some of the international studies related

to technology integration into language learning and teaching. In this regard, it is important

to consider the extent of technology adoption in the classroom because investigating the

scope of technology integration in educational settings offers important insights into

analyzing the effectiveness of technological affordances, thereby contributing to a deeper

understanding of technology-enhanced language learning. In this regard, there is an

evaluation model abbreviated as the SAMR model (letters standing for Substitution,

Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition, respectively) for the scope of technology

integration in education. The SAMR model by Puentedura (2006) consists of two main

categories: enhancement and transformation. The first category which is the enhancement

has two classifications: substitution and augmentation. Similarly, the second category which

is the transformation involves two classifications: modification and redefinition. What

follows displays the steps of the SAMR model.

Figure 1. The SAMR model (Puentedura, 2006). Retrieved from Puentedura, R. (2006).
Transformation, technology, and education [Blog post]. http://hippasus. com/resources/tte/

This model could be viewed as a taxonomy indicating that classroom activities differ in

terms of educational and technological affordances they are to offer. As Puentedura (2006)

has suggested, the substitution level does not include functional modifications whereas the
22
augmentation level includes some functional modifications. As can be seen above, these first

two steps are within the part of enhancement. Regarding the part of transformation

encompassing the levels of modification and redefinition, the modification level which is the

third step emphasizes the term redesign. As stated by Aydoğan-Yenmez and Gökçe (2019,

p. 242), “the use of technology ensures that the task is redesigned and approached with

different perspectives” at the modification level. Regarding the fourth and last step, the

redefinition level includes new activities that could not be conducted in the same way

without technology.

Having briefly defined what is meant by the SAMR model, it is now necessary to provide

some concrete examples for each step. Regarding the first step which is the substitution,

technology is just a tool providing the materials as soft copies rather than hard copies. For

example, providing students with a reading text in the coursebook through smartboards is an

example of the substitution level. Regarding the second step which is the augmentation,

technology is a tool providing students with an opportunity for searching the author of a

book on the internet and making a presentation about the author in the classroom. Regarding

the third step which is the modification, technology is a tool providing students with an

opportunity for giving feedback on each other’s work on an online learning platform after

their presentations are uploaded to this online platform. Regarding the fourth step which is

the redefinition, technology is a tool providing students with an opportunity for finding

virtual friends to discuss their presentations. Overall, it is reasonable to suggest that moving

up in this model leads to a learning environment that gradually becomes more dynamic and

productive. In this regard, Puentedura (2014) has conferred his model aligned with the

Bloom’s taxonomy (see Bloom, 1956) as can be seen in the figure below. The SAMR model

aligned with the steps in Bloom’s taxonomy (1956) is believed to provide an important

opportunity to advance the understanding of the activities that fall within the scope of

technology in this study. Thus, what follows is an account of the current SAMR model.

23
Figure 2. The SAMR model parallel with Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Retrieved from Puentedura, R. R. (2014). SAMR and TPCK: A hands-on approach to
classroom practice. Hipassus. En ligne: http://www. hippasus.
com/rrpweblog/archives/2012/09/03/BuildingUponSA M R. pdf.

Thus far, it has been shown from this review that technology integration into language

learning and teaching conspicuously has miscellaneous advantages. In addition, the nature

of technology integration in educational settings requires specification as they differ in terms

of educational and pedagogical affordances that they could provide.

On the other hand, it is important to note that there are potential pitfalls inherent in the

process of technology integration. Thus, what follows is a brief description of the

abovementioned pitfalls because there is a need for having a deeper understanding of the

other side of the coin. However, a more detailed account of the pitfalls is given in the section

related to teachers’ attitudes towards technology integration to obtain further in-depth

information on the potential pitfalls from teachers’ points of view.

Returning to the subject of pitfalls, Hew and Brush (2007) have indicated in their review

study that there are some barriers hindering technology integration into the curriculum of K-

12 schools both in the United States context and in a global context. They categorized their

findings as being a) facilities, b) knowledge and skills, c) institution, d) reflections and

views, e) evaluation and f) subject culture. In order to overcome the aforementioned barriers,

they suggested five main categories as being a) having a common strategy and technology

24
integration plan, b) providing adequate resources, c) changing reflections and views, d)

undergoing professional development, and e) reconsidering evaluations.

In a comprehensive study of technology integration practices, Ertmer et al. (2012) pointed

out that there are some barriers hindering the successful integration of technology into the

classroom. The barriers preventing the effective integration of technology can be discussed

under four headings. These are a) limited resources, b) inadequate institutional support, c)

technical problems, and d) standardized assessment techniques.

The evidence reviewed here seems to suggest that there are similar categories of

classification for barriers to technology integration. Returning briefly to the issue of

overcoming those barriers, Rodríguez (2018) has asserted that improvement in technology

integration requires pedagogy, inquiry, and professional development as well as utilizing

financial resources from several sources. This is in line with what Hew and Brush (2007)

have indicated in their review study. In the same vein, Azmi (2017) has pointed out that

using digital technologies without prudent planning and clearly described objectives would

be a futile attempt. That is to say, scrupulous planning is required for the successful

integration of technology.

The brief evidence presented in this section suggests that the classifications above provide a

basis for determining the most reported barriers to technology integration. As mentioned

earlier, this is discussed in greater detail in the following pages.

Research On Technology Integration: Studies in Turkey

As indicated previously, a greater focus on technology integration might practically yield

insights for improving factors that are known to be associated with the practical

implementation of technological affordances in coursebooks. Thus, what follows is a brief

discussion of national studies on technology integration.

The idea that technology promisingly promotes the quality of learning and teaching has

motivated both global and national education policymakers to foster the use of technology
25
in educational settings (Korucu-Kis & Özmen, 2019) because digital technologies can

potentially play a significant role in language teaching (Çelik & Aytın, 2014). As a result,

developing countries like Turkey have made considerable investments in educational

technology and infrastructure with the aim of effectively integrating technology into

education. In this regard, educational institutions in Turkey highlight the significance of

language teaching because knowing a language in today’s world is a practical prerequisite

for both public and private sectors in Turkey (Solak & Bayar, 2015). However, language

learners in Turkey are still facing some challenges even though the Turkish education system

has made many attempts to keep pace with the innovations in education. One of the major

challenges of the Turkish education system is the discrepancy between theory and practice

(Uzun, 2016). Despite the fact that there is a growing trend towards technology-assisted

teaching, up-to-date materials have not been used at a growing pace. This view is supported

by Gülbahar (2007) who reports that even though schools have been allocating a substantial

amount of funds for installing modern technologies, such investments seem to be failing.

However, education must be viewed as a flexible and changeable practice in today’s world

(Uzun, 2016) because technology might have an undesirable effect on the learning process

unless the integration process is effectively carried out (Gunuç & Babacan, 2018).

Undoubtedly, it is a demanding and complex process requiring the diligent endeavor of

schools (Gülbahar, 2007). In this regard, there are some attempts by the MoNE to provide

learners with learning opportunities enhanced with technology.

Regarding the attempts to integrate technology into education in the Turkish context, the

Movement to Enhance Opportunities and Improve Technology Project (abbreviated as the

FATİH project) is the most well-known initiative in Turkey (Yüksel & Eren, 2016). This

view is supported by Kızılet and Özmen (2017) who write that The FATİH project initiated

by the MoNE is the most noteworthy initiative to introduce ICT as an innovative attempt for

education. Similarly, it has been indicated that the FATİH project can be regarded as a major

step in education (Milla, Kurt & Mataruna-Dos-Santos, 2019). The FATİH project by the

MoNE has aimed at equipping classrooms all over the country with smartboards and

26
computers as well as providing tablets to students (Çelik & Aytın, 2014). One of the

significant constituents of the FATİH Project is called The Educational Information Network

(abbreviated as the EBA). According to a definition provided by Milla et al. (2019), the EBA

is an instructional, public online platform managed by the General Directorate of Innovation

and Educational Technologies (abbreviated as YEGITEK), thus enabling students and

teachers to create and share e-contents (Aydın & Semerci, 2018).

Having briefly mentioned what the FATİH Project offers, it is now necessary to delve into

the related studies. Kızılet and Özmen (2017) have examined the e-content offered by the

FATİH Project with the aim of identifying the main qualities of such content created for

English language courses in upper secondary schools. They have found out that technology-

integrated activities are not available in the syllabi in 2011 but such activities are

subsequently incorporated into the new English syllabi (MoNE, 2014). Nonetheless, this

does not necessarily indicate that technology integration into teaching English is at the

desired level because the e-content on the EBA does not fully align with the national

curriculum. Additionally, the contents on the website (EBA) are not interactive except for

some specific web portals licensed and supplied for use within the FATİH Project. Namely,

the nature of English e-content on the EBA is not interactive, convenient, or changeable.

Moreover, the quantity of videos is not distributed evenly throughout the grades. For

instance, there is no video for the 11th graders and neither the syllabi nor the official

coursebooks have included any videos to be used for educational purposes in English courses

(Kızılet & Özmen, 2017). This view is supported by Milla et al. (2019) who have reported

that although the EBA might potentially be valuable to teachers in Turkey, it has been

criticized because of the lack of appropriate content for each grade.

Kızılet and Özmen (2017) suggest that language learners and teachers should be offered

ample and effective online language learning depository. Furthermore, the quality of e-

content should be based on robust teaching methodologies because the content on the EBA

is discovered to be incompatible with the global standards for online learning resources.

Therefore, there is a certain necessity for English language e-content that is interactive,
27
convenient, and changeable. In this regard, including academia in the e-content development

procedure could be a reasonable approach to tackle this issue (Kızılet & Özmen, 2017).

In their analysis of the effectiveness of the FATİH Project, Milla et al. (2019) have suggested

that even though the project is enriched both with a wide-ranging content and a large budget,

it is practically unfeasible and insufficient. Nonetheless, digital technologies potentially

support better and more effective learning leading up-to-date information to be more

accessible. Also, online educational resources provide learning opportunities with flexibility

both within and out of the classroom anytime (Milla et al., 2019). Therefore, the FATİH

project should be updated to provide feasible and sufficient content.

In his analysis of the integration of ICTs into present English coursebooks and the use of

such digital materials in language classrooms, Hişmanoğlu (2011) has indicated that

although ICTs satisfy the needs of the learners who have grown up in a continually altering

community and provide them with more opportunities for personalized and permanent

learning experiences, the use and implementation of ICTs in language classrooms are

unsatisfactory because current ICT tools are limited to CD-ROM, DVD, internet access,

and a few types of auditory materials. The rest of the ICT tools are additional materials for

present coursebooks and they are unrelated to the content. Even though the promising

potential of ICT tools in language teaching is acknowledged and technology-integrated

materials are available, both the effectual integration of digital materials into the present

coursebooks and continuous teacher training are needed in order to efficiently benefit from

the opportunities provided by ICTs in language classrooms (Hişmanoğlu, 2011).

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Technology Integration

As detailed earlier, currently emerging technologies should be embedded in technology

integration processes because technology is continuously changing. In this respect, teachers’

opinions are worth investigating (Avcı, Kula & Haşlaman, 2019) because the teacher is a

crucial component of instructional changes (McGrail, 2006). In the same vein, many recent

28
studies (Alshumaimeri, 2008; Chen, 2008; Gültekin & Karabınar, 2016; Li, 2014; Mohsen

& Shafeeq, 2014; Sağlam & Sert, 2012) have shown that teachers’ technology practices in

classroom settings are known to be associated with their beliefs and attitudes. Likewise,

Gilakjani and Leong (2012) hold the view that teachers’ attitudes are essential for the

successful attainment of learning objectives. Similarly, Almalki (2020) has proposed that the

perception of teachers in terms of the use of technology in the classroom is the main factor

affecting technology integration. Taken together, these studies suggest that the insights

gained from investigating teachers’ attitudes towards technology integration could yield

fruitful implications for a better understanding of effective technology integration practices.

Thus, a more detailed account of related studies is given in the following pages.

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Technology Integration: International Studies

According to Bitner and Bitner (2002), embracing technological adaptations could be

viewed as a frightening and menacing process because technology integration unavoidably

changes the traditional mindset about the role of the teacher. Despite this frightening process,

teachers are expected to learn how to use technology tailoring their current teaching

philosophies accordingly because the efficiency of this process depends on the teachers’

attitudes and skills (Bitner & Bitner, 2002). Thus, teachers need to evaluate and renew

themselves (Varalakshmi, 2016). Subsequently, they must integrate technology into their

classroom practices (Kanokpermpoon, 2013). There are numerous reasons why teachers are

expected to adopt digital technologies in their classroom practices. The reasons are given in

greater detail in the following pages but the brief reasons for this are that ICTs promote

learner autonomy and interactive learning, provide authentic materials, and yield

opportunities for creative learning (Ghasemi & Hashemi, 2011). Nonetheless, English

teachers confront some challenges such as lack of training and inadequate educational

resources while they are integrating technology into their classroom practices (Saqlain, Al-

Qarni & Ghadi, 2013; Yang & Huang, 2008). In this regard, there are studies indicating that

teachers should be provided with ongoing training and sufficient access to resources
29
(Ahmadi, 2018; Gilakjani, 2012; Li, 2014). Even though such implications reflect a general

understanding of the related studies, what is now needed is a deeper understanding of the

aforementioned implications. In other words, having provided a brief implication of

international studies on the relationship between technology integration and teachers, it is

now important to delve into such studies in this regard.

In the Taiwanese context, Chen (2008) has found out that there is a discrepancy between

teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding technology integration. Such inconsistencies stem

from external factors, teachers’ lack of or inaccurate knowledge, and teachers’ other beliefs

contradictory to their pedagogical beliefs. In addition, it has been found that competitive

assessment systems potentially discourage them from adopting innovative practices. In this

regard, they need to be supportively involved in various phases of technology integration

by administrators and stakeholders (Chen, 2008). Namely, there seems to be some evidence

to indicate that including teachers in the processes of technology integration could be an

encouraging approach for their technology integration practices.

In the Canadian context, Reel (2009) has found out that teachers might not hold the belief

that technology integration does have a positive effect on student learning because it has

been pointed out that there could be not enough time for such practices or there could be

very little chances for professional growth. In this respect, teachers might predictably want

to maintain their present ways of implementing materials into their teaching due to their low

self-esteem and lack of aptitude for integrating technology (Reel, 2009). The evidence from

this study suggests that changing teachers’ beliefs positively and providing them with

adequate opportunities for professional development could subsequently change their

current teaching practices.

In their participatory action research in the US context, Dooley, Lewis-Ellison, Welch, Allen

& Bauer (2016) have found out that teachers’ technical skills, pedagogical knowledge, and

participatory attitude potentially motivate students to plan and implement content-based

projects, thus bridging the gap between technological tools and participatory activities.

30
Considering this evidence, it seems that teachers play a key role in the successful

implementation of technology-integrated activities.

Regarding the factors affecting the integration of ICTs in English language classrooms in

the Saudi context, Almalki (2020) has found that teachers’ attitudes towards technology and

their technical skills are highly associated with the integration of technology in the Saudi

EFL (English as a foreign language) context. Namely, it has been suggested that teachers’

ability and comfort while using various types of technology have an impact on technology

integration in the classroom. It has been found in this study that Saudi EFL teachers are

highly proficient technology users, have positive attitudes towards technology integration,

and perceive technology as a way of improving students’ comprehension. Thus, they choose

to incorporate technology into their practices accordingly. It has also been suggested that in-

service training and assistance in technology integration, as well as well-equipped

classrooms with digital resources such as interactive boards and computers, need to be

provided to teachers. These results are in accord with recent studies in the context of Saudi

Arabia, indicating that prospective teachers of English in Saudi Arabia are enthusiastic about

employing technology for teaching English (Saqlain et al., 2013). Even though the

participants are prospective teachers of English in Saudi Arabia, they have positive attitudes

towards technology integration into their future practices. Therefore, this result provides

further support for the hypothesis that English teachers in Saudi Arabia are likely to have

positive attitudes towards technology integration into language teaching.

In their mixed-method study in the US context, Kim et al. (2013) have found out that

teachers’ beliefs are correlated to their technology integration practices. However, it is

unlikely that teachers’ beliefs change drastically with a one-time attempt because substantial

changes take time. In this respect, continuous support should be provided to teachers with

the aim of positively and sustainably changing their teaching practices. In this respect,

stakeholders must listen to the teachers in order to learn more about the challenges that they

have encountered in their technology integration practices (McGrail, 2006). In this regard,

it can be inferred that supporting teachers continuously and including them in any process
31
related to planning, deciding, or implementing technology integration could positively

change their beliefs, thus changing their teaching practices.

In their exploratory study, Baskaran and Shafeeq (2015) have investigated ESL (English as

a second language) secondary school teachers’ technological and educational perceptions of

technology integration in the Indian context. It has been found that the teachers think

technology integration affords better opportunities for making language learning easier,

stimulating, boosting, encouraging, dynamic, and student-centered. In contrast, they do not

use technology in their teaching practices on a regular basis because they report that the

existing ICT conveniences in their school are insufficient to integrate technology into

teaching. This finding is consistent with that of Chen (2008) who has found a discrepancy

between teachers’ beliefs and practices due to a variety of reasons. Thus, ICT inconveniences

need to be handled by the administrators and teachers must have the maximum competency

level in digital technologies, creative thinking skills, and a complete understanding of the

learning theories in technology-integrated settings in order to better implement proper

pedagogies into their teaching practices (Baskaran & Shafeeq, 2015). This indicates that the

effective integration of technology into educational settings depends on both technological

affordances and teachers’ knowledge and abilities.

In the case of the Swedish context, Gull (2020) has revealed in his literature review that

even though both teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the ICT integration into English

language teaching are positive, the majority of teachers believe that integrating ICT into their

teaching practices is challenging. There are some reasons why they find ICT integration

challenging even though it has been found that the advantages of integrating ICT in teaching

English outweigh the disadvantages. The drawbacks making the integration process

ineffectual can be listed as follows: lack of training, unsatisfactory resources, and unstable

internet connection. Therefore, it can be inferred from this review that the potential

drawbacks of technology integration might discourage teachers from using technology in

their classroom practices despite their positive attitudes.

32
In the case of the North American context, Lawrence, Ahmed, Cole and Johnston (2020)

have investigated the opinions of English teachers, administrators, and students in various

universities. They have revealed that there is a prevalent willingness to employ current

technologies and provide innovative practices with the aim of making learners engaged and

autonomous as well as increase collaboration among them. Also, many of the participants

have stated that timing issues, limited pedagogical support, inadequate training, and limited

insights into technology integration have discouraged teachers from integrating technology

into their practices even though they appreciate the advantages of using technology in

teaching English. The participants have also struggled to recognize the value of emerging

technologies with which they have little experience. Thus, it can be inferred that having

hands-on experiences with technology is an important point for comprehending the potential

benefits. In addition, teachers have criticized the workshops as a one-off event, indicating

that such technology workshops fail to connect technology and pedagogy. In the same vein,

administrators support the idea that the use of technology should be based on pedagogy. In

sum, there needs to be a coherence between theory, technology, and pedagogy in order to

promote technology integration in teaching English (Lawrence et al., 2020).

In the Indonesian context, Fitri and Putro (2021) have found out that the majority of EFL

teachers have positive attitudes towards the integration of ICT into teaching English. They

have also found out that ICTs support effective teacher-student interaction and enable the

teachers to observe and evaluate their students’ development in English during the period of

COVID-19. On the other hand, poor internet connection, inadequate knowledge, insufficient

training, and limited technical support are among the factors hindering the use of ICTs even

though the teachers find the integration of ICTs into language teaching vital (Fitri & Putro,

2021). Therefore, educational and technical support should be available in the school. Also,

the teachers evidently need training on ICT integration to cultivate their practices in

consonance with the curriculum.

Mohsen and Shafeeq (2014) have investigated EFL instructors’ attitudes towards teaching

English through blackboard applications in the Arab context. The instructors hold the belief
33
that they are competent in using technological tools. They also state that technological tools

are beneficial for enriching students’ learning and improving the relationship between

teacher and student. However, many of them do not regard technology as an inherent part of

the successful instruction process. Instead, they regard technology as a supplementary

component. Several factors are known to be associated with this view. Specifically, Mohsen

and Shafeeq (2014) have reported that instructors’ and students’ lack of competencies in

digital technologies and technical problems can potentially hinder the effectual integration

of blackboard applications. Similarly, Al-Faki and Khamis (2014) have investigated the

challenges faced by English teachers while using the interactive whiteboard in the Saudi

EFL context. In the same vein, it has been revealed that a lack of technical and administrative

support, teachers’ limited technology competencies, and unmotivated students potentially

give rise to challenges in the process of technology integration.

Alshumaimeri (2008) has investigated Saudi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards CALL in

teaching English. It has been found that the teachers mostly have positive attitudes towards

the use of technology in the classroom. However, the ones attending computer training have

more positive perceptions about technology integration into the classroom, and such

perceptions are also found to be correlated with their self-assurance in using computers.

Therefore, more pre-service and in-service training can potentially encourage teachers to

integrate computer technologies into their instructional practices, thus contributing to their

positive attitudes.

Salehi and Salehi (2012) have investigated the barriers discouraging high school English

teachers in Iran from integrating technology into their classroom practices. They have found

that the teachers are quite willing to integrate technology into the classroom, and most of

them have perceived themselves as regular or self-reliant users of digital technologies.

However, inadequate technical assistance, limited internet access, limited class hours, and

the time needed to figure out how to use digital technologies discourage teachers from

integrating technology into their classroom practices (Salehi & Salehi, 2012).

34
Ali (2015) has investigated the opinions of English language teachers in Pakistan regarding

technology integration. It has been found that the teachers both appreciate digital

technologies and perceive them as a modern technique to teach learners in a different way.

In addition, it has been suggested that the use of technology promotes a collaborative and

effective learning environment. Thus, educational institutions should be equipped with

adequate technical devices and technical staff professionals.

Chaaban and Ellili-Cherif (2017) have investigated the attitudes of EFL teachers in the Qatar

context with regard to technology integration. The teachers find the use of technology

significant and have high levels of confidence in integrating technology effectively. There

is also a significant positive correlation between the teachers’ regular use of technology and

their understanding of the value of using technology. Nonetheless, there are a few concerns

affecting the use of technology, such as limited time to expand students’ basic technology

competencies, inadequate knowledge about managing technical problems, and limited class

hours. In this regard, it has been suggested that if formal training and ample access to the

necessary tools for technology integration are provided to teachers, they potentially see the

value of using technology and subsequently employ it more often.

In the Malaysian context, Ghavifekr and Rosdy (2015) have reported that teachers mostly

indicate that using digital tools positively contributes to classroom management and using

such tools might boost students’ language learning skills. However, it has been reported that

training opportunities, the convenience of digital tools, and available technical support are

insufficient.

In their phenomenological study, Sullivan and Bhattacharya (2017) have tried to explore

technology evaluation as well as its integration into the foreign language learning

environment through the reflective insights of a retired foreign language teacher in the US

context. It has been pointed out that even though there is evidence that technology integration

is advantageous, teachers may hesitate to integrate technology into their practices due to a

lack of training. However, technology integration solely does not make any difference unless

enriched, encouraged, and effective learning happens. Similarly, it has been pointed out in
35
the previous studies that teachers should not receive ICT training solely to learn how to use

technology because technological knowledge without educational strategies cannot be

promising (Ghasemi & Hashemi, 2011). In this regard, Keeler (2008) has also highlighted

the importance of educational strategies indicating that even though prospective teachers in

the US context are capable of using specific digital tools, they rarely know how to use such

tools in educational settings. Thus, it can be suggested that pedagogy is an important aspect

of technology integration.

In their literature review study, Gilakjani and Leong (2012) have investigated teachers’

attitudes towards the use of computers in teaching English. They have found out that teacher

training could strongly contribute to adopting technological tools in the classroom. In this

respect, it is important to provide teachers with efficient guidance, assistance, and training

in integrating technological tools into language education through more concrete

experiences and pedagogical practices. There is also a need for more systematic integration

of technological resources into the curriculum.

Having mostly focused on teachers’ attitudes and beliefs, it is now important to specifically

delve into the related solutions for the reported challenges and issues. According to Bitner

and Bitner (2002), teachers need to be adequately provided with both technical and

pedagogical support. Also, they need to be involved in the decision-making processes of

technology integration because this kind of involvement potentially stimulates successful

technology integration into educational settings. In addition, student help may yield valuable

assistance even though it is frequently undervalued and underutilized. At the same time, such

engaging processes help students boost their self-confidence and enthusiasm, thus creating

a sense of commitment to their educational processes. Moreover, teachers need to have

knowledge about ICT (Pandya, 2016) because previous studies have shown that English

teachers’ technology practices are strongly associated with their pedagogical and

technological knowledge (Gilakjani, 2012; Yang & Huang; 2008). Therefore, knowledge

about ICT should necessarily be reinforced with pedagogical knowledge. Namely, teachers

should both pedagogically and technologically adopt professional skills (Gilakjani, 2017).
36
Moreover, they should keep in mind that technology is just a means, and improvement in

learning depends on the appropriate and innovative instructional environment (Gilakjani,

2017; Yang & Huang, 2008). In this regard, teachers need to become comfortable using

digital tools because they progressively apprehend that technology is not just a tool as they

become familiar with the progressive phases of technology integration, thus embracing

technology to create rich learning environments (Mills & Tincher, 2003).

As far as future teachers of English are concerned, higher education institutions are failing

to provide prospective teachers with the necessary practice and knowledge for using

computers in the classroom (Wetzel & Chisholm, 2014). Thus, it is necessary to embrace

concrete modeling of technology integration practices and individual teaching experiences

in the classroom to boost students' self-confidence in terms of their technology integration

skills. In the same vein, Waddoups, Wentworth and Earle (2004) have asserted that the

university faculties must provide prospective teachers with experiences in technology-

integrated learning in order to prepare them for their future teaching practices. In this respect,

teacher educators need to embrace the knowledge and practices related to successful

technology integration. In this way, they can better provide a tangible model of technology

integration, which is needed for the inherent adoption of technology. In the same vein, Mills

and Tincher (2003) have suggested that tech-savvy teachers must assist their students in

improving technological fluency. Building on this insight, it would be reasonable to suggest

that tech-savvy teacher educators must contribute to prospective teachers’ technological

knowledge.

Regarding administrators and policymakers, they need to provide the necessary

organization, assistance, and infrastructure to promote learning processes. Institutions must

also adopt the use of digital technologies by taking the needs of English learners into account

(Carhill-Poza, 2017).

37
 Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Technology: Studies in Turkey

Admittedly, many interconnected variables, such as teacher, school, and national level

circumstances may jointly influence the successful integration of ICT into educational

settings (Aydın & Semerci, 2018). However, teachers, as main characters in teaching

processes, have a prominent role in the efficacious integration of technology (Aşık et al.,

2020; Aydın & Semerci, 2018; Baskaran & Shafeeq, 2015; Gilakjani, 2017; Gilakjani &

Leong, 2012; Gunuc & Babacan, 2018; Yüksel & Eren, 2016). Namely, they are the ones

who put any innovation into action (İyitoğlu & Alcı, 2015). In other words, the effective

application of digital technologies by teachers is an issue of great importance (Çelik & Aytın,

2014) because technology itself cannot be regarded as a methodology. Rather, teachers

employ technology as a complementary instrument (Altun, 2005). In this regard,

investigating their attitudes towards technology potentially contributes to a deeper

understanding of their classroom practices, thus yielding practical implications. Having

discussed the importance of teachers’ role in technology integration, it is now important to

give a more detailed account of the related studies in the Turkish context.

As indicated previously, coursebooks have a prominent place in language education.

Therefore, there are studies investigating both coursebooks and curricula in the Turkish

context. For example, Demir-Ayaz, Ozkardas, and Ozturan (2019) have revealed that high

school teachers state that even though the coursebook includes some listening sections,

accessible materials such as CDs or online websites for listening sections do not exist.

Therefore, the practice could undesirably differ from the theory due to a lack of digital

resources. In the same vein, İyitoğlu and Alcı (2015) have asserted that second-grade English

language teachers find implementing the curriculum challenging. One reason is that there

are inadequate technical materials such as copying machines, CDs, cassette recorders, etc.

Similarly, Zehir-Topkaya and Küçük (2010) have found various reasons why primary school

English teachers find implementing the 4th and 5th curricula challenging. One reason

hindering the implementation process is a lack of technological resources. Overall, these

studies indicate that difficulties arise when an attempt is to implement the curriculum or
38
coursebooks. Therefore, these studies highlight the importance of bridging the gap between

practice and theory in public schools in Turkey.

Sağlam and Sert (2012) have indicated that English instructors mostly agree that students

have positive attitudes towards technology integration into language learning. The

instructors appreciate both the opportunities provided by digital technologies in the

classroom and the support of the administration. There are a few drawbacks reported, such

as technical problems, limited access to technology, lack of funds, and teachers being

inexperienced due to a lack of pre-service and in-service education. It has been revealed that

such drawbacks potentially prevent the effective implementation of technology integration

into language learning.

Yükselir (2016) has aimed to examine teachers’ and instructors’ opinions on integrating

internet-assisted language learning into EFL instruction, what kind of online resources they

use to enrich language learning, and what kind of obstacles inhibit the use of the internet in

EFL classrooms. He has found out that both groups have a positive view towards internet

use in language teaching. However, the participants have also indicated some difficulties in

using the internet in the classroom. Technical issues during class hours, having a poor-

quality internet connection, and incompetent teachers in terms of computers and internet

literacy skills can be regarded as some of the difficulties in using the internet while teaching.

However, both groups have indicated that the issues of limited time and inadequate computer

facilities are the most important obstacles when using the internet.

In their quantitative research, Önalan and Kurt (2020) have investigated the factors affecting

the perceptions of Turkish EFL instructors regarding technology integration. The teachers

mostly have quite positive attitudes towards using computers for educational purposes and

they are willing to use computers in their practices. However, such practices can be hindered

by a lack of technical, institutional, and instructional support. Therefore, reasonable funds

need to be allocated to provide educational settings with plentiful technology. In addition,

even though the participants see themselves as generally proficient users of some programs

such as presentation software and word-processing, they perceive their knowledge about
39
how to use special applications or particular software as rather limited. This indicates that

further training on using different technological tools for teaching and learning is needed.

Çelik and Aytın (2014) have found that Turkish elementary and high school EFL teachers

are mostly confident in their ability to utilize digital technologies. They think that such

technologies are encouraging and can increase students’ proficiency levels as well as their

positive perceptions of language learning. However, teachers are frequently unable to use

digital technologies in their teaching practices due to inadequate access to computers and the

internet. They also indicate that training opportunities are absent or insufficient in the

Turkish context.

Aydın (2013) has suggested that Turkish EFL teachers have positive attitudes towards the

integration and use of computers in educational settings. However, it has been reported that

the technical and instructional support are inadequate. There would therefore seem to be a

definite need for improving technical and instructional support. In addition, the teachers

have limited knowledge about specific software programs. This indicates that the ICT

training provided for both prospective and in-service teachers is unsatisfactory. Thus, teacher

training programs should be adapted to the recent innovations in technology-integrated

learning.

Aydın and Semerci (2018) have indicated that teachers believe incorporating ICT into

education provides a variety of learning and teaching opportunities and facilitates their

lesson planning. Namely, they generally possess a highly positive attitude towards the use

of ICT in education. Conversely, they are concerned that using ICT in the classroom

does limit their innovation capabilities.

Kızılet and Özmen (2017) have found that the stakeholders and academicians indicate the e-

content and other related online sources available on the EBA are unsatisfactory to assist

thousands of teachers and millions of English students in public schools in terms of both

quality and quantity. On the other hand, both students and teachers appreciate the FATIH

project, seeing it as an instance for other countries and a way of improving their

40
teaching/learning environment even though there are technical limitations (Milla et al.,

2019). Also, it is noteworthy that the FATİH project provides in-service teacher training to

expand those teachers' knowledge and abilities in the purposeful use of technology (Milla et

al., 2019).

Similarly, Aydin ve Semerci (2018) have examined the attitudes of high school teachers

regarding ICT use in education in the context of the EBA. In their study, they have

highlighted the importance of developing teachers’ ICT skills and competencies because

teachers, in-service and pre-service, play a pivotal role in the successful implementation of

innovations (Korucu-Kis & Özmen, 2019).

Çebi (2018) has proposed that English teachers have positive attitudes towards technology

integration into language teaching because technology use in education fosters student

motivation, engagement, and autonomy, creating a more energetic and dynamic learning

atmosphere. However, there are some barriers hindering teachers’ integration practices.

Limited sources, insufficient knowledge about using technology, lack of training, and

inadequate support in the school could seem intimidating and potentially discourage teachers

from using technological tools. In this respect, encouraging teachers to cooperate with their

colleagues in this process could be a reasonable approach to mitigating the effects of the

aforementioned drawbacks.

Gültekin and Karabınar (2016) have found out that even though English language instructors

believe both teachers and students must be acquainted with current technologies, their

technology integration practices are limited to the software version of the current

coursebooks or YouTube videos. However, they allege that they have such a loaded program

that they do not have time to use any other digital technologies. In this regard, adopting

learning management systems as an inherent part of language programs could be a fruitful

approach for the effective use of technology. In addition, both pre-service and in-service

education programs need to increase technology use in educational settings.

41
Having focused on teachers’ attitudes towards technology in the Turkish context, it is now

necessary to examine the attitudes of prospective teachers since both in-service and pre-

service teachers play a pivotal role in the successful implementation of innovations (Korucu-

Kis & Özmen, 2019). Namely, the development of technology integration practices is

inextricably linked to the development of language teacher education. Thus, the following is

a brief description of the literature on the attitudes of prospective English teachers towards

technology.

To start with, Merç (2015) has investigated the technology use of prospective teachers

throughout their practicum experience. Even though prospective EFL teachers find

technology integration into classroom practices necessary, the practicum schools are poor in

terms of digital devices that they can potentially use for their practicum experiences. Thus,

they are not satisfactorily taking advantage of using digital technologies in their teaching

experiences. Similarly, the cooperating teachers are not good at taking advantage of digital

technologies in classroom settings. However, they need to become competent in using

technology to provide concrete modeling for prospective teachers. As Batdı (2017) has put

it, the teacher is to be a good role model and guide. Overall, it is clear that there is a

discrepancy between teacher training programs and actual classroom practices regarding

technology integration. Thus, renovation of the present curriculum of teacher training

programs is necessary.

In their descriptive study, Yüksel and Eren (2016) have examined the views of ELT (English

language teaching) students on technology integration into language education. Most of the

participants stated that the integration of ICT tools assists them in becoming more efficient

teachers, making the language teaching process smooth, entertaining, and permanent. In

other words, prospective ELT teachers have positive opinions on the integration of

technology. Namely, they are enthusiastic about integrating ICT technologies in their future

practices and appreciate the effectiveness of ICT technologies in terms of language teaching.

Thus, teacher education programs should embrace technology integration to help prospective

teachers obtain the required skills for future technology integration practices.
42
Kuru-Gönen (2019) has found out that prospective teachers and their students at practicum

schools express positive opinions on integrating technology into classroom practices. She

has reported that technology-integrated classes foster language skills, yield an encouraging

learning environment, actively increase participation, and enable prospective teachers to

adapt their practices to the needs and interests of the learners. On the other hand, teacher

training programs generally adopt a hands-off approach while prospective teachers make

their way to technology integration practices. This lack of training opportunities and

practices may observably impair their enthusiasm and confidence to integrate technology

into teaching practices. Thus, prospective teachers must be technologically and

pedagogically equipped with the knowledge and abilities to integrate technology into

language teaching (Kuru-Gönen, 2019). Similarly, Şimşek and Yazar (2019) propose that

prospective teachers need to acquire technology integration skills for future practices.

Çakır (2015) has investigated the attitudes of pre-service English teachers towards the use

of mobile learning. He has claimed that the attitudes of teachers and learners towards any

instructional instrument are a matter of great importance for the successful and efficient use

of such materials. He has found that most of them are willing to use mobile technologies for

educational purposes. In this regard, it would be reasonable to infer that using mobile

technologies in educational settings is potentially motivating for students.

Altun (2005) has investigated EFL students’ attitudes regarding an online message board as

a computer-mediated communication (CMC) tool. Even though the students have felt

worried about the message board at first, they have progressively felt more comfortable

using it and adopted more positive attitudes towards using CMC tools in instruction. Thus,

being a professional member of an online community potentially helps prospective teachers

to build such communities to share their experiences, problems, opinions, and educational

materials.

Uzun (2016) has revealed that prospective language teachers are enthusiastic about using

instructional technologies. However, technical and educational courses do not provide

sufficient support for them because teacher training programs in Turkey mainly adopt
43
traditional ways. Namely, the opportunities are limited to expand their technology-related

knowledge and skills. In this respect, it is reasonable to infer that the FATİH Project fails to

achieve its goals.

Aşık et al. (2020) have investigated language teacher education programs in three various

contexts (Turkey, Poland, and Portugal) to yield insights of teacher trainees and teacher

educators in terms of preparing prospective teachers for ICT integration. They have found

out that teacher educators in three contexts have not felt comfortable with technology. In

addition, almost all of them have not participated in technology training courses. Thus,

integrating technology into their practices could seem challenging. In this respect, it is clear

that there is a lack of qualified teacher educators regarding technology integration into

teaching. Moreover, there is a lack of institutional, administrative, and educational support

in all the contexts. Also, all teacher educators have indicated that technology courses should

be in their teacher education curriculum as a separate course taught by an expert in the field.

In this way, the language teacher education programs can yield more opportunities for

practical and situated experiences.

Hişmanoğlu (2008) has attempted to draw several implications from his educational

experiences. As he has asserted, there are some barriers that need to be handled to effectively

integrate technological activities into classroom practices. Speaking of such barriers, the

teachers, students, and administrative staff might not be experienced in technological

learning. Thus, they expectedly need training in how to use digital tools (Hişmanoğlu, 2008)

because periodic pre-service and in-service training can help teachers to keep themselves

updated with the latest methodologies and techniques in teaching, evaluation, and

assessment (İyitoğlu & Alcı, 2015). Also, the administrators need to provide enough

financing for implementing educational technologies. In this way, it would be possible to

create purposeful, authentic, and motivating language learning environments in educational

settings (Hişmanoğlu, 2008).

44
 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the methodology of this study is presented. After presenting the context and

research design of the study, the sample of the study and data collection tools are presented.

Then, the data collection procedure is discussed. Finally, data analysis and validity and

reliability of the present study are delineated.

Context and Research Design

First of all, choosing the perfect research methodology type among qualitative and

quantitative designs lies beyond reality (Choy, 2014). Both qualitative and quantitative

methodologies have been used by researchers over the years. Also, the idea of combining

both methodologies has led to the emergence of a new approach called the mixed method.

Therefore, the relative importance of the three methodology types has been debated for many

years. However, there is a consensus among researchers that choosing the most suitable

methodology type aligned with the research under scrutiny practically yields an appropriate

path to follow. Namely, recent evidence suggests the importance of choosing the most

appropriate method aligned with the study under investigation.

This study uses qualitative methods. What follows is an account of the rationale for this

choice.

45
As detailed earlier, this study aims to investigate the content of 9th and 10th grade English

coursebooks by the MoNE in terms of technology integration and explore the opinions of

upper secondary school teachers of English on the abovementioned issue and their classroom

practices accordingly. In this respect, the research under scrutiny aims at gaining a detailed

understanding of the abovementioned issues because most studies in the field of technology

integration into foreign language education have tended to focus on the higher education

context in Turkey (Zengin & Aksu, 2017). Due to this reason, the upper secondary school

context remains relatively unexplored in the Turkish context. In this regard, adopting

qualitative methods is a reasonable approach because such methods are beneficial when it

comes to unexplored areas (Dörnyei, 2007). As indicated previously, one purpose of this

study is to obtain in-depth information on the attitudes of teachers. Expectedly, individuals

have various backgrounds leading them to broach disparate ideas from one another.

Qualitative methods disclose such miscellaneous perceptions of individuals through various

data collection instruments, thus affording a set of exhaustive and enlightening insights that

ensue from the elucidation of meanings. As a result, there are no canonical and clear-cut

patterns in such studies because the aim is to yield perceptions that are rich in-depth. That

is, there is not just one accurate answer in qualitative studies (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004).

Thus, it would be reasonable to suggest that individual perception is a major issue for such

studies. For these reasons, the researcher in qualitative studies aims ‘’…to develop an

understanding of the phenomenon by examining the ways in which participants experience,

perceive, and make sense of their lives’’ (Kornbluh, 2015, p. 397). In this regard, the

researcher in this study investigates the attitudes of teachers, aiming to have a detailed

account of their perceptions.

As previously mentioned, one purpose of this study is to investigate the content of current

coursebooks under scrutiny regarding technology integration. In this respect, qualitative

content analysis is chosen to evaluate the relationship between coursebook content and

technology integration because qualitative methods are particularly useful for analyzing

46
written, audio, or visual documents/materials thoroughly. Additionally, the data are coded

through manual-coding. There has been no computer program used while analyzing the data.

Sample of the Study

Participants

Firstly, qualitative studies provide implications that are thoroughly investigated. In addition,

qualitative researchers do not aim to generalize their studies (Sullivan & Bhattacharya,

2017). Therefore, what is needed in qualitative studies is a smaller size of a sample. In this

regard, this study includes a small number of participants. The participants are five English

teachers teaching to 9th and/or 10th grades. All of the participants work in public upper

secondary schools in Turkey. While answering the semi-structured interview questions, they

are given a choice to use the language they want. Except for one participant answering in

Turkish, all of the participants give their answers in English. Their answers are provided as

raw data. Thus, the errors in their language use have not been corrected.

With respect to sampling techniques, convenience sampling is the most reasonable method

to use in this study because the researcher has time and resource constraints. Therefore,

convenience sampling is adopted because it is economically more feasible and practical.

Table 1 below displays the demographic information of the participants.

47
Table 1.
Demographic Information of the Participants
Category Sub-Category Frequency (N) Percent (%)
Sex Female 4 %80
Male 1 %20
Age 18-30 years old 1 %20
30-50 years old 3 %60
50+ years old 1 %20
Experience 6 months-1 year 1 %20
3 years-10 years 1 %20
10+ years 3 %60
Coursebook Using both coursebooks 3 %60
Using the coursebook Count Me In 1 %20
Previously used both coursebooks 1 %20

In terms of gender, there is not a well-balanced distribution among the participants. There

are four female (n=4) participants and one (n=1) male participant. Regarding age, there is a

relatively well-balanced distribution among the participants. One (n=1) participant is

between 18-30, three (n=3) participants are between 30-50, and one (n=1) participant is 50+

years old.

Regarding teaching experiences, there is a relatively well-balanced distribution. Three (n=3)

participants have more than 10 years of experience. One (n=1) participant has between 6

months and 2 years of experience. One (n=1) participant has between three years and ten

years of experience.

Regarding cities in which the participants teach, these are Ankara, İzmir, Gaziantep, and

Kırşehir. Two (n=2) participants are from Ankara. The other three participants are from

İzmir, Gaziantep, and Kırşehir.

48
Regarding school types, two (n=2) participants teach in an Anatolian high school, two (n=2)

participants teach in a vocational and technical Anatolian high school, and one participant

(n=1) teaches in a science high school. With respect to the profile of the abovementioned

schools, science high schools and Anatolian high schools in Turkey are for students who are

relatively more successful in governmental entrance exams compared to those who are in

vocational and technical Anatolian high schools. Among Anatolian high schools and science

high schools, science high schools have generally students who are more successful in

entrance exams. On the other hand, vocational and technical Anatolian high schools aim at

preparing students for a specific profession rather than an academic continuum.

Regarding the coursebooks, three (n=3) participants currently use both the coursebook

Teenwise in the 9th grade and the coursebook Count Me In in the 10th grade. One (n=1)

participant currently uses only the coursebook Count Me In in the 10th grade. One (n=1)

participant has used both of the coursebooks in previous years.

Coursebooks

As the MoNE (2018) has put it, the ultimate aim of the content of upper secondary school

coursebooks is to integrate the students into exciting, incentive, and entertaining learning

atmospheres where they are likely to be fluent, efficient, and autonomous learners of

English. In this respect, investigating technology integration into upper secondary school

English coursebooks potentially throws light on the ways of designing language learning

materials more efficiently. Table 2 below displays the fundamental qualities of the

coursebooks under investigation. A more detailed account of the coursebooks is given in the

following chapter.

49
Table 2.
An Overview of the Coursebooks
Name of the coursebook Grade
Teenwise 9th grade
Count Me In 10th grade

Data Collection Tools

Checklist

The purpose of coursebook analysis is to evaluate educational materials by using a

systematic framework including various instruments such as questionnaires or checklists

(Şahin, 2020). In this study, an evaluation checklist is used because checklists are one of the

most frequently applied and conducted techniques for materials evaluation (Şahin, 2020).

Moreover, using a checklist makes the evaluation process more organized and easier through

providing a systematic outline. As explained in the literature review, there are numerous

checklists created for different purposes of evaluation. Therefore, there are no universal

criteria for checklists. In this regard, Sheldon (1998, p. 241) has suggested that ‘’…textbook

criteria are emphatically local’’. Namely, checklists might inherently differ from one another

depending on the context. To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, there is not a particular

checklist for evaluating technology integration into English language coursebooks. For this

reason, a checklist is constructed through a review of the literature (e.g. Garinger, 2002; Luo

& Lei, 2012) and consulting expert opinion by the researcher. Three experts in the field of

ELT are asked to provide feedback on the checklist under construction. In line with their

feedback, a focus on the language components such as grammar, vocabulary, and

pronunciation are adopted. Thus, questions regarding the abovementioned components are

written down in the checklist.

The checklist is called technology as an insider or an outsider: an evaluation checklist.

Before proceeding to implement the checklist, there are some preliminary questions aiming
50
to provide an overview of current coursebooks. Regarding the evaluation part, the options

are treated under three headings: yes, to some extent, and no. However, a detailed description

of the answers is provided when needed. Regarding the questions in the checklist, they have

been constructed under five headings. The first section includes the investigation of

coursebook content in terms of technology integration. The second section specifically deals

with the relationship between technology and exercises/activities in current coursebooks.

The third section focuses on the scope of technology integration into language

skills/components in current coursebooks. The fourth section concentrates on technical

concerns regarding the processes of technology integration. The fifth section is allocated for

extra comments/criticism on current coursebooks. While designing the checklist, the

categorization of Luo and Lei (2012) is adopted as it is a useful account of the ICT tools

used in today’s world. What follows displays the four categories offered by them.

Table 3
The Categorization for ICT Tools (Luo & Lei, 2012)

Retrieved from Luo, H., & Lei, J. (2012). Emerging technologies for interactive learning in the ICT age.
In Educational stages and interactive learning: From kindergarten to workplace training (pp. 73-91). IGI
Global.

Semi-Structured Interview

As an interview type, the semi-structured interview type is adopted. Even though semi-

structured interviews consist of pre-determined questions, interviewees are given some

opportunities to openly build on what they have wanted to focus on through elaborating on

51
their perspectives and ideas (Alsaawi, 2014). As can be understood, the reason for this choice

is that teachers might come up with unique perspectives and different points of view that

could shed some light on the study. The semi-structured interview questions were developed

by the researcher because qualitative researchers do not depend on data collection

instruments that are developed by others in the field (Creswell, 2014). In other words, they

are ‘’…the instrument of data analysis’’ (Jacelon & O’Dell, 2005, p. 217). Also, expert

opinion is consulted before implementing the questions. As detailed earlier, whereas four

participants give their answers in English, one participant provides answers in Turkish. Also,

their exemplar answers are provided as raw data.

The semi-structured interview has been constructed under five headings. The first heading

is named pedagogical/curricular considerations with respect to technology use in foreign

language instruction. In this section, there are ten questions including educational

implications for using technology in language teaching and learning. In general, this section

aims at gaining an understanding of teachers’ opinions on the relationship between

technology and language education. The second heading is named opinions concerning the

availability and adequacy of digital teaching tools in your institution. In this section, four

questions related to the digital facilities available in institutions are particularized. The third

heading is named perceptions of institutional/administrative support for the use of digital

resources in language instruction. This section includes three questions aiming to

understand the scope of institutional/administrative support provided to teachers in their

technology integration practices. The fourth heading is named beliefs concerning your own

skills and knowledge with respect to integrating digital media in English language

instruction. This section has eight questions aiming to throw light on teachers’ personal

beliefs and educational experiences in terms of technology integration. The fifth heading

including four general questions is named comments. This section is allocated for teachers’

general comments that they want to indicate or highlight. Collectively, there are twenty-nine

open-ended interview questions.

52
Data Collection Procedure

In this study, the qualitative data are collected through the content of the 9th and 10th grade

English coursebooks and semi-structured interviews with English teachers at upper

secondary schools. In terms of the semi-structured interview questions, they are prepared

through an online form application and sent to the participants through e-mail. In order to

evaluate the content of current coursebooks, a checklist is constructed through a literature

review as mentioned earlier. The coursebooks under investigation are attained from the

official website of the EBA (eba.gov.tr). After preparing the interview questions and

checklist for the content of current coursebooks, the opinions of three experts in the field of

ELT are taken in order to check if the tools are applicable and convenient to apply.

Regarding ethical considerations, the participants are given information about the content of

the study. They are also informed that they can withdraw from the interview at any time

without getting any harm or penalty. In addition, they are not asked for their names or

surnames with the aim of protecting their identities. In addition, required permissions for the

study are obtained from both the MoNE and the ethics committee of the university. These

permissions are given in the appendices part.

Data Analysis

As mentioned earlier, there are semi-structured interview questions for the participants to

answer and a checklist for the content of current coursebooks. The data are analyzed through

qualitative content analysis. As Schreier (2012, p. 2) has put it, qualitative content analysis

is used when there is a meaning to construct. In other words, qualitative content analysis is

used to comprehend a phenomenon (Forman & Damschroder, 2007). Namely, it should be

realized that qualitative content analysis requires introspective constructions. In this regard,

comprehensive and lengthy explanations need to be employed in such studies to mushroom

various perceptions (Creswell, 2014). Having briefly defined what is meant by qualitative

53
content analysis, it is now necessary to delve into the procedure of data analysis. Table 4

displays the framework of the data analysis process.

Table 4
The Data Analysis Process
Research Question Data Analysis Instrument

1. How is technology
integrated into the content of
the 9th and 10th grade
Qualitative Data Analysis Checklist
English coursebooks used in
Turkey?

2. What type of technology-

integrated activities do
English coursebooks used in
Qualitative Data Analysis Checklist
the 9th and 10th grade in
Turkey include?

3. What do English teachers

think about the content of
English course books used
Qualitative Data Analysis Semi-structured Interview
in upper secondary schools
by in Turkey in terms of
technology integration?

4. What do English teachers

think about their technology
integration practices into the Qualitative Data Analysis Semi-structured Interview
classroom with regard to
English course books?

The process of materials evaluation includes comprehensive phases because several factors

are known to affect this process (Cunningsworth, 1995). For this reason, it is not reasonable

to thoroughly evaluate the whole process. Specifically, such an attempt would suffer from

some serious shortcomings. In this respect, the number of questions in the evaluation

54
checklist is limited to manageable categories that have been previously set. In addition,

coursebook evaluation is expectedly a subjective process. In this respect, Sheldon (1988, p.

245) has suggested that “it is clear that coursebook assessment is fundamentally a subjective,

rule-of-thumb activity, and that no neat formula, grid, or system will ever provide a definitive

yardstick”. Regarding the analysis of semi-structured interview questions, content analysis

is used as mentioned above.

As detailed in the review of literature part, the SAMR model by Puentedura (2006) is adopted

to evaluate the extent of technology integrated activities in the coursebooks.

Validity and Reliability of the Study

As Cope (2014, p. 89) suggests, “qualitative research is not inferior research, but a different

approach in studying humans”. Therefore, trustworthiness strategies used in qualitative

methods are expectedly different from those used in quantitative methods. In this study, the

checklist and semi-structured interview questions are checked by experts in the field to

ensure validity. In light of their feedback, some questions and some items in the checklist

are reorganized. Apart from this, periodic discussions with the thesis advisor are held about

the organization and implementation of the study. Additionally, this study adopts three

validity strategies offered by Creswell (2014). These are triangulation, using thick

description, and presenting discrepant information. Regarding the triangulation method,

teachers are included in the study and asked about their opinions on current coursebooks

under investigation. As can be seen in the following pages, many figures with comprehensive

descriptions and explanations from both coursebooks are provided in order to provide a

detailed picture of the subject. Regarding the issue of providing discrepant information, it is

possible to see teachers’ implications that are inconsistent with each other, which proves that

the reflections of individuals are unique.

In terms of reliability, this study adopts the method that Schreier (2012, p. 167) calls

“comparisons across persons”. This is also called interrater reliability (Miles & Huberman,

55
1994). It can be defined as “…the extent to which two or more individuals (coders or raters)

agree” (Marques & McCall, 2005, p. 442). In other words, the aim of qualitative studies is

not to reach the full agreement because as Schreier (2012, p. 167) suggests, “reliability is

always a matter of degree”. Namely, any kind of agreement plays a vital role in qualitative

studies (McDonald, Schoenebeck & Forte, 2019) because such studies do not try to reach

concrete truths. In this regard, this qualitative study utilizes the formula

(reliability=agreement/agreement+disagreement) offered by Miles and Huberman (1994).

According to this calculation, the agreement rate was calculated as % 97.

56
 CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

There are two primary aims of this study. Firstly, this study aims to investigate the content

of the 9th and 10th grade English coursebooks by the MoNE in terms of compliance with

technology. Secondly, this study seeks to explore the opinions of upper secondary school

teachers of English on technology integration into present coursebooks and their classroom

practices accordingly.

This study is guided by the research questions below:

1. How is technology integrated into the content of the 9th and 10th grade English

coursebooks used in Turkey?

2. What type of technology-integrated activities do English coursebooks used in the 9th and

10th grade in Turkey include?

3. What do English teachers think about the content of English coursebooks used in upper

secondary schools in Turkey in terms of technology integration?

4. What do English teachers think about their technology integration practices into the

classroom with regard to present English coursebooks?

57
Findings and Discussion Related to Coursebook Evaluation

The Evaluation of the Coursebook Teenwise

As mentioned earlier, Turkish learners have not achieved the expected level of competency

in English over the last few decades. Thus, their English proficiency levels have been

repeatedly ranked rather low by global criteria (Solhi et al., 2020). This has increased the

need for evaluating the effectiveness of language education in Turkey. In this regard,

coursebooks have been attracting a lot of interest because there is evidence that coursebooks

have been extensively used in language teaching and learning. Thus, the role they have in

teaching and learning processes is worth investigating. However, this study could not

address the relevant literature comprehensively while assessing technology integration into

present coursebooks since, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, previously published

studies do not give sufficient consideration to the subject of technology integration into

English coursebooks. Therefore, the existing accounts are systematically reviewed in order

to shed light on the matter as much as possible. Having provided an overview of the

evaluation process, it is now important to particularize the process.

This study investigates the coursebook Teenwise by the MoNE for the 9th grade and the

coursebook Count Me In by the MoNE for the10th grade. Before proceeding to scrutinize the

coursebooks Teenwise and Count Me In in greater detail, it is important to gain a brief

account of the general framework of coursebooks in Turkey. Coursebooks prepared for

public schools in Turkey are distributed to students and teachers without any charge.

Regarding English coursebooks prepared for public schools in Turkey, they are mostly

written and edited by Turkish writers. The English coursebooks are expected to follow the

principles of the national curriculum. Thus, the national curriculum of Turkey is to serve as

a roadmap for preparing English coursebooks. As detailed earlier, this study attempts to

examine the relationship between coursebook content and technology integration. Therefore,

it is unable to scrutinize the entire content of the national curriculum. However, it tries to

58
focus on technology-related principles of the national curriculum provided by the MoNE to

see whether the principles are implemented or not. Because this could be helpful for

developing a better understanding of the relationship between coursebook content and

technology as there is mounting evidence that there is a robust link between coursebook

content and curriculum.

According to the MoNE (2018), materials/tasks used for the 9th - 12th grades are expected to

support the use of digital technologies. To investigate this principle, an evaluation checklist

is constructed as mentioned earlier. Thus, what follows is an account of the investigation of

the coursebook Teenwise for the 9th grade in this regard.

The coursebook Teenwise is a coursebook prepared for the 9th grade in public upper

secondary schools in Turkey. Table 5 below displays the general features of the coursebook

Teenwise.

Table 5
General Features of the Coursebook Teenwise
Name of the coursebook: Teenwise
Publishing house: The MoNE
Publication year: 2019
Level: A1/A2
Edition: 1. Edition
Total number of the pages: 142
Total number of the themes: 10

The content begins with the contents page. Following the contents page, a table of contents

with greater detail is provided. In this section, it is possible to find what each theme includes

in terms of function, grammar, vocabulary, listening and reading, speaking and writing, and

pronunciation. There are ten themes in total. The term theme in the coursebook has been

used to refer to the term unit.

59
Before the cover page of the first theme, there is an overview page providing some basic

guidelines for the elements within the coursebook and some justifications or explanations

for the specific choices in the coursebook content. For example, regarding a basic guideline,

there is a line drawn from a small-scale exemplar cover page of the fourth theme showing

that the name and number of the theme are at the top of the page. Regarding a justification,

it is stated that eye-catching visuals are selected in order to attract the attention of students.

An example for explanation is that it is stated student comprehension is checked through

miscellaneous exercises in the coursebook. In sum, the overview page aims at providing a

quick understanding of the coursebook content by indicating some exemplar fractions taken

from themes 4 and 3.

At the bottom line on the overview page, there are two figures as the figure below displays.

Figure 3. Figures on the overview page of the coursebook Teenwise

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

The figure illustrated with a headphone symbol means that students are expected to listen to

some audio materials. Subsequently, they are expected to complete the activities related to

the audio materials. The 2-d barcode figure means that students can access digital materials

related to each theme through using 2-d barcodes. The cover page of each theme includes a

2-d barcode and each theme has listening activities highlighted with a headphone symbol.

These symbols on the overview page can be regarded as useful guidelines for students as

they provide a quick what-to-do instruction.

Each theme has two main sections called A and B. For example, there are sections 3A and

3B for the 3rd theme. Both sections have two main titles called listening & speaking and

reading & writing. Even though language components such as grammar, vocabulary, and

60
pronunciation are separately indicated on the table of contents page, they fall under the broad

headings of those two titles in the coursebook content. Thus, this study follows the

framework of coursebook content because establishing the characteristics of activities is

beyond the scope of this study. However, it should be bear in mind that even though

pronunciation activities are mostly included in the parts of reading & writing in the

coursebook content, this study encompasses them as a subject of investigation within the

parts of listening & speaking.

Having briefly mentioned the common features of the themes, it is now necessary to

particularly delve into each theme. As previously indicated, the cover page of the first theme

titled Studying Abroad has a 2-d barcode. When scanning the barcode, the website EBA

comes up. This page provides its content under ten headings referring to each theme. What

follows is a screenshot of the page opening when any 2-d barcode in the themes is scanned.

Figure 4. The website opening when 2-d barcodes in the coursebook Teenwise get scanned
(Retrieved from http://kitap.eba.gov.tr/panel/json/karekodBilgisi.php?KOD=7189 , on 02.05.2022)

61
The e-content of the first theme Studying Abroad opens up without clicking it even though

a 2-d barcode gets scanned in any other theme. However, these can be concealed by clicking

on the title of Studying Abroad at the top of the page. As previously indicated, there are ten

themes in the coursebook. Each theme on the website has its e-content available. As can be

seen from the figure above, the descriptions for each e-content are given in Turkish.

Therefore, their English equivalents are provided through a division slash in the tables. In

addition, the content of the presentations is the same as that of the video lectures. What

follows is a description of the e-content in each theme.

Table 6
The E-content of the First Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 1. Studying Abroad
Studying Abroad Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
Studying Abroad Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
Studying Abroad Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Studying Abroad Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Studying Abroad Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Studying Abroad Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen, there are three different types of e-content on the website. Content

summaries can be regarded as one-page summaries of related themes. Video lectures by a

teacher are recordings of lectures related to themes. Presentations are the PowerPoint

versions of related video lectures.

As mentioned earlier, each theme is classified into A and B in the coursebook. In addition,

both section A and section B have the listening & speaking and the reading & writing

divisions. Each theme starts with the listening & speaking division of section A. Secondly,

it continues with the reading & writing division of section A. Then, themes continue with

the listening & speaking division of section B. Finally, the reading & writing division of

section B is placed at the end of each theme. The division of reading & writing in B sections

ends with two separate parts which are game time and check yourself. The part game time

only includes an instruction sentence such as Play ‘’The Picture Game’’. Regarding the part
62
check yourself, it is for students to evaluate themselves in terms of their competencies for

each theme. There are one, two, and three smiley figures respectively in the evaluation

column of the check yourself part. These two parts are not taken into account as activities in

this study.

Regarding the e-content provided by the EBA, there are some drawbacks. As indicated

earlier, there is a predetermined pattern that the content of coursebooks adopts for practical

implementation (Hişmanoğlu, 2011; Howard and Major, 2004; Solhi et al., 2020). The

coursebook Teenwise has also comprised a pre-established order for its content. However,

the e-content on the website does not have a fixed order. The order changes when the website

is refreshed or opened via different digital tools. For example, what follows is an illustration

of the same website shown in the fifth figure when it is opened using a mobile device.

Figure 5. The website opening when 2-d barcodes in the coursebook Teenwise gets scanned
using a mobile device
(Retrieved from http://kitap.eba.gov.tr/panel/json/karekodBilgisi.php?KOD=7189 ,on 02.05.2022)

As can be seen from figure 5, the order is different from the one in figure 4. The section

below describes the e-content for each theme available on the website. As indicated earlier,

the order that each theme has could differ. In the following pages, the tables are filled using

the website opened on the computer. One should bear in mind that the order given in the

tables could change when the page is accessed through a mobile device or refreshed on any

digital device.

63
Table 7
The E-content of the Second, Third, and Fourth Themes in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 2. My Environment
My Environment Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
My Environment Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
My Environment Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
My Environment Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
My Environment Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
My Environment Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

Theme 3. Movies
Movies Gazete Özeti Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Movies Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Movies Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Movies Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Movies Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Movies Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

Theme 4. Human in Nature

Human in Nature Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Human in Nature Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Human in Nature Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Human in Nature Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Human in Nature Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Human in Nature Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from the second, third, and fourth themes, the e-content starts with content

summaries. Even though the coursebook content and e-content for the first theme have

categories such as A and B, no specific part is indicated on the webpage for the content

summaries of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th themes. This discrepancy could seem perplexing to students

as initial investigations suggest that there is no coherent and predictable pattern adopted by

the website. In other words, the website fails to provide standardized content.

64
Having provided these content summaries, a video lecture and a presentation version of the

video lecture have been provided for both part A and part B respectively. The table below

displays the e-content of the fifth theme in the coursebook Teenwise.

Table 8
The E-content of the Fifth Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 5. Inspirational People
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Videosu / A revision video lecture 1 (for themes 1-5)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A revision presentation 1 (for themes 1-5)
Inspirational People Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Videosu / A revision video lecture 2 (for themes 1-5)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A revision presentation 2 (for themes 1-5)
Inspirational People Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Inspirational People Gazete Özeti / A revision content summary (no specific theme
indicated)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Inspirational People Gazete Özeti / A revision content summary (no specific theme
indicated)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Inspirational People Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from theme 5, a revision video lecture 1 and a revision presentation 1 have

been provided for themes 1-5. Next, a content summary is provided without any emphasis

on the parts. Then, a revision video lecture 2 and a revision presentation 2 have been

provided for themes 1-5. After that, a content summary and a revision content summary are

provided without any emphasis on the parts. Finally, a video lecture and a presentation

version of the video lecture have been provided for part A. This is followed by a revision

content summary. The e-content for theme 5 ends with a video lecture and a presentation

version of the video lecture prepared for part B. As can be seen, the fifth theme attempts to

address the previous themes at first, providing revision video lectures, revision presentations,

65
and revision content summaries. Subsequently, the content of the fifth theme, which is

Inspirational People, is delivered as in the other themes.

The table below displays the e-content of the following themes in the coursebook.

Table 9
The E-content of the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Themes in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 6. Bridging Cultures
Bridging Cultures Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
Bridging Cultures Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
Bridging Cultures Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Bridging Cultures Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Bridging Cultures Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Bridging Cultures Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)
Theme 7. World Heritages
World Heritages Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
World Heritages Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
World Heritages Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
World Heritages Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
World Heritages Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
World Heritages Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)
Theme 8. Emergency and Health Problems
Emergency and Health Problems Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
Emergency and Health Problems Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
Emergency and Health Problems Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Emergency and Health Problems Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Emergency and Health Problems Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Emergency and Health Problems Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from themes 6, 7, and 8, the e-content begins with content summaries for

parts A and B on the website. However, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th themes do not indicate any

specific parts for content summaries. Thus, it is not possible to mention a systematic

organization for content summaries on the website. Turning back to the investigation for

66
themes 6, 7, and 8, a video lecture and a presentation version of the video lecture have been

provided for both part A and part B respectively. The tables below display the e-content of

the ninth and tenth themes in the coursebook.

Table 10
The E-content of the Ninth Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 9. Invitations and Celebrations
Invitations and Celebrations Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
Invitations and Celebrations Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
Invitations and Celebrations Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Invitations and Celebrations Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Invitations and Celebrations Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)

Similarly, the e-content of the 9th theme starts with content summaries of parts A and B on

the website. Next, a video lecture and a presentation version of the video lecture have been

provided for part A. Then, a video lecture has been provided for part B. However, a

presentation version of the related video lecture for part B is missing.

Table 11
The E-content of the Tenth Theme in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 10. Television and Social Media
Television and Social Media Soru Çözüm Videosu / A revision video lecture (for themes 6-10)
Television and Social Media Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
Television and Social Media Revision / A revision presentation (for themes 6-10)
Television and Social Media Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
Television and Social Media Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Television and Social Media Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Television and Social Media Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Television and Social Media Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from theme 10, a revision video lecture for themes 6-10 is provided first.

Then, a content summary for part A is provided. Next, a presentation version of the revision

video lecture is provided. After that, a content summary for part B is provided. Finally, a

video lecture and a presentation version of the video lecture have been provided for both part

67
A and part B respectively. Similar to the 5th theme, the 10th theme tries to address the last 5

themes by providing revision video lectures, revision presentations, and revision content

summaries. In this section, it has been explained that 2-d barcodes in the coursebook content

provide learners with three different types of e-content. These are content summaries, video

lectures, and PowerPoint presentations.

Taken together, these implications can best be treated under two main headings: strengths

and weaknesses. Regarding the weaknesses, the order of the e-content is not stable and

coherent. Namely, the order on the website changes when the page is accessed through a

mobile device or refreshed on any digital device, thereby failing to offer a systematic

framework for studying. Building on this finding, it is valuable to consider making necessary

arrangements in order to enrich the educational affordances provided by the EBA. In this

respect, this finding seems to be consistent with other research which found that the FATİH

project should provide more convenient and feasible content as the EBA is one of the most

important constituents of the FATİH Project. Secondly, a presentation version of the related

video lecture for part B is missing in the 9th theme. This finding is in line with those of Kızılet

and Özmen (2017) who have also found that there is no video for the 11th graders on the

EBA. Namely, this accords with earlier observations, which indicate that there is a lack of

appropriate content for each grade on the EBA (Milla et al., 2019). Additionally, A and B

parts are indicated in some of the themes on the website whereas they are not specifically

indicated in some of the themes, thus creating confusion and incoherence as the coursebook

content has been designed in tandem with the abovementioned distinction.

Regarding the strengths, the e-content contributes to the coursebook content because the

video lectures and presentations have the same content as that in the coursebook. In this

regard, being exposed to the same input recurrently might facilitate the attainment of

learning outcomes.

Secondly, content summaries provide learners with an overview of the subjects, thus

promoting learning through well-organized content in coherence with the subjects. Thirdly,

the e-content is accessible from any place in which there is an internet connection and a
68
digital device. Thus, the coursebook content can be accessed and studied outside of the

classroom. In this regard, it is reasonable to suggest that this implication is in line with those

of Milla et al. (2019) who confirm that online educational resources afford flexibility both

within and out of the classroom anytime.

Having provided an overview of the e-content for each theme, capturing a detailed picture

of them is an essential next step in throwing light on their characteristics associated with

technology. Thus, what follows provides an example of a content summary, a video lecture,

and a presentation taken from the website.

Figure 6. An example of a content summary

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/KonuOzetiGoster.aspx?Id=565, on 02.05.2022)

As can be seen from the figure above, content summaries have mostly a focus on forms.

Namely, a traditional approach is adopted as the aim is to highlight the target linguistic

elements explicitly. It can thus be suggested that these parts predominantly adopt grammar-

translation methodologies since students are provided with deductive explanations and

69
examples for specific rules of grammar. In addition, such explanations and examples are

given in learners’ native language which is Turkish. Thus, this again proves that content

summaries adopt the grammar-translation approach. Expectedly, there are both strengths and

weaknesses to adopting a deductive approach to teaching grammar rules (see Thornbury,

1999). Mainly, it is a time-saving approach indicating the rules straightforwardly. However,

this leaves very little room for students’ exploration, thus giving rise to a spoon-feeding

approach. In this regard, it would be more useful to make use of inductive approaches as

well since there is not the best approach.

In addition, this observation displays that the summaries include some phrases and sentences

written in bold letters with the aim of making the input more noticeable. Thus, this is in line

with the noticing hypothesis (see Schmidt, 1990) as the aim is to underscore some specific

elements through typographical enhancement which is bolding words in this case. In sum,

content summaries embracing a traditional approach provide a brief overview of the

grammar subjects with related examples and questions. Regarding the SAMR model, content

summaries are within the substitution level as they afford grammar rules without providing

any functional contribution. Namely, the content of those summaries could be provided as a

printout instead of a digital format without undergoing any tangible change.

Figure 7. An example of a video lecture

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/ebatv-ogm/VideoGoster.aspx?Id=1963, on 02.05.2022)

70
As can be seen from the figure above, this is an example of one of the video lectures provided

by the EBA. Teachers in the video lectures teach the same content as that in the coursebook.

For example, what the teacher above is teaching is on the 74th page of the 9th coursebook

Teenwise. In this respect, exposure to the same input could potentially facilitate learning as

a reasonable amount of input is needed for learning to take place.

In addition, these video lectures are in line with the hypotheses regarding simplified

registers. Among simplified registers encompassing foreigner talk and teacher talk, these

video lectures include teacher talk as there is no native speaker in these videos. Namely,

these video lectures are in accord with studies (e.g. Henzl, 1979) indicating that teachers

adjust the rate of their speech aligned with the learners’ proficiency levels. Since this is not

an interactive lecture, it is reasonable to suggest that teacher could make an extra effort to

make the input more comprehensible. This is what Krashen (1985) names the

comprehensible input hypothesis. In this regard, the input can be regarded as pre-modified

since the language is being simplified by a teacher. Namely, the philosophies and

implications of these video lectures are in line with the input hypothesis whereas they are

contrary to the interaction hypothesis (see Long, 1983, 1996) since there is no negotiation of

meaning. As a result, it is not possible to apply interactional strategies such as output

prompting strategies or input providing strategies. In this regard, it is not possible to mention

any “pushed output” (see Swain, 1985). In other words, video lectures do inherently make

the learners stay as passive receivers of knowledge, thus exhausting the productive part of

the language learning process even though they are useful for providing comprehensible

input outside of the classroom. Thus, there is no room for social/affective learning strategies

in these video lectures as such strategies include asking to or learning from the more

competent one (see Chamot, 1990). In this respect, metacognitive and cognitive strategies

are expectedly underscored in video lectures as they deal with cognitive aspects of learning

instead of focusing on social aspects of learning. These results are consistent with those of

Kızılet and Özmen (2017) who indicate that the e-content on the EBA is not interactive or

convenient except for some specific web portals within the FATİH Project. Nonetheless,

71
video lectures can be regarded as a praiseworthy attempt, especially in today’s world where

education is much beyond the classroom. Furthermore, the nature and extent of these video

lectures provide some support for the theory of multiple intelligences (see Gardner, 1983) as

they afford both visual, written, and audio materials, thus addressing more learners with

different types of intelligence through multisensory instructions.

In addition, since the content of video lectures is the same as that in the coursebooks, this

can be regarded as the substitution level of the SAMR model as it is the basic use of

technology without any significant improvement in the processes of teaching and learning.

However, it is possible to identify an implication for the augmentation level of the SAMR

model as there is contribution through some functions such as simplified registers, icebreaker

questions, and input enhancement through intonation by the teacher, all of which lie beyond

the pure existence of the soft copies of the related materials.

Figure 8. An example of a presentation

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/SunuGoster.aspx?Id=245 , on 02.05.2022)

72
As can be seen from the figure above, this is a presentation version of a related video lecture.

Similarly, it is within the substitution level as it provides soft copies for the related

coursebook content. In addition, these presentations provide opportunities for answer checks

because coursebooks do not include any answer keys. Even though the video lectures also

provide correct answers, the presentations could be more time-saving and organized for the

ones who do not have time to check all of the content in video lectures. Furthermore, learners

can print the documents that they want to study as the files are in PowerPoint format.

Overall, it would be reasonable to suggest that there are attempts to integrate technology into

coursebooks as the national curriculum offers. In this regard, it is admirable that each theme

has a 2-d barcode offering different types of e-content. Even though the e-content for each

theme is mainly within the substitution level, they potentially make several contributions to

the coursebook content, thus encompassing a set of principles from the augmentation level

as well. First of all, they enable learners to study the same content in the coursebook outside

of the classroom. This finding is consistent with that of Şahin (2020) who indicates that one

of the affordances that coursebooks yield is to enable learners to learn outside of the

classroom. In this respect, learners have opportunities for organizing and managing their

learning processes through the use of digital coursebooks and their complementary

resources, thus becoming more autonomous and self-directed learners. This finding is also

reported by Tomlinson (2008) who has suggested that language learning materials contribute

to learner autonomy and encourage individual learning experiences.

Regarding the design of the website, it needs to be better organized as there is no coherent

and user-friendly interface. For example, the e-content for the 1st theme opens up anytime

when a 2-d barcode for any other theme is scanned in the coursebook. Also, a particular

order for the e-content of each theme is needed in order to have a particular standard. On the

other hand, content summaries could be regarded as useful sources for yielding a quick

understanding of the grammar rules as they provide an overview of the related subjects in

the coursebook. However, the format in which content summaries are presented should be

73
standardized because presenting content summaries in an inconsistent way might cause an

inconvenience.

Language Skills and Components in the Coursebook Teenwise

On the table of contents page, language components such as grammar, vocabulary, and

pronunciation are separately indicated. However, they fall under the two broad headings of

listening & speaking and reading & writing in the coursebook content. Concerning the

common features shared by all of the themes, there is a section called Wise Up at the end of

every A part. This section includes a reading text and questions related to the text. Thus, this

section is included in the reading & writing parts even though it is not enumerated as other

reading activities in the coursebook. In addition, all themes have game time and check

yourself parts at the end of B parts. There is no technology integration in those parts and they

are not enumerated like other activities as figure 10 displays. Thus, they are not included as

activities in this study. What follows is an example of those parts from the coursebook.

Figure 9. An example of the game time and check yourself parts from the coursebook
Teenwise
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf , on 02.05.2022)

In the 9th grade coursebook Teenwise, there are two topics in each theme. Each topic has

listening & speaking and reading & writing divisions. As indicated earlier, establishing the

characteristics of activities is beyond the scope of this study. Therefore, the activities are

categorized into the language skills based on the coursebook framework and the number of

74
technology integrated activities is indicated for each theme. However, even though

pronunciation activities are mostly included in the parts of reading & writing in the

coursebook content, this study encompasses them as a subject of investigation within the

parts of listening & speaking.

In this regard, what follows is the distribution of activities in the coursebook.

Table 12
The Distribution of the Activities in the Coursebook Teenwise
Theme 1. Studying Abroad
A. Two Birds with one Stone B. Great to be Here
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
8 activities 9 activities 7 activities 8 activities

Number of technology-integrated activities

4 activities - 3 activities -

Theme 2. My Environment
A. Can I Come in? B. My Neighbourhood
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
7 activities 8 activities 7 activities 7 activities
Number of technology-integrated activities

2 activities - 4 activities -

Theme 3. Movies
A. You are what You Watch! B. Do what You Love!
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
7 activities 7 activities 8 activities 7 activities

Number of technology-integrated activities

2 activities - 3 activities -

Theme 4. Human in Nature

A. Allow Nature to Take its Course! B. Live on the Edge!
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
6 activities 9 activities 7 activities 7 activities
1 assignment
Number of technology-integrated activities

3 activities - 3 activities 1 assignment

75
 Theme 5. Inspirational People
A. The Crème de la Crème B. Your Personality, Your Power
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
7 activities 8 activities 7 activities 4 activities
1 assignment
Number of technology-integrated activities

2 activities - 3 activities 1 assignment

Theme 6. Bridging Cultures

A. Global Understanding B. Four Corners of the World
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
7 activities 7 activities 7 activities 7 activities
1 assignment
Number of technology-integrated activities

3 activities 1 assignment 4 activities -

Theme 7. World Heritage
A. Artistry behind the Wonders B. World itself is the Wonder
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
7 activities 7 activities 6 activities 8 activities
1 assignment
Number of technology-integrated activities

3 activities 1 assignment 3 activities -

Theme 8. Emergency and Health Problems

A. Health; the Best Wealth B. Better Safe than Sorry
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
6 activities 8 activities 9 activities 8 activities
1 assignment
Number of technology-integrated activities

2 activities - 4 activities 1 assignment

Theme 9. Invitations and Celebrations
A. Let’s Throw a Party! B. Shop & Feast
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
7 activities 8 activities 7 activities 8 activities
Number of technology-integrated activities

2 activities - 3 activities -

Theme 10. Television and Social Media

A. Digital Diet B. What’s on TV Tonight?
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
6 activities 8 activities 9 activities 5 activities
Number of technology-integrated activities

2 activities - 3 activities -

76
As can be seen from the table above, there is a relatively well-balanced distribution of the

activities regarding the listening & speaking and reading & writing parts. However, it is clear

that there are no technology-integrated activities in the reading & writing parts. Instead, there

is a limited number of technology-integrated assignments in those parts. In addition, a

specific section for assignments is not given in the tables since there is a small number of

assignments that have been investigated in greater detail in the following pages.

Returning to the language skills and components, the technology-integrated activities are not

evenly distributed in terms of the language skills and components. It can be suggested that

listening & speaking skills are mostly supported through the use of technology whereas

reading & writing skills are mostly neglected. For this reason, pronunciation learning is

fostered whereas the other components such as vocabulary and grammar are relatively left

behind. In this regard, it is possible to see the effects of the direct method and audio-lingual

method in the technology-integrated activities as listening and speaking skills receive most

of the attention in those teaching methods. Having provided an overview of the language

skills in tandem with the coursebook content, it is now important to delve into the activities

and assignments.

Activities and Assignments in the Coursebook Teenwise

Previously, the language skills and components in the coursebook content are scrutinized in

terms of technology integration. However, a deeper understanding of the relationship

between coursebook content and technology lies beyond the pure investigation of the

language skills and components. Therefore, what is needed is a detailed investigation of the

activities and assignments in the coursebook. As can be seen from the table below, the total

number of activities/assignments across the two main distinctions of language skills is

relatively well-balanced whereas there is not a well-balanced distribution in the total number

of technology-integrated activities/assignments.

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Table 13
Total Number of Activities/Assignments and Technology-Integrated Activities/Assignments
in the Coursebook Teenwise
Total Number of Activities/Assignments
Listening & Speaking Reading & Writing
145 activities 148 activities
1 assignment 5 assignments
Total Number of Technology-Integrated Activities/Assignments
57 activities, 1 assignment 5 assignments

To start with the number of assignments, there are 6 assignments in total, all of which are

technology-integrated. Regarding listening & speaking parts, more than one-third of the

activities are technology-integrated. However, technology integration in listening &

speaking parts is mostly limited to audio recordings which have been investigated in detail

in the following pages. There is just one technology-integrated assignment in this part.

Regarding reading & writing parts, there is not technology-integrated activity. There are 5

assignments in total in those parts, all of which are technology-integrated. In sum, there are

57 technology-integrated activities out of 293 activities. Again, this displays that the direct

method and audio-lingual method are placed on the technology-integrated activities since

technology-integrated activities are mostly limited to audio recordings in the listening parts.

Regarding the language learning perspectives, it is reasonable to suggest that the behaviorist

perspective is predominantly highlighted in the technology-integrated activities because

pronunciation sections frequently include “listen and practice” parts. In this regard, it is

reasonable to infer that technology-integrated activities in the coursebook do not really

embrace the cognitive and interactionist perspectives. In the same vein, they do not embody

what Ortega (2007) calls the cognitive-interactionist perspective as there are three

requirements offered by this perspective. This perspective embodies three concepts which

are interaction, meaning, and task. This means that if a practice is interactive, meaningful,

and task-essential, it can be regarded that it has roots in the cognitive-interactionist

perspective. However, technology-integrated activities in the coursebook mostly adopt the

behaviorist perspective because they are not interactive and meaning-focused as indicated

78
earlier. In this regard, a more detailed account of the activities and assignments is discussed

in the following pages. Table 14 below displays the types of technology-integrated

activities/assignments in the coursebook Teenwise.

Table 14
Number of the Types of Technology-Integrated Activities/Assignments in the Coursebook
Teenwise
Controlled 56 activities
Semi-controlled 1 activity - 6 assignments
Free -

As can be seen from the table above, there is not free activity/assignment among technology-

integrated activities/assignments. Regarding the assignments, all of them are semi-controlled

as investigated in detail in the following pages. Among 57 activities, one of them is a semi-

controlled activity whereas the rest are controlled activities. As can be inferred, there is no

room for students’ creative production in the technology-integrated activities as they do not

include any free activity. In this regard, it is reasonable to suggest that the technology-

integrated activities are not in line with current teaching approaches such as the task-based

approach or communicative language teaching method since these kinds of approaches

appreciate the creative use of language in the learning process. What is supported here is the

audio-lingual method as nearly all of the activities include “listen and practice” or “listen

and choose the correct one” sessions. Namely, nearly all of the technology-integrated

activities are in accord with the natural order hypothesis because listening is initially

emphasized whereas the other language skills and related components are relatively left

behind within the technology-integrated activities. As can be seen from the table below, the

types of ICT tools adopted in this study are taken from the categorization of Luo and Lei

(2012) as detailed earlier in the methodology part.

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Table 15
Number of the Types of ICT Tools for Technology Integrated Activities/Assignments in the
Coursebook Teenwise
Educational Networking -
Web-based Learning 6 assignments
Mobile Learning -
Classroom Equipment 57 activities

Among the types of ICT tools, there is not an example for educational networking and mobile

learning in the coursebook content because all of the activities require the use of smartboard

as a classroom equipment. Regarding the assignments, all of them require the use of the

internet because they are out-of-class activities that need to be searched on the net.

First of all, nearly all of the technology-integrated activities are based on audio recordings

in the speaking & listening parts or out-of-class assignments given in the reading & writing

parts mostly. Secondly, there is almost no room for creative tasks through the use of digital

resources as the types of ICT tools are limited to the heavy dependence on classroom

equipment as a type of ICT tool. Thirdly, the assignments given as an out-of-class activity

are limited to the information search on the net or preparing presentations using PowerPoint.

In other words, technology is not an insider enriching teaching and learning processes.

Instead, it is an outsider playing an average role in the teaching and learning processes

without providing sufficient pedagogical affordances. This finding is in agreement with

Hişmanoğlu’s (2011) findings which show that the implementation of digital tools in

language classrooms is limited to CD-ROM, DVD, internet access, and a few types of

auditory materials. Thus, it would be reasonable to infer that technological affordances in

coursebooks are still like raw ingredients requiring some nourishment. In sum, these results

reflect that of Çebi (2018) who has reported that English coursebooks used in the Turkish

context are not entirely aligned with digital technologies. In this regard, there could be

several reasons why educational networking and mobile learning are not supported as

technological affordances in the coursebook. First of all, creating educational networking is

a demanding task because it requires the implications of the third level of the SAMR model,

80
which is modification. As mentioned earlier, this level includes the use of learning

management systems (LMSs) as this level reshapes the learning experiences through the

significant amount of technology use. Even though teachers might personally adopt the use

of LMSs as a complementary out-of-class learning tool, the coursebook content does not

have any implication or guidance in this regard. Thus, it is reasonable to infer that the

coursebook content does not support the modification level of the SAMR model since there

is not an opportunity for students to study collaboratively on an online educational platform.

Secondly, the use of mobile devices in classroom settings might be problematic since the

devices could be used out-of-the learning purposes or students might not have any proper

device for use. Admittedly, those drawbacks could be overcome by the advantages of using

mobile devices in language education. However, designing an effective instructional

environment in which students benefit from mobile learning would be a more challenging

task compared to adopting an instructional environment in which digital classroom

equipment is collectively utilized for language learning purposes. This is especially the case

in which there is a crowded population in the classroom. Namely, using classroom

equipment in tutored settings and supporting web-based learning for out-of-class activities

could initially be more practical and feasible. On the other hand, they do not provide many

opportunities for the implementation of the second layer of the SAMR model, thus leaving

no room for creation, evaluation, and analysis as higher-order thinking skills regarding

Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy.

On the other hand, what differs from the finding presented here is that Solhi et al. (2021)

have found out English coursebooks used in upper secondary schools include some sections

enabling students to create e-portfolios or personal websites. Even though technology-

integrated activities in the coursebook Teenwise yield some opportunities for

personalization, this study is unable to demonstrate the existence of any activity including

the design of e-portfolios or personal websites.

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Thus far, a brief overview of technology-integrated activities and assignments in the

coursebook is given. What follows is a detailed investigation of technology-integrated

activities taken from the coursebook as examples.

Figure 10. An example listening activity from the coursebook Teenwise

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf , on 02.05.2022)

As mentioned earlier, technology integration in the coursebook is mostly based on the

listening activities that are controlled. As can be seen from the figure above, this is an

example of one of the listening activities. In this activity, students are expected to listen to

the related audio material from the smartboard and answer the questions relatedly. As can

be seen, the use of technology is based on the use of smartboards as digital equipment in the

classroom. In addition, there is no instruction that provides learners with an opportunity for

choosing the digital device for listening activities even though it is possible to access the

audio recordings available on the EBA from personal devices such as smartphones or

computers, which is investigated in the following pages. Instead, audio recordings on the

EBA are perceived as an out-of-class material that compensates for the missing courses or

as rehearsal material that could be achieved out of the classroom because mobile learning is

not supported in the coursebook content. Thus, smartboards remain the only source for

listening activities in the classroom.

What follows is an example of a technology-integrated assignment.

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Figure 11. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

As mentioned earlier, all of the assignments support web-based learning as a type of ICT

tool. In this regard, they are within the augmentation level as there are functional benefits

that ensue from the use of technology. In the example above, students are expected to search

for an explorer on the internet and write a paragraph in tandem with the instructions given.

As can be seen, technology-integrated assignments fall under the heading of semi-controlled

activities/assignments. The reason is that students have some freedom in what to search and

write about whereas they do not have a complete opportunity for choosing the subject or

focus of their assignment. However, using guidance questions might be helpful for students

as they might need specific instructions for their choices of information. This assignment

above seems reasonable as it relatively has clear instructions and guidance. However, there

are some other assignments that need to be scrutinized more. For instance, the assignment

below is another example of a semi-controlled, technology-integrated assignment based on

web-based learning.

83
Figure 12. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

As can be seen, there is some guidance for the preparation of the assignment. For example,

the points that students are expected to focus on have been indicated. In addition, a part of

an example text is given. However, there is no word or paragraph limit as in the previous

activity. In the same vein, no time limit is indicated in the second part of the assignment that

instructs students to make a short presentation on their subject. In addition, the term web 2.0

tools might seem unfamiliar to them even if they are actually active users of such tools.

Nonetheless, this type of assignment could be useful for promoting language skills and

components as students are expected to both prepare a written material and present this

material orally. In this regard, the issues of timing, word limit, and the meaning of web 2.0

tools need to be clarified.

Figure 13. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise

Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf , on 02.05.2022

The assignment above is from the 8th theme which is related to emergencies. First of all, it

is a semi-controlled and technology-integrated assignment. However, the instruction is

inadequate as there are a lot of EU countries that one cannot look up for all the countries that

belong to it. This assignment could be better personalized so that one can look up her/his

favorite country’s emergency service number. However, this type of assignment could be
84
completed through the use of students’ native language as searching on the net for emergency

service numbers does not necessarily require the use of the target language. Thus, this type

of activity could be followed by a post-activity including some complementary tasks such

as discussing the service numbers regarding their lengths or discussing to find the easiest

number to dial. Otherwise, it would not be a meaning-focused assignment promoting the use

of the target language.

Figure 14. An example technology-integrated assignment in the coursebook Teenwise

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

The semi-controlled assignment above is the same as the other technology-integrated

assignments in terms of encompassing web-based learning. What differs is that this

assignment involves group work as can be seen. In this respect, it is reasonable to infer that

sociocultural perspectives are embraced in these types of activities as they require social

interaction. Therefore, it is also possible to mention the zone of proximal development (ZPD)

(Vygotsky, 1978). This developmental area is constructed through social interactions with

more competent users of the target language. In this way, less skilled ones are given

opportunities to construct their knowledge through scaffolding which is an umbrella term

encompassing any assistance or support given to the less skilled ones in the learning process.

In this respect, the ones who are less skilled could direct and mediate their language learning

processes with the help of more knowledgeable ones. While directing and mediating their

language use, they employ private speech which is a type of self-speech to manage their

language use. Also, this activity includes collaborative dialogues which Swain (2006) calls
85
“languaging”. These terms support the idea that dialogues that are carried out collaboratively

have a significant effect on language learning as they construct the knowledge, thus

facilitating language learning. Namely, the activities requiring group work in the coursebook

support the implications for sociocultural approaches.

Having provided a background for the related language learning perspectives, it is now

necessary to mention the related implications for the abovementioned perspectives in the

activity below.

First of all, it would be a reasonable option to make groups of students with a heterogeneous

distribution regarding their language level as the aim is to learn collaboratively. However,

the instructions given are not clear in terms of the roles that can be shared for doing the task.

In the same vein, it is not clear how many people each group can include. Also, there is no

time or word limit indicated in the instruction parts. On the other hand, there are some

educational affordances yielded by the activity. Firstly, it enables learners to work

collaboratively, which is useful for their sociolinguistic, discourse, and strategic

competencies. In addition, searching information on the net in order to have background

knowledge could assist contextual learning as it provides exemplar contexts for learners to

benefit from. Furthermore, filming a script could be an advantageous way for both learners

and teachers. Namely, learners get some opportunities for speaking in the target language

through a meaningful context while teachers get some opportunities for evaluating learners’

communicative competencies through their videos. Overall, these kinds of activities and

assignments are beneficial to promoting language skills if the instructions are given in a

more detailed and clear way.

Even though what follows is not from a technology-integrated activity, the term google there

is worth investigating because it acts as a kind of guidance for web-based learning. What

follows is an account of the pointing system for the quiz in the 9th grade coursebook

Teenwise.

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Figure 15. The pointing system of a quiz in the 8B section in the coursebook Teenwise
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/kwvhopvcqqj.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

As can be seen, there is a sentence such as “you must definitely google what emergency is”.

As a verb, the term google is generally understood to mean searching for information on the

internet. This is a relatively fresh term as it has originated from the advent of computer

technologies. In this regard, it would be a useful way to direct learners to web-based learning.

However, this pointing system of a quiz makes less knowledgeable ones search on the net

whereas it does not direct others to search for something on the net. This system could be

renewed in terms of guiding all of the learners to the internet search in tandem with their

needs. Returning to the pointing system, it seems possible to suggest that the related quiz

requires both having content knowledge about emergencies and comprehending the

questions at the same time. This is one of the issues that needs to be taken into account.

In sum, it can be suggested that technology integration in the coursebook Teenwise is mostly

limited to listening & speaking skills. Therefore, pronunciation skills are highlighted

whereas supporting the other language components such as grammar and vocabulary through

the use of digital technologies is mostly neglected. Expectedly, reading and writing skills are

not given sufficient consideration even though there are some attempts for fostering such

skills through out-of-class assignments. In addition, all of the technology-integrated

activities except one fall under the heading of controlled activities as the responses are

predictable, thus leaving no room for students’ personal choices as well as their creativity.

This finding reflects that of Tomlinson (2008) who has reported that coursebooks inevitably

create very little chance to achieve communicative purposes since the language is

represented in a non-authentic way, which could be overcome through the effective

87
integration of technology into current coursebooks. Moreover, all technology-integrated

activities require the use of a smartboard as a type of ICT tool whereas all technology-

integrated assignments require web-based learning as a type of ICT tool. Regarding the

SAMR model, there are implications for the enhancement level that embraces substitution

and augmentation levels. It can thus be suggested that technology integration in the

coursebook Teenwise is generally limited to the basic use of technology. Namely, technology

does not give rise to higher levels of educational and pedagogical affordances.

Overall, these findings suggest that even though there are noteworthy attempts for

technology integration into the coursebook Teenwise, further attempts are required to

establish a quality standard for effective technology integration. In this respect, these

findings reflect those of Kızılet and Özmen (2017) who have reported that the e-content on

the EBA neither fully aligns with the national curriculum nor meets the global standards with

regard to online learning materials. This view is also supported by Gülbahar (2007) who has

indicated that investments in education technology seem to be failing despite of a substantial

amount of funds allocated for modern technologies. It can therefore be assumed that further

work is needed to improve the quality of technological affordances in the coursebook

Teenwise and the related e-content on the EBA.

Evaluation of the Coursebook Count Me In

The coursebook Count Me In is a coursebook prepared for the 10th grade in public upper

secondary schools in Turkey. Table 16 displays the general features of the coursebook Count

Me In.

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Table 16
General Features of the Coursebook Count Me In
Name of the coursebook: Count Me In
Publishing house: The MoNE
Publication year: not indicated
Level: A2+/B1
Edition: not indicated
Total number of the pages: 144
Total number of the themes: 10

Following the contents page offering a brief review of the language functions for each theme,

the table of contents with greater detail is provided. In this section, it is possible to find what

each theme includes in terms of reading, listening, speaking, writing, pronunciation, and

sample usage. There is not a specific section for vocabulary or grammar. In addition, the

language skills are not given separately or in groups of two like in the 9th grade coursebook.

The term theme in the coursebook has been used to refer to the term unit. There are ten

themes in total. Before the cover page of the first theme, there is an overview page providing

some basic guidelines for the elements within the coursebook content. For example, there is

a line drawn from a small-scale exemplar cover page of the third theme showing that the QR

code of the theme is at the bottom of the page. The term QR code in the coursebook Count

Me In is used to refer to the term 2-d barcode in the coursebook Teenwise. From now on,

the term QR code is used in this study owing to its prevalence. Returning now to the

overview page, there are no explanations for the specific choices in the coursebook as in the

9th grade coursebook. The cover page of each theme includes a QR code and related

functions in brief and each theme has listening activities highlighted with a tapescript

number next to the instructions.

Having briefly indicated the general features of the coursebook Count Me In, it is now

necessary to have an understanding of the e-content for each theme. First of all, the e-content

is similar to that of the 9th grade because the e-content on the website does not have a fixed

89
order. The order changes when the website is refreshed or opened via different digital tools.

Therefore, one should bear in mind that it is possible to have different combinations of

alignment except for the ones indicated by the researcher. What follows is a description of

the e-content in each theme.

Table 17
The E-content of the First Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 1. School Life
School Life Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part A)
School Life Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
School Life Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
School Life Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
School Life Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
School Life Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

Even though the coursebook Count Me In does not have any division of A and B in the

coursebook content, the e-content of all the themes has this distinction. This could lead to

some confusion among learners as it is not possible to mention a coherence between the

coursebook content and the e-content provided by the coursebook.

As can be seen in the table above, the first theme has a content summary, a video lecture,

and a presentation for both part A and part B, which is similar to those of the 9th grade

coursebook. The table below displays the e-content of the second, third, and fourth themes

in the coursebook.

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Table 18
The E-content of the Second, Third, and Fourth Themes in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 2. Plans
Plans Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Plans Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Plans Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Plans Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Plans Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Plans Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

Theme 3. Legendary Figure

Legendary Figure Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Legendary Figure Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Legendary Figure Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Legendary Figure Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Legendary Figure Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Legendary Figure Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

Theme 4. Traditions
Traditions Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Traditions Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Traditions Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Traditions Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Traditions Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Traditions Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from themes 2, 3, and 4, the e-content starts with an overview. However, no

specific part is indicated on the webpage. Then, a video lecture and a presentation version

of the video lecture have been provided for both part A and part B respectively as in the 9th

grade coursebook. What follows is the e-content of the fifth theme.

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Table 19
The E-content of the Fifth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 5. Travel
Travel Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Travel Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Travel Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Travel Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Travel Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)
Travel Ders Anlatım Videosu / A revision video lecture 1 (for themes 1-5)
Travel Gazete Özeti / A revision content summary (no specific theme indicated)
Travel Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A revision presentation 1 (for themes 1-5)
Travel Ders Anlatım Videosu / A revision video lecture 2 (for themes 1-5)
Travel Gazete Özeti / A revision content summary (no specific theme indicated)
Travel Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A revision presentation 2 (for themes 1-5)

As can be seen from theme 5, a content summary is provided without any emphasis on the

parts. Then, a presentation for part A and a video lecture for part B have been provided. After

that, a content summary is provided without any emphasis on the parts. This is followed by

a presentation of part B. After that, a revision video lecture 1 for themes 1-5 and a content

summary without any emphasis on the parts have been provided. This is followed by a

revision presentation 1 for themes 1-5 and a revision video lecture 2 for themes 1-5. Finally,

the e-content for theme 5 ends with a revision content summary and a revision presentation

2 for themes 1-5 respectively.

What follows displays the e-content of the sixth theme in the coursebook.

Table 20
The E-content of the Sixth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 6. Helpful Tips
Helpful Tips Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Helpful Tips Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Helpful Tips Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Helpful Tips Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Helpful Tips Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part B)
Helpful Tips Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

92
As can be seen from theme 6, two content summaries without any emphasis on the parts are

provided first. Then, a video lecture and a presentation version of the video lecture have been

provided for both part A and part B respectively.

The following tables display the e-content of the seventh and eighth themes in the

coursebook.

Table 21
The E-content of the Seventh Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 7. Foods and Festivals
Foods and Festivals Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Foods and Festivals Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated
Foods and Festivals Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (for part A)
Foods and Festivals Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Foods and Festivals Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (not opening)
Foods and Festivals Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from theme 7, two content summaries without any emphasis on the parts are

provided first. Then, a video lecture and a presentation version of the video lecture have been

provided for both part A and part B respectively. However, the video lecture for part B is

not working.

Table 22
The E-content of the Eighth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 8. Digital Era
Digital Era Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Digital Era Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Digital Era Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)
Digital Era Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (not opening)

As can be seen from theme 8, a content summary is provided without any emphasis on the

parts. Then, a presentation is provided for both part A and part B respectively. Lastly, there

is a video lecture without any emphasis on the parts. However, it is not working.

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Table 23
The E-content of the Ninth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 9. Modern Heroes and Heroines
Modern Heroes and Heroines Gazete Özeti / Content summary (no specific part indicated)
Modern Heroes and Heroines Gazete Özeti / Content summary (for part B)
Modern Heroes and Heroines Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (not opening)
Modern Heroes and Heroines Modern Heroes and Heroines Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A
presentation (for part A)
Modern Heroes and Heroines Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (not opening)
Modern Heroes and Heroines Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)

As can be seen from theme 9 above, a content summary without any emphasis on the parts

and a content summary for part B are provided first. Next, a video lecture that is not working

and a presentation for part A are given. Then, a video lecture that is not working and a

presentation for part B are provided.

Table 24
The E-content of the Tenth Theme in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 10. Shopping
Shopping Ders Anlatım Videosu / A revision video lecture 1 (for themes 6-10)
Shopping Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part A)
Shopping Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (not opening)
Shopping Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A presentation (for part B)
Shopping Ders Anlatım Videosu / A video lecture (not opening)
Shopping Ders Anlatım Sunumu / A revision presentation 2 (for themes 6-10)

As can be seen from theme 10 above, a revision video lecture 1 for themes 6-10 is provided

first. Then, a presentation for part A is provided. Next, a video lecture that is not opening is

provided. After that, a presentation for part B is provided. Finally, a video lecture that is not

opening and a revision presentation 2 for themes 6-10 are given.

In sum, it can be inferred that the e-content for the 10th grade coursebook Count Me In is

similar to those of the 9th grade coursebook Teenwise. Namely, three different types of e-

content (content summaries, video lectures, and presentations) are provided by the EBA.

94
However, the order of the e-content changes when the website is refreshed or opened via

different digital tools as in the 9th grade coursebook Teenwise. In addition, the e-content on

the website incoherently has A and B parts even though the coursebook content does not

have such distinction. Namely, some of the themes have such parts whereas the others do

not. Regarding the video lectures, there are some serious drawbacks. For example, the video

lecture for part B in the 7th theme is not opening. In the 8th theme, there is just one video

lecture, which is not working. In the 9th and 10th themes, there are four video lectures in total,

all of which are not opening. In this regard, greater efforts are needed in order to make all

the themes equally satisfactory. Apart from the drawbacks, the e-content has similar

advantages as indicated previously in the evaluation of the coursebook Teenwise.

What follows is a description of the distribution of activities. As can be seen, there are four

main skills given separately in addition to the combination of two language skills under

investigation. The reason is that the coursebook Count Me In does not provide the language

content as listening & speaking and reading & writing as in the 9th coursebook. Even though

there are some language skills and components integrated, the activities are given under the

four broad headings or the combination of two language skills because the coursebook Count

Me In provides its activities based on the abovementioned procedure. The following displays

the distribution of the activities in greater detail.

Language Skills and Components in the Coursebook Count Me In

The following table displays the distribution of the language skills and components in the

coursebook Count Me In.

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Table 25
The Distribution of the Language Skills and Components in the Coursebook Count Me In
Theme 1. School Life
Speaking Reading- Listening- Reading Listening Writing
Speaking Speaking
9 activities 6 activities 3 activities 7 activities 2 activities 2 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
- - 2 activities - 1 activity -
Theme 2. Plans

Speaking Reading- Listening Reading Writing Listening-

Speaking Speaking
5 activities 6 activities 1 activity 6 activities 5 activities 3 activities
Number of technology integrated activities

- - 1 activity - - 2 activities
Theme 3. Legendary Figure

Reading-Speaking Listening- Speaking Reading Writing

Speaking
5 activities 7 activities 7 activities 4 activities 2 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
- 4 activities 1 activity - -
Theme 4. Traditions

Reading Writing Listening- Reading- Speaking Listening

Speaking Speaking
4 activities 4 activities 3 activities 3 activities 4 activities 3 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
- - 2 activities - - 1 activity
Theme 5. Travel

Listening-Speaking Writing Speaking Speaking- Reading

Writing
12 activities 2 activities 4 activities 6 activities 5 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
6 activities - - - -
Theme 6. Helpful Tips

Speaking Reading- Reading- Listening Writing Listening-

Speaking Writing Speaking
5 activities 8 activities 7 activities 5 activities 4 activities 3 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
- - - 2 activities - 2 activities
Theme 7. Food and Festivals

Reading- Speaking- Speaking Reading Listening Listening-

Listening Writing Speaking
5 activities 3 activities 4 activities 6 activities 3 activities 2 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
1 activity - - - 1 activity 2 activities

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 Theme 8. Digital Era

Reading Speaking Reading- Listening- Listening Writing

Writing Speaking
5 activities 3 activities 7 activities 6 activities 2 activities 5 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
- - 1 activity 3 activities 1 activity 1 activity
Theme 9. Modern Heroes and Heroines

Reading Speaking- Listening- Reading Listening

Writing Speaking
5 activities 3 activities 6 activities 5 activities 4 activities
Number of technology integrated activities
- - 2 activities - 2 activities

Theme 10. Shopping

Listening- Speaking Writing Reading

Speaking
9 activities 5 activities 8 activities 2 activities
Number of technology-integrated activities
5 activities - - -

As can be seen from the table above, the extent of technology integration in the coursebook

Count Me In is in line with that of the 9th grade coursebook Teenwise. Predominantly,

technology integration in the coursebook is based on listening and speaking skills. In this

regard, it is reasonable to mention the roots of the audiolingual and direct method in the

technology-integrated activities since what is underscored in those activities is oral language

skills. Nevertheless, there are some attempts for other language skills and components

regarding technology integration. Thus, what follows provides a detailed investigation of the

activities in tandem with the coursebook organization.

Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In

As detailed earlier, establishing the categorization of language skills in the coursebook is

beyond the scope of this study. Therefore, this study adopts the classification of the

coursebook content as shown in the tables in the following pages. Firstly, the four language

skills given separately in the coursebook are indicated. After that, two language skills given

together in the coursebook are shown.

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Table 26
The Distribution of Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In

Total Number of Activities

Reading Writing Listening Speaking

44 activities 32 activities 20 activities 46 activities
Total Number of Technology-Integrated Activities
- 1 activity 9 activities 1 activity

As can be seen, there is no technology-integrated activity in the reading part. On the other

hand, the listening part has 9 technology-integrated activities whereas the writing and

speaking parts have 1 technology-integrated activity. This also accords with the previous

observations in the coursebook Teenwise. Namely, the listening skills are supported through

the use of technology whilst other skills are not given sufficient consideration in this regard.

This finding reflects that of Hişmanoğlu (2011) who has also found that even though current

ICT tools encompass some auditory materials and internet access, the rest of the ICT tools

do not meet the purposes of the coursebook content as they are not related to the content.

Namely, current coursebooks prepared for upper secondary schools aim at improving the

four language skills and the related language components. In other words, coursebooks

provide opportunities for practicing the four language skills and the sub-skills, which are all

necessary for an ordinary language course (Littlejohn, 1992, p. 1). In this regard, it would

be reasonable to add weight to other language skills and related language components since

the aim is to serve the purpose of language learning and language learning should not be

viewed as including superior or inferior language skills and components. What is needed is

to have a relatively well-balanced distribution of language skills and sub-skills that are

fostered with the help of digital technologies.

The table below displays the distribution of integrated activities and technology-integrated

activities within the integrated activities in the coursebook.

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Table 27
The Distribution of Integrated Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In

Total Number of Integrated Activities

Listening- Speaking- Reading- Reading- Reading-

Speaking Writing Writing Speaking Listening
54 activities 12 activities 14 activities 28 activities 5 activities
Total Number of Technology-Integrated Activities
30 activities - 1 activity - 1 activity

Regarding the activities encompassing integrated language skills, the listening-speaking part

almost includes all of the technology-integrated activities. In addition to this part, the

reading-writing part and reading-listening part have 1 technology-integrated activity. The

following table displays the types of technology-integrated activities in the coursebook.

Table 28
Number of the Types of Technology-Integrated Activities in the Coursebook Count Me In
Controlled 40 activities
Semi-controlled 3 activities
Free -

In the case of the types of technology-integrated activities, there is no free activity included

in the coursebook. As can be seen, almost all activities fall under the heading of controlled

activities. The reason is that the technology-integrated activities are generally based on

“listen and answer” type of questions. Nonetheless, this finding differs from the investigation

of the coursebook Teenwise as it has 1 activity and 6 assignments in the part of semi-

controlled, technology-integrated activities/assignments. Contrarily, there is no assignment

given in the coursebook Count Me In whereas it includes 3 semi-controlled technology-

integrated activities.

What follows displays the types of ICT tools for technology-integrated activities.

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Table 29
Number of the Types of ICT Tools for Technology-Integrated Activities
Educational Networking -
Web-based Learning 2 activities
Mobile Learning -
Classroom Equipment 41 activities

Similar to the coursebook Teenwise, the types of ICT tools that the coursebook content

require are mostly limited to the use of classroom equipment, which is a smartboard. There

are only 2 activities that prompt web-based learning. There are no activities containing

educational networking or mobile learning as a type of ICT tool. What follows is one of the

technology-integrated activities.

Figure 16. An example listening activity in the coursebook Count Me In

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/oukuqg4nbft.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

As can be seen above, students are expected to listen and decide whether the sentences given

have a falling or rising intonation. Thus, it is a controlled listening activity promoting

pronunciation skills. In this regard, the listening activities are similar to those of the

coursebook Teenwise as they include audio recordings and related questions. However, what

differs in the coursebook Count Me In is that there are some listening activities that include

some videos and questions related to those videos as shown in the figure below.

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Figure 17. An example activity including a video in the coursebook Count Me In
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/panel/EKitapUniteOnizle.aspx?Id=229&sayfa=92, on
02.05.2022)

In the listening activity above, students are expected to listen to video 7.1 and arrange the

order of given sentences accordingly. However, the digital coursebook does not direct

learners to any video when the related page is opened on the EBA. The reason is that even

though the audio recordings are open access, the videos require learners to sign in to a

platform with their usernames and passwords.

Figure 18. An example technology-integrated activity in the coursebook Count Me In

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/oukuqg4nbft.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

In the activity above, the use of technology is supported even though the direct use of the

internet is not mentioned. However, the activity above directs learners to search for

information on the internet as accessing the book of world records requires the use of the

web, thus promoting web-based learning. In addition, it is reasonable to infer that there is

social learning in this activity since it involves what Swain (2006) calls “collaborative

dialoguing and languaging”. Such activities embrace sociocultural and sociocognitive

approaches since there is a community in which learners get in touch with one another

through problem-solving and filling the information or opinion gap. This kind of

interactional environment could be fostered with the help of technology. However, the

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instruction above is problematic as searching on the net expectedly requires the use of a

digital device. The learners might not be allowed to utilize their mobile phones during the

lesson. Instead, the teacher could search for the required information on the net through the

use of a smartboard in the classroom. However, the issue of access needs to be taken into

consideration as smartboards in the schools could not let access to some websites.

In the activity below, students are expected to work together in creating a collective story.

Figure 19. An example technology-integrated activity in the coursebook Count Me In

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/pdf/oukuqg4nbft.pdf, on 02.05.2022)

While creating the story, they can work as a group or pair as well as an individual. They are

expected to hold discussions with one another and make necessary changes in this

collaborative process. After that, they are expected to arrange their product online. In this

regard, it is possible to mention web-based learning as there is an online editing process.

Expectedly, there are a few issues that need to be taken into consideration. First of all, it has

not been indicated how many people a group can include. Secondly, this activity would have

been more thorough if it had included the time and word limit as well as the due date given

in the instruction part. Most importantly, the instructions have failed to specify the details of

the online arrangement as there are no instructions given in terms of the editing procedure

that students are expected to go through. Additionally, it would have been educationally

valuable to provide students with an opportunity for sharing their outcomes after they have

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completed editing. Nonetheless, this activity creates a communicative environment that

leads to social interaction and cooperation among learners. In this process, it is possible to

mention interactionally-modified input since students working as groups or pairs are

expected to brainstorm for ideas and come up with a common contribution to the story.

To conclude this section, the two coursebooks which are Teenwise and Count Me In are

investigated in terms of technology integration. It has been found that the greater extent of

technology integration is limited to listening and pronunciation skills. Even though this is

useful for promoting the abovementioned skills, further attempts are required to integrate

technology into other language skills and components in a well-balanced way so that the

quality of educational content is enriched with the benefits of technology. Furthermore, there

are some technology-integrated activities that support group or pair work. In this respect,

social learning through negotiated interactions could be regarded as an advantageous way of

underpinning language learning processes. On the other hand, group dynamics (Dörnyei,

2002) should be taken into account as learners’ motivation in groups is shaped by one

another’s. Therefore, it is important to encourage groups of learners, which subsequently has

an effect on the motivation of individual learners. Consequently, individual success is

achieved through social communities in which learners are given opportunities to mediate

and direct their language learning with the help of digital technologies. In this regard,

individual differences and psychological factors that could have a huge impact on learning

processes are needed to be scrutinized. For example, some learners might be better at using

technological devices whereas some learners might not be willing to take part in new

experiences. Namely, psychological factors could determine the way learners participate in

learning processes. Therefore, it would be reasonable to notice the differences that learners

have and embrace some flexibility in terms of technology-integrated activities. For example,

a technology-integrated activity that requires making videos could be turned into an activity

that requires making audio recordings in tandem with the convenience in terms of both

students’ technology readiness level and digital equipment available. This is also the case

with respect to the out-of-class assignments available in the coursebook. Namely, students

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might not have internet access or a proper digital device in order to complete the assignments

given. To solve this problem, the ones who have inadequate resources could be matched with

the ones who have appropriate materials. Subsequently, it could be completed during class

hours with the help of mobile devices as previous studies (Poláková & Klímová, 2019) have

shown that mobile devices and applications provide a number of opportunities that promote

language learning. This finding corroborates the idea of Hişmanoğlu (2011), who suggested

that the implementation of current ICT tools is unsatisfactory due to the limited types of

digital materials such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and some auditory materials.

So far, this section has attempted to provide an account of the e-content relating to current

coursebooks under scrutiny. First of all, it can be inferred that most of the technology

integration is limited to listening and speaking skills. For this reason, sub-skills related to

listening and speaking skills are also fostered through the use of digital technologies whereas

sub-skills related to writing and reading skills are neglected. Secondly, in the coursebook

Teenwise, reading and writing skills are fostered through assignments requiring web-based

learning. In the coursebook Count Me In, there are some attempts to integrate web-based

learning into assignments. However, they are not regarded as out-of-class assignments as

most of the work is done during class hours as can be seen in the figures shown in the

previous pages. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to mention some implications for web-based

learning as such activities encourage learners to make use of web-based learning for

supporting their in-class activities or promoting their learning experiences aligned with their

in-class experiences outside of the classroom. Overall, current coursebooks generally

support the use of classroom equipment which is a smartboard as a type of ICT tool whereas

they partially support web-based learning. On the other hand, both coursebooks do not

support mobile learning and the use of educational networking because it is a demanding

process requiring adequate technical infrastructures in the first place, which looks unfeasible

with available resources. Thirdly, both coursebooks generally include technology-integrated

activities that are controlled. In addition, both of them do not have any free technology-

integrated activities even though they include a few semi-controlled, technology-integrated

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activities. Thus, it can be suggested that technology-integrated activities in the coursebooks

do not foster communicative language learning. Regarding the SAMR model by Puentedura

(2006), both coursebooks generally embrace the first layer of the model, which is the

substitution level, as technology does not bring any functional contribution to the learning

and teaching environment. However, it is possible to mention some implications for the

second layer of the model, which is the augmentation level, as some activities/assignments

bring functional contribution through the use of technology. Namely, activities/assignments

embracing the augmentation level enhance the learning conditions through providing

technology-based benefits such as preparing presentations enriched with visuals. Even

though these two layers are adopted in the coursebook content, the other two layers, which

are the modification and redefinition levels, are not provided in the coursebook content as

they require a higher level of effort, which is not practical with available conditions because

current investments in education technologies are reported to be unsuccessful (Gülbahar,

2007). In this regard, one of the issues that emerges from these findings is that current

coursebooks do not fully align with the goals of the national curriculum in terms of

technology integration. The findings of this study are in line with those of previous studies

(see Çebi, 2018; Hişmanoğlu, 2011; Kızılet & Özmen, 2017; Milla et al., 2019) even though

earlier studies do not give sufficient consideration to technology integration into current

coursebooks. However, it is reasonable to suggest that technology integration for the sake of

technological advances would be a futile attempt as earlier studies (see Ahmadi, 2018; Al-

Kadi, 2018; Ghasemi & Hashemi, 2011; Kuru-Gönen, 2019; Pandya, 2016; Sağlam & Sert,

2012) indicate that the use of technology does not guarantee the effective learning. This issue

is discussed in greater detail in the following pages.

As detailed earlier, the e-content of current coursebooks is provided by an online platform

called the EBA. As indicated previously, the EBA by the MoNE is an online educational

platform in which various types of e-content are shared. However, the e-content provided by

the EBA is not limited to the content of current coursebooks. There are other various types

of e-content provided by the EBA. In this respect, it would be useful to scrutinize the other

105
e-content for the 9th and 10th grades because this could yield important insights into the

development of e-content in current coursebooks.

Findings and Discussion Related to the Website EBA

As indicated earlier, the FATİH project initiated by the MoNE is the most well-known

initiative to introduce digital technologies within the education (Milla et al. 2019; Kızılet &

Özmen, 2017; Yüksel & Eren, 2016). The EBA, one of the major constituents of the FATİH

project, is an open educational resource enabling students and teachers to have various types

of e-content. In this regard, the EBA includes both soft copies of current coursebooks and

other complementary materials within the website. What follows is a detailed account of the

e-content on the EBA.

First of all, the EBA has soft copies of current coursebooks. What follows is an example for

the 9th grade.

Figure 20. The soft copy version of the coursebook Teenwise

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/panel/EKitapUniteOnizle.aspx?Id=159, on 02.05.2022)

As can be seen, this is the digital version of the coursebook that can be used both within and

outside of the classroom. Even though it looks like just a soft copy of the coursebook, there

are some benefits yielded by the advantages of technology. For example, there are some
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icons indicating different types of practices on the left side of the page. These icons can be

regarded as a type of useful guidance since they inform users about the meaning of the icons

that appear on the following pages. Also, there are some other icons at the bottom of the

page for users to make some arrangements on the digital book. For example, there is a pen

that users can utilize while practicing on the right bottom side of the page or there is an arrow

icon on the left side of the page showing that the content is downloadable. Thus, it can be

inferred that it is within both the substitution level and augmentation level regarding the

SAMR model as it does contribute to the process of language learning through providing a

soft copy of the coursebook with helpful guidelines, all of which is beyond the basic

presentation of the coursebook.

Having provided a brief summary of the soft copy version of the 9th grade coursebook

Teenwise, it is now necessary to investigate the other e-content as complementary or

supportive material as detailed earlier. What follows is a screenshot of the section Games &

Activities.

Figure 21. the Games and Activities section for the 9th grade on the website EBA
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/game-activity/ingilizce?s=6&d=0&u=0&k=0,on 28.04.2022)

As can be seen, there are 8 themes in this section even though the coursebook content has

10 themes in total. Namely, the last two themes are missing in the e-content for both the 9th

107
grade and the 10th grade. In addition, the activities on the website do not provide interactive

content for games. Instead, they provide the instructions for the games as figure 23 displays.

Figure 22. An example activity from the Games and Activities section for the 9th grade on
the website EBA
(Retrieved from
https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/etkilesimli/kitap/game_activity/9/unit3/index.html, on
28.04.2022)

In addition, even though there are some activities that students can do on their own out of

the class, the activities generally address teachers instead of students as the instructions given

are about organizing and conducting the activity process. In this respect, the games and

activities section generally adopts the substitution level of the SAMR model since it is not

possible to mention any functional advantage that is brought by the content of the games and

activities section. In addition, some activities in this section direct learners to a platform that

requires logging in with usernames and passwords. Thus, this study is unable to investigate

some of the content provided by the games and activities section.

Even though the website does not directly provide interactive games, some of the activities

direct learners to the website of the British Council called LearnEnglish Teens. In this

respect, there are some listening activities that provide opportunities for checking

comprehension on the website of the British Council. Therefore, it is possible to mention the

augmentation level of the SAMR model since there is a functional value given by instant

feedback, which contributes to learning outside of the tutored settings. However, it is not
108
possible to mention the levels of modification and redefinition of the SAMR model since

they require high levels of functional changes and benefits embedded within the effective

use of technology. For this reason, the games and activities section needs to be more

interactive and rich in quality because there are a lot of current innovations developing, such

as augmented realities, mobile gaming with multiple players, high-tech video game consoles,

etc. In this regard, it would be useful to adopt such innovative technologies for games

because they require interaction and negotiation among gamers from all over the world,

which contributes to their language learning as interactionist perspectives support. In this

way, students’ higher-order thinking skills such as analyzing, evaluating, and creating are

supported through the use of state-of-the-art games. This leads to an educational

environment that embraces the levels of modification and redefinition of the SAMR model,

which goes beyond the lower-order thinking skills. Thus, the content in the games and

activities section needs to include some opportunities for creative and authentic learning

experiences.

There is also a section called Question Bank on the website. This section provides students

an opportunity to prepare their questions related to each theme in the coursebook and practice

different types of questions such as multiple-choice questions or fill-in-the-blank questions.

What follows is an example screenshot of the first selection phase. As can be seen below,

students can choose what topic to focus on and study accordingly.

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Figure 23. An example figure for the Question Bank part for the 10th grade on the website
EBA
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/soru-bankasi-kazanim/ingilizce?s=7&d=41&u=0&k=0, on
01.05.2022)

For example, one chooses Travel as a theme and Booking as a subject and the preference of

one is open-ended questions. However, clicking on this option does not work. Instead,

several multiple-choice questions are opened. What follows is an example of this.

Figure 24. An example question for the 10th grade on the website EBA
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/soru-
bankasi/ingilizce/test?s=7&d=41&u=0&k=3046&Id=3046&p=0&t=css&ks=1&os=1&zs=1, on 01.05.2022)

It is noteworthy that the question bank has a mode called interactive whiteboard. This mode

enables learners to use a virtual pen and an eraser to study on the screen. In addition, there

is an exclamation symbol next to the questions, which means that learners could provide

feedback about the questions. Learners who want to give feedback about the questions need

to write their e-mail addresses. Subsequently, they can give feedback through the link sent

to their e-mail addresses by the website. This is encouraging because hearing from learners

110
would be helpful for producing effective materials that meet students’ needs. However, even

though the question bank section provides opportunities for practicing the language, there

are some drawbacks such as a lack of open-ended questions for some subjects.

Even though the coursebook content does not direct learners to the mobile application by the

MoNE, there is a section on the EBA showing that a mobile application for students to have

multiple-choice questions for practice is available on the App Store and Google Play. This

application, which offers multiple-choice questions related to the themes, requires no

internet connection to practice the questions after being downloaded. Additionally, it enables

learners to check their comprehension and benefit from video lectures including the solutions

to the questions. What follows are screenshots taken from the mobile application.

Figure 25. An example figure taken from the mobile application

(Retrieved from https://apps.apple.com/app/id1550749140, on 02.05.2022)

This is a useful attempt as earlier studies (see Çakır, 2015; Poláková & Klímová, 2019) have

found that mobile applications have a positive and motivating effect on students’ language

learning.

111
There is also a section called Interactive Practices on the EBA. What follows is a screenshot

of a part of the page.

Figure 26. The section of interactive practices on the website EBA

(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/etkilesimli-uygulama/ingilizce?s=7&d=0&u=0&k=0, on
30.04.2022)

First of all, it is not possible to see any theme or subject until clicking on them. In addition,

there is no specific pattern in terms of the names of the content. Namely, the page including

different types of activities on the website continues in random order when scrolled down.

This section includes both some parts from the coursebook content and some parts that are

not available in the coursebook content. What follows is an example of a reading activity

that is not available in the coursebook content.

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Figure 27. An example reading text on the website EBA
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/etkilesimli-uygulama/bingilizce?s=7&d=126&u=506&k=0,
on 30.04.2022)

For the interactive activities that are not available in the coursebook content, an option called

skills-based English needs to be chosen for the themes. As shown above, there is a reading

activity that belongs to the Legendary Figures theme. Students are expected to read the text

and put the given sentences in the correct places. Then, they can check their comprehension

because all activities provide instant feedback, which makes them interactive. In this respect,

it is reasonable to infer that there are some implications for the augmentation level of the

SAMR model because the website provides both immediate feedback, which the coursebook

content does not, and complementary activities related to the coursebook themes, which

serve as a promoter for learning.

What follows is an example of an activity that is available in the coursebook. Basically, it is

within the substitution level of the SAMR model as the basic function is the same. However,

the check your answers button provides immediate feedback such as in the abovementioned

activity, which provides some basis for the augmentation level.

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Figure 28. An example activity on the website EBA
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/etkilesimli-uygulama/ingilizce?s=7&d=41&u=0&k=0, on
30.04.2022)

Overall, the part of interactive practices has some serious drawbacks. Most importantly,

there is no standard for the content of each theme, skill, or language component. There are

written phrases such as listening, classification, and fill-in-the-blank on the symbols of

squares on the page. However, there is neither a specific order nor clear explanations for

each content.

There is another section called activity book. Similar to the games and activities section,

there are missing themes in the activity book section. As can be seen from the figure below,

there are 6 activity books for the 10th grade. This is the same for the 9th grade. Namely,

activity books for the last 4 themes in both grades are missing.

Figure 29. The activity books for the 10th grade on the website EBA
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/calisma-defteri/ingilizce?s=7&d=0&u=0&k=0, on
30.04.2022)

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Figure 30. An example activity from the activity book section on the website EBA
(Retrieved from
https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/etkilesimli/kitap/calisma_defteri/f6/10/ingilizce/index.html#p=9
,on 30.04.2022)

In the activity books, it is possible to find various types of activities. For example, there are

multiple-choice questions, matching exercises, fill-in-the-blank activities, crossword

puzzles, reading activities, and so on. In addition, there is an answer key at the end of each

activity book, which is helpful for students.

There is a section called activity sheets. This section is similar to the activity book section.

However, the activity sheets start from the 6th unit and end in the 10th theme for both of the

grades. The reason is that it has been indicated on the first page of the activity sheets that

this section has been prepared after the pandemic has broken out. Thus, it aims at

contributing to the upcoming make-up courses and providing a practical basis for the

subjects in order to make the compensation process more effective. Regarding the content

for the 9th and 10th grades, there are some differences. For example, there are some audio

symbols in the content for the 9th grade whereas there are no such symbols for the 10th grade.

115
Figure 31. An example activity from the activity sheets section on the website EBA
(Retrieved from
https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/etkilesimli/kitap/kazanim_kavrama/9/ing/index.html, on
30.04.2022)

For example, the activity above is taken from the activity sheets section for the 9th grade. As

can be seen, there is a reading text related to coronavirus within the emergency and health

problems theme. It is noteworthy that even though coronavirus has unexpectedly and rapidly

changed our lives in almost every aspect, some attempts are made in order to embed this

global situation into language coursebooks through contextualization. This approach is

motivating because it offers a meaningful context that learners have closely witnessed. For

this reason, they can easily relate what they have read to their daily lives, which creates an

opportunity for individual learning experiences.

There is also a section called subject summaries on the website. The last theme which is the

10th theme is missing for both of the grades. Namely, the television and social media theme

for the 9th grade and the shopping theme for the 10th grade are not available in the subject

summaries section on the website. This section includes the same content as the content

summaries section that is accessed through the QR codes on the coursebook. However, it

also includes a different type of content called workbook. Even though the word workbook

is generally used to mean a type of supplementary component that coursebooks have, this
116
term here is used to refer to a one-page content related to the themes. These parts generally

offer reading texts and related questions associated with the subjects. They also provide

deductive explanations of grammar rules with examples and questions, which is in line with

the structuralist approaches.

Overall, the workbook parts are different from those provided by the content summaries

section. However, the rest of the content provided by the subject summaries section is the

same as that provided by the content summaries section. This combination of findings

provides some support for structuralist approaches such as GTM because the rules of the

target language are given explicitly and learners’ native language which is Turkish is also

used in both of the sections.

There is a section called skills-based activity book. Even though the phrase activity sheets is

written on the left corner of the page, it is an example activity taken from the skills-based

activity book section.

Figure 32. An example activity from the skills-based activity book section for the 9th grade
on the website EBA
(Retrieved from
https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/etkilesimli/kitap/beceri_temelli/9/ing/index.html ,on
30.04.2022)

Even though the aforementioned sections have some missing themes, this section provides

activities encompassing all of the themes. In addition, skills-based activity books for both

grades afford answer keys and tapescripts for listening activities at the end of the book. Also,

there is a guidance booklet on the website informing learners about the use of the skills-
117
based activity books section. What follows is an example page clarifying the use of the QR

codes.

Figure 33. An example guidance for the use of the skills-based activity books part
(Retrieved from
https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/upload/etkilesimli/kitap/beceri_temelli/kilavuz/index.html#p=2, on
01.05.2022)

However, learners need to download the audio recordings for the listening activities since

there is another booklet saying “audio files” that begins to get downloaded to devices when

clicking on it. This might not be practical since it requires multiple steps to complete the

activities.

There is also a section called interactive skills-based activity book. Similar to the skills-based

activity book section, the interactive skills-based activity book encompasses all of the

themes, which are ten in total. However, what differs is that learners do not have to download

the audio recordings for listening activities. Instead, clicking on the related icon next to the

activities leads learners to a different page where related listening activities are available.

What follows is an example activity from the interactive skills-based activity book part. As

can be seen, learners can listen to the dialogue and choose the correct answer accordingly.

Subsequently, they can check their answers.

118
Figure 34. An example activity from the interactive skills-based activity book section
(Retrieved from https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/panel/panel/KelimeGruplamaOnizle.aspx?alistirmaId=41919,
on 01.05.2022)

There is also a section called lectures. This part encompasses four subtitles, which are subject

summaries, presentations, video lectures, and preparation for the exams. The last subtitle

does not include English as a course in its content. Thus, the three of them are scrutinized.

The first subtitle, which is subject summaries, is investigated in the previous pages. The

second subtitle, which is presentations, has a distinction such as English and skills-based

English. However, the skills-based English section includes content for the 9th and 12th

grades. As mentioned earlier, investigating the content for the 12th grade is beyond the scope

of this study. Therefore, the content for the 9th grade is investigated and found that there is

one file named Inspirational People-Workbook. When clicking on it, a presentation file

related to the abovementioned theme opens. This is the same presentation file when QR

codes in the coursebook content are scanned. However, there is no other content for the

skills-based English section. This finding is in accord with recent studies (e.g Milla et al.,

2019) indicating that there is a lack of appropriate content for each grade on the EBA because

there is no content for the 10th and 11th grades in the skills-based English section. Regarding

the video lectures section, which is the third heading, they are the same as those accessed

through QR codes in the coursebook content. Taken together, the lectures part provides the

same content as QR codes in the coursebook content. However, the abovementioned

drawbacks need to be tackled in order to have a quality standard.

119
Findings and Discussion Related to Teachers’ Attitudes

As indicated earlier, another purpose of this study is to ascertain the attitudes of teachers

towards technology integration into current coursebooks and their technology integration

practices in this regard. The reason is that previous studies (see Alshumaimeri, 2008; Chen,

2008; Gültekin & Karabınar, 2016; Li, 2014; Mohsen and Shafeeq, 2014; Sağlam & Sert,

2012) have shown that teachers’ technology integration practices in the classroom are found

to be associated with their beliefs and attitudes. In this regard, their opinions are worth

investigating (Avcı, Kula & Haşlaman, 2019) because such an investigation could yield

important insights for creating effective technology integration practices. Thus, semi-

structured interview questions have been constructed under five broad headings to capture a

detailed understanding of their attitudes and experiences. What follows is the analysis and

discussion of their answers.

Findings and Discussion Related To Pedagogical/Curricular Considerations in

Terms of Technology use in Foreign Language Instruction

Regarding the first heading related to pedagogical/curricular considerations in terms of

technology use in foreign language instruction, ten questions are asked to the participants.

What follows provides a general overview of the themes related to the first heading.

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Table 30
Pedagogical/Curricular Considerations regarding Technology Use in Language Education
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Promoting student learning 10
Catching students’ attention and interest 9
Teaching and practicing the language 8
Strengths Creating an enjoyable learning environment 8
Having a prominent role in language education 3
The use of extra digital resources 3
Time-saving nature 2
Coursebooks partly compatible with technology 2
Curriculum compatible with technology 1
Coursebooks incompatible with technology 3
Curriculum incompatible with technology 3
Unevenly distributed language skills 2
Inappropriate drills for speaking and listening 2
Weaknesses The issue of technical facilities 2
Students’ losing their attention 2
The issue of providing suitable materials for students 2
Not using extra digital resources 2
Teacher being less effective 1
Students’ inappropriate use of technology 1
Complex curriculum 1
Choosing materials and sources carefully 5
Available technologies for promoting learning 2
Suggestions Controlling students’ use of technology 1
More interesting themes 1
Supporting teacher autonomy 1
Raising the awareness of students and families 1

121
As can be seen, using digital technologies in language education is predominantly

appreciated for promoting student learning, arousing students’ attention and interest,

teaching and practicing the language, and fostering an enjoyable learning atmosphere.

Regarding the drawbacks, the participants predominantly criticize the content of

coursebooks and curricula due to their incompatibility with technology. As regards the

suggestions, it has been predominantly emphasized that learning materials and sources need

to be chosen carefully. Also, available technologies should be provided to learners for

promoting their learning. Overall, it is reasonable to suggest that the participants have

generally positive implications about technology use in language education. On the other

hand, the biggest shortcomings seem to be the contents of coursebooks and curricula because

they are frequently reported as incompatible with technology. With respect to the

suggestions, what is frequently highlighted is that the selection process of learning materials

and sources needs to be carried out thoroughly.

Having provided the general picture of the themes related to teachers’ opinions on

pedagogical/curricular considerations regarding the use of digital technologies in language

education, it is now important to delve into each question in this first heading respectively.

When the participants are asked about their general opinions concerning the place of digital

technologies in foreign language education, they all have suggested positive statements.

What follows displays the related theme and subthemes.

Table 31
Teachers’ General Opinions on Digitial Technologies
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Having a prominent role in language education 3
Teaching and practising the language 3
Positive statements Promoting student learning 2
Catching students’ attention and interest 2
Creating an enjoyable learning environment 1

122
First of all, these findings show that the teachers think digital technologies have a prominent

role in language education. They also believe that digital technologies promote student

learning, draw students’ attention, and create an entertaining learning environment. In this

respect, these findings are in accord with recent studies indicating that teachers believe using

digital tools boosts students’ language learning (see Çelik & Aytın, 2014; Ghavifekr &

Rosdy, 2015), promotes an effective learning environment (see Ali, 2015), and affords

opportunities for more dynamic language learning (see Baskaran & Shafeeq, 2014).

On the other hand, these findings are contrary to that of Reel (2009) who has found that

teachers might not believe that technology integration has a positive impact on students’

learning experiences due to a variety of reasons. These kinds of reasons are discussed in

greater detail in the following pages. However, these findings generally accord with earlier

findings (see Alshumaimeri, 2008; Almalki, 2020; Saqlain et al., 2013), which have shown

that teachers have positive attitudes towards technology integration into language teaching.

Moreover, these findings are in line with those of previous studies (see Ali, 2015; Aydın,

2013; Aydın & Semerci, 2018; Baskaran & Shafeeq, 2015; Chaaban & Ellili-Cherif, 2017;

Çebi, 2018; Çelik & Aytın, 2014; Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015; Gull, 2020; Lawrence et al.,

2020; Önalan & Kurt, 2020; Fitri & Putro; Salehi & Salehi, 2012; Yükselir, 2016) in various

contexts such as Turkey, India, Sweden, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, North America,

Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, etc.

When the teachers are asked about their general opinions on technology integration into

current English coursebooks, they have indicated both some weaknesses and strengths of the

technological adaptations in the coursebooks. The table below displays the strengths and

weaknesses reported by the teachers.

123
Table 32
Teachers’ General Opinions on Technology Integration into English Coursebooks
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Strengths Practicing the language out of the classroom 2
Promoting listening skills 2
Getting immediate feedback from the computer 1
Practicing the language in the classroom 1
Unevenly distributed language skills 2
Weaknesses No appropriate drills for speaking and listening 1
Listening activities beyond the level of learners 1
Technical problems 1

First of all, there has been little discussion about technology integration into current English

coursebooks. Thus, there is little published data on this subject to the best of the researcher’s

knowledge. For this reason, it would be a reasonable approach to consider the existing

literature with the excerpts.

What follows is an example excerpt from the theme of strengths.

‘’In the book we are using now, listening texts are frequently included in each unit. Depending
on the achievement of each unit, there are activities such as filling the blanks, multiple choice
questions, true and false. In addition, an interactive sample of the book has been uploaded to
EBA (educational information network-eğitim bilişim ağı). In this way, students can also do the
activities in the book via EBA if they want, and get instant feedback from the computer.’’ (T2)

This finding seems to be consistent with other research which found that the EBA is an

online educational platform that enables learners to study outside of the classroom (Milla et

al., 2019). Thus, it can be inferred that the EBA provides some opportunities for autonomous

learning experiences, which require learners to direct and manage their learning. In addition,

it has been emphasized in the excerpt above that listening skills are highlighted. This issue

has also been indicated by one of the participants:

‘’In the Count me in book used in 10th grades, technology was not used at a sufficient level
except for the listening activities. Videos and listenings could be chosen from more current
topics. I find the book lacking in these aspects.’’(T3)

124
As can be seen from the example above, it has been highlighted that listening skills are given

most of the consideration whereas the other skills are not given a sufficient amount of

attention. This finding seems to be consistent with other research which found that the

current ICT tools are limited to a few types of auditory materials, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and

internet access (Hişmanoğlu, 2011). In addition, it has been found that the topics of listening

texts and videos can be regarded as outdated. Again, this finding corroborates the idea of

Hişmanoğlu (2011), who has suggested that the additional ICT tools for present coursebooks

are unrelated to the content. In addition, this finding is in accordance with the findings

obtained from the evaluation of current coursebooks. As can be seen in the coursebook

evaluation section, developing listening skills and related sub-skills takes most o the effort

for supporting the coursebook content through technology.

As mentioned earlier, one of the participants has mentioned the issue of technical problems

by highlighting the importance of technical convenience:

‘’Technical deficiencies obstruct the usage of these books. For example; in our school there are
smart boards but we are lack of software and wi-fi to use them. While doing online lessons, we
were both getting fun and learning. In class, for the reasons I mentioned before, we are getting
bored and old tricks do not practical anymore. Finally, I think such adaptations are useful but not
practical in all schools because of technical obstructions.’’(T1)

This is an important issue reported by previous studies. For example, Chen (2008) has found

a discrepancy between teachers’ beliefs and practices due to ICT inconveniences. Namely,

holding positive attitudes might not reflect effective classroom practices. In this regard, this

excerpt above supports previous research (see Fitri & Putro, 2021; Gull, 2020; Hew & Brush,

2007; Mohsen & Shafeeq, 2014; Salehi & Salehi, 2012) indicating that technical challenges

such as inadequate resources and unstable internet connection hinder the effective

implementation of ICT tools.

The teachers are asked about the advantages and disadvantages of using digital technologies

in teaching English. Regarding the advantages, three of them have suggested that digital

technologies are enjoyable and fun while teaching and learning English. Three of them have

suggested that such technologies promote student learning. One of them has indicated that

125
technology attracts the attention of students. The time-saving nature of digital technologies

is highlighted by one of the participants. Also, the interactive and practical nature of digital

technologies is underscored by the participants. In addition, one of the participants has

indicated that digital technologies promote language exposure through the visual and audio

input. She says:

‘’İngilizceyi daha eğlenceli hale getiriyor ve dile maruz kalmaya görsel ve işitsel anlamda
yardımcı oluyor. (It makes English more enjoyable and contributes to language exposure in terms
of visuals and audios.)’’ (T5)

In light of the excerpt above, it is reasonable to suggest that teachers have appreciated the

use of digital technologies due to their potential for input enhancement. Returning to the

overall advantages and disadvantages, the table below displays the categories for the

teachers’ answers.

Table 33
Teachers’ General Opinions on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Technologies
Theme Subtheme Frequency
enjoyable and fun 3
promoting student learning 3
attracting students’ attention 1
Advantages time-saving nature 1
more interactive lesson 1
more practical lesson 1
promoting language exposure 1
students’ losing their attention 2
teacher being less effective 1
lack of convenient software and internet access 1
Disadvantages students’ inappropriate use of technology 1
information pollution on the internet 1
the issue of providing the suitable material for students 1

126
The themes that emerged from this question are similar to those in the first question

investigating their general opinions on the use of digital technologies in foreign language

education. What differs is that teachers are asked to indicate the disadvantages of using

digital technologies in teaching English. In this regard, the issue of students’ attention is the

most highlighted one among the other issues. What follows are the related excerpts from two

of the participants:

‘’As for the drawbacks of using technology, students are tempted to lose their attention
easily.’’(T4)

‘’Sometimes, when students use technology too much, they become distracted and their success
decreases, or students may use technology out of purpose during the lesson.’’(T2)

These excerpts are in accord with recent studies indicating that technology might have an

undesirable effect on the learning process unless the integration process is conducted

effectively (Gunuç & Babacan, 2018). In this regard, teachers are pioneers in building and

managing learning environments that are rich in pedagogy, technology, and knowledge

because effective technology integration depends on the teachers’ attitudes and skills (Bitner

& Bitner, 2002). Admittedly, there are some other factors that affect the process of building

and maintaining technology-enhanced learning environments, which are given in the

following pages.

When the teachers are asked about their advice on how to mitigate the drawbacks of using

digital technologies, two main themes have emerged as seen below.

Table 34
Teachers’ Advices on the Drawbacks of Digital Technologies

Theme Subtheme Frequency

choosing materials and sources carefully 3

Materials and sources convenient software and internet access 1
available technologies for promoting learning 1
The use of technology controlling students’ use of technology 1

127
Predominantly, they have highlighted the importance of choosing proper materials and

sources. Also, the issues of technical convenience and proper use of technology are stressed.

What follows is one of the excerpts about both choosing proper materials and controlling

students’ use of technology.

‘’The teacher should carefully choose the materials to be used in the lesson, the use of technology
by the students should be followed and it should not be allowed to be used except for learning
outcomes.’’ (T2)

In the excerpt above, it has been underscored that appropriate materials need to be chosen

and technology should be used for learning purposes. In this regard, thorough planning is

required for the successful integration of technology. Otherwise, using digital technologies

without prudent planning would be a futile attempt (Azmi, 2017). In this respect, including

teachers in the phases of technology integration processes (Chen, 2008), providing them with

opportunities for speaking about the challenges they have encountered in their technology

integration practices (McGrail, 2006), and offering continuous support (Kim et al., 2013)

and adequate opportunities for professional development (Reel, 2009) would be a fruitful

approach.

The teachers are asked whether they feel a need to include the internet and computer

resources or any digital teaching tool with the aim of completing or reinforcing the e-content

of the coursebooks. As can be seen below, three of them have clearly stated that they use

extra digital resources while two of them have indicated their answers from a different

standpoint.

Table 35
Teachers’ Preferences for Complementary Materials

Theme Subtheme Frequency

Extra resources Using extra digital resources 3

Not using extra resources Grammar learning through technology 1
The importance of videos as materials 1

128
What follows is one of the excerpts from a participant who prefers to use extra digital

resources.

‘’I think all the topics in the book are not supported by enough technological materials so I often
include different applications in my lessons. I make my students watch videos on the subject, I
share lecture notes in slide form, and most importantly, I reinforce with test applications that my
students love. I use the apps Kahoot and Quizlet the most.’’ (T2)

This excerpt is consistent with that of Çebi (2018) who has indicated that English

coursebooks are not completely aligned with digital technologies. In the same vein, Demir-

Ayaz et al. (2019) have found that even though high school teachers state that current

coursebooks have some listening sections, they think accessible materials such as CDs or

online websites for listening sections do not exist. This shows that there is a need for

complementary materials. In this regard, it is reasonable to infer that teachers should be

given some autonomy to compensate for what is unfeasible with the existing resources

because education must be viewed as a flexible and changeable practice in today’s world

(Uzun, 2016). On the other hand, one of the participants has highlighted the significance of

promoting grammar learning through technological adaptations while one of them has

indicated that videos are the most efficient materials for the communicative competence of

students. The following excerpt belongs to the former participant.

“Actually, I liked the technological adaptations of the course books and using them in my
lessons, especially online ones. Maybe they need some more grammatical reinforcement e.g.
grammar sequence of words or games for teaching it.” (T1)

Taken together, it can be assumed that technological adaptations in current coursebooks do

not include a certain section for grammar learning. Even though specific sections in the

coursebook content that support grammar learning through technology are not available, it

has been found that the QR codes in the coursebook content provide content summaries that

embrace the structuralist view of teaching. However, these content summaries offer a set of

rules and examples as detailed earlier. In addition, there are no digital and interactive games

that are specifically allocated for grammar learning. Therefore, building upon the excerpt

above, it would be a noteworthy attempt to change the format of content summaries so that

they can provide some flexibility and interactivity such as including links for interactive
129
games or establishing grammar rules beyond the presentation level. Also, another way for

enriching the quality of content summaries and other e-content could be to place several QR

codes under the headings of different language skills or components. In this way, learners

could save time by focusing on the related e-content instead of having the e-content that

encompasses all constituents of related themes.

Also, it has been indicated that technological adaptations in current coursebooks that

embrace audio-visual materials could be useful for promoting the communicative

competence of learners. This has been seen in the case of video lectures found in the EBA.

As mentioned earlier, video lectures in the EBA provide both audio and visual input to

learners, which contributes to their language development through multiple sources that

address their several sensory organs. In this respect, the excerpt above overlaps with the

findings related to the coursebook evaluation.

When the teachers are asked whether the current English language curriculum supports the

use of digital media in language learning, three of them have indicated that the curriculum

does not support the use of digital media in language learning while one of them has

indicated the opposite. In addition, one of them has offered a different standpoint. What

follows displays the three themes that emerged from the teachers’ answers.

Table 36
Teachers’ Opinions on the Curriculum
Theme Frequency
Curriculum incompatible with technology 3
Curriculum compatible with technology 1
The issue of over-loaded curriculum 1

What follows are example excerpts from the participants. To start with the one who suggests

that the curriculum does not support the use of digital media in language learning, the

participant says:

130
 ‘’The English curriculum does not support the use of digital media in language learning. For
example, I believe that adding eTwinning projects to the curriculum will contribute a lot
students’ effective use of the language and some web2 tools.’’ (T3)

As indicated earlier, three out of five participants have found the curriculum inadequate in

terms of supporting the use of digital media. In this respect, it is reasonable to infer that there

is a gap between practice and theory because there are attempts by MoNE to provide learners

with learning experiences that are enriched with technology. On the other hand, it is

noteworthy that there has been some endeavor for bridging the gap between practice and

theory. In this regard, one of them has indicated that the curriculum supports the use of

digital media in language learning. She says:

‘’I think the current curriculum supports the use of digital media. Through EBA, it is possible
for students to access lecture videos, many activities related to the subject, and many English e-
books.’’ (T2)

As detailed in the following pages, it has been indicated that “the new curriculum

encourages the integration of technology in all aspects of English language teaching and

learning…” (MoNE, 2018). In the excerpt above, it has been highlighted that the current

curriculum is in line with digital technologies because the EBA, which is an online

educational platform, provides a variety of educational materials and resources. In this

respect, it would be wise to appreciate the efforts while criticizing the drawbacks. On the

other hand, one of the participants has offered a different standpoint by indicating:

‘’In my opinion we need less simple English language curriculum supporting the use of digital
media in language learning. I mean the use of language must be more than teaching of the
language. The current English curriculum is full of details which students do not need in daily
life. For example, I would like the student to watch a daily speech in the street or in a restaurant.
But time is not enough, curriculum makes me fly over the contents, the result is nothing. The
problem is not whether the language curriculum support digital media in language learning or
not, the problem is whether it supports learning or not.’’ (T1)

In the excerpt above, it has been underscored that designing a curriculum that supports digital

media should not be the first step as there are other issues that need to be tackled. In this

respect, it would be hard for teachers to recognize the value of digital technologies. First of

all, the excerpt above is in accord with recent studies indicating that limited time discourages

131
teachers from integrating technology into their classroom practices (Lawrence et al., 2020;

Lee & Bathmaker; 2007; Salehi & Salehi, 2012; Yükselir, 2016). In the same vein, Gültekin

and Karabınar (2016) have reported that lack of time is among the factors that impede the

use of digital technologies in the classroom. For these reasons, it is reasonable to infer that

the issue of curriculum overload needs to be handled. Then, technological affordances that

are practical and feasible should be grounded in the curriculum. In other words, technology

should become a constitutive part of the curriculum (Li, 2014). Afterward, this would

potentially pave the way for the issues of coursebook content and practical implementation

because there is a strong association between coursebook content and curriculum.

When the teachers are asked whether the current English coursebooks support the use of

digital technologies in language learning, three of them have indicated that current English

coursebooks do not support the use of digital technologies in language learning whereas two

of them have indicated that current English coursebooks support the use of digital

technologies to some extent. These implications in the table below are similar to those when

the teachers are asked about their general opinions on technology integration into current

coursebooks.

Table 37
Teachers’ Opinions on the Coursebooks
Theme Frequency
Coursebooks incompatible with technology 3
Coursebooks partly compatible with technology 2

The following excerpt is from one of the participants who indicate that current coursebooks

do not support the use of digital technologies in language learning.

‘’I think the English books used do not support the use of technology. Because the only thing
about technology in the books is listening texts and most of these texts are old style that has not
been updated.’’ (T2)

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The issue of highlighting listening skills also stands out in this question. In addition, the

issue of outdated listening texts is emphasized again. In this regard, it is reasonable to suggest

that listening skills and related sub-skills are underscored whereas other language skills and

other related sub-skills are generally neglected. This finding is consistent with data obtained

in the coursebook evaluation section of this study. That is, even though current coursebooks

include digital activities within all of the themes, they are generally limited to listening skills

and related sub-skills. On the other hand, two of the participants have pointed out that current

English coursebooks support the use of digital technologies in language learning to some

extent. One of them has said:

‘’To some extent yes. Yet, as I mentioned in previous question, like dense curriculum the books
are also full to the brim. Time is problem, while flying over the topics, neither we can teach nor
students can learn. However, the current English course books support the use of digital
technologies in language learning. Games, matching quizes in the end of units etc. are really
supporting.’’ (T1)

It has been indicated in the excerpt above that the curriculum creates a lot of workload. This

finding is in accord with previous studies. For example, İyitoğlu and Alcı (2015) have found

that language teachers find implementing the curriculum challenging even though their

context is the 2nd grade curriculum. Similarly, Zehir-Topkaya and Küçük (2010) have found

that primary school teachers find implementing the 4th and 5th grade curriculum challenging.

Even though similar implications are drawn from the excerpt above, the participant also

appreciates current coursebooks in terms of supporting the use of digital technologies in

language learning.

When the teachers are asked what could be done in order to integrate technology into the

coursebooks. One of the participants has not stated any idea. One of them has suggested that

there should be more interesting themes supported with audio materials, videos, and

interactive content. Similarly, one of them has highlighted the importance of covering more

current and interesting audio materials and videos. In the same vein, one of them has

suggested that supporting reading texts through related videos could awaken students’

interest. One of them has suggested that teachers’ autonomy in choosing teaching materials

133
and raising the awareness of students and their families are important. The table below

displays their suggestions regarding technology integration into current coursebooks.

Table 38
Teachers’ Suggestions for Technology Integration into the Coursebooks
Theme Frequency
More interesting materials 2
More interesting themes 1
Supporting teacher autonomy 1
Raising students’ and families’ awareness 1

The following excerpt displays the importance of teacher autonomy and raising the

awareness of students and families.

‘’Firstly, we all teacher raise the awareness of students and their families. Teachers should be
allowed to choose independently what they use for their classes while teaching.’’ (T4)

The issue of teacher autonomy has been previously emphasized. It is a reasonable

implication because teachers are the ones who put any innovation into action (İyitoğlu &

Alcı, 2015). In other words, they are the main characters in technology integration processes

(Aşık et al., 2020; Aydın & Semerci, 2018; Gilakjani, 2017; Gilakjani & Leong, 2012). Thus,

it would be reasonable to provide teachers with some autonomy in their technology

integration practices because effective technology integration is a complex process that

requires technology, pedagogy, and knowledge. In other words, joining the bandwagon for

technology’s sake would not yield any educational benefit. Teachers need to have some

autonomous opportunities for directing and managing technology integration processes

without sticking to the curriculum because teachers play a key role in the successful

implementation of technology-integrated learning (Dooley et al., 2016). Furthermore, the

issue of the awareness of students and families is worth investigating because raising their

awareness could contribute to the process. For example, providing them with knowledge

about the details of the EBA could help them benefit from the website more efficiently. In

addition, the games and activities section includes some activities that provide craft ideas.

134
Even though such activities address teachers to manage the process, they can also be carried

out with the collaboration between students and their families in untutored settings. In this

regard, it could be an encouraging way to include family members in the learning processes

of students. Regarding the other implications, the importance of stimulating and interactive

audio-visual materials and themes is highlighted. These implications are in accord with the

findings related to coursebook evaluation. Namely, there is a need for more interactive and

interesting digital materials. This finding supports evidence from previous observations (see

Kızılet & Özmen, 2017; Milla et al., 2019).

Regarding the observations on students’ feelings about technology-integrated lessons, all of

the participants have indicated positive implications. Four of them have highlighted that

technology integration catches students’ attention in the classroom and makes them have fun

while learning. In addition, two of them emphasize a more efficient learning environment

provided by technology while two of them state that students like technology-integrated

lessons. Their overall implications are shown in the table below.

Table 39
Teachers’ Observations on Students’ Feelings about Technology-Integrated Lessons
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Positive implications catching students’ attention 4
creating a fun learning environment 4
creating a more efficient learning environment 2
students’ appreciation 2

These findings are in line with those of previous studies indicating that the use of ICT in

language learning contributes to promoting learning experiences (Bilyalova, 2017;

Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015; Guo & Xu, 2016; Özkan, 2017; Rahmati et al., 2021; Mullamaa,

Wu & Chen, 2018; 2010; Yang et al., 2010; Zhang & Zou, 2020).

135
 Findings Related to Teachers’ Opinions Concerning the Availability and

Adequacy of Digital Teaching Tools

As detailed earlier, the main focus of this study is to examine the content of current

coursebooks regarding technology integration. However, teachers’ opinions on the

availability and adequacy of digital teaching tools are also addressed to triangulate the data,

which means having a detailed and reliable understanding of the subject under scrutiny.

What follows is a general understanding of the teachers’ opinions about the availability and

adequacy of digital teaching tools.

Table 40
Teachers’ General Opinions on the Availability and Adequacy of Digital Teaching Tools
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Strengths Technological equipment and facilities 11
Finding appropriate materials on the internet 1
Lack of technological facilities 10
Time 2
Weaknesses Student population 1
The issue of finding appropriate materials 1
Lack of a speaking club 1

When the general opinions of teachers on the availability and adequacy of digital teaching

tools in their institution are asked, they have indicated both some strengths and drawbacks.

Regarding the drawbacks, some issues such as internet access, time, student population, lack

of course hours, lack of available technological facilities, and the issue of finding the

appropriate material from time to time have been reported. Regarding the strengths, there

are two issues reported. Namely, one of the teachers has reported that she can usually find

the appropriate materials on the internet. One of the teachers has appreciated the availability

and adequacy of necessary equipment and materials in her institution. The following table

provides an overview of their answers.

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Table 41
Teachers’ General Opinions on the Availability of Digital Tools in their Institution
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Strengths Finding appropriate materials on the internet 1
The availability of necessary equipments 1
Time 2
Internet access 1
Weaknesses Student population 1
Lack of available technological facilities 1
The issue of finding appropriate materials 1

The following excerpt belongs to the teacher that has appreciated the support of her

institution in terms of available facilities.

‘’I can say that our institution is in good conditions compared to many institutions in Turkey.
Necessary equipment and materials are available in the classrooms. We have smart boards in
every classroom, and a computer lab for students to use. The problem with our institution is the
student population. There are over 40 students in each class.’’ (T2)

What follows is an example of the opposite situation reported by another teacher:

‘’…For digital books we need the internet as well as smart boards but they are absent in most
schools.’’ (T1)

When the teachers are asked whether their institutions have adequate computing facilities

such as language labs or classroom computers, two of them have stated that they do not have

a language laboratory. One of them has stated that they do not have internet access and

software for digital books. Two of them have stated that they have smartboards and internet

access in every classroom. One of them has stated that they have adequate computing

facilities in their institution. The table below provides an overview of their answers.

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Table 42
Teachers’ Opinions on Current Computing Facilities in their Institution
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Adequate resources Smartboards and internet access 2
Enough computing facilities 1
Inadequate resources No language laboratory 2
No internet access and software 1

The following excerpt belongs to the teacher whose institution provides adequate resources.

‘’Having smart boards and internet access in every classroom in our school makes our job
easier.’’ (T3)

When the teachers are asked whether their institutions provide sufficient access to the

internet for teachers and students, three of them have reported positive implications. One of

them has stated that they are usually free to access the internet. One of them has stated that

they do not have internet access. The themes that emerged from their answers are shown

below.

Table 43
Teachers’ Opinions on the Internet Access in their Institution
Theme Frequency
Sufficient access to internet 3
Generally sufficient access to internet 1
No internet access 1

What follows are examples of two different types of statements by the teachers:

‘’We don’t have internet and access to google.’’ (T1)

‘’Yes, internet access is easily available at our school. It is possible to access the internet from
smart boards in classrooms and computers in the computer lab.’’ (T2)

When the teachers are asked whether their institutions have any language learning programs

such as interactive learning software, social networking, or audio/visual materials, two of

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them have stated that none of them are available in their institutions. One has just reported

that they have most language learning programs available in the school. One has indicated

that they have the abovementioned language learning programs in the school. One has

specified that they use a language learning program called Dyned whereas she has

emphasized the lack of a language laboratory and a speaking club in which students can

practice the language. The following table displays their opinions about the availability of

language learning programs in their institution.

Table 44
Teachers’ Opinions on the Available Language Learning Programs in their Institution
Theme Frequency
Available language learning programs 3
No language learning programs available 2

She says:

‘’At our school, we encourage our students to use the language learning program called Dyned.
Students can log in with their own username and password. But I think this program is not
constantly updated and does not attract the attention of students. I would like to have a special
laboratory in our school that is only used for language education and that students can improve
their language skills there in their spare time. I would especially like to have a speaking club
where students can chat in English.’’ (T2)

Taken together, it can be inferred that there are both drawbacks and strengths reported. In

this regard, these findings broadly match those observed in earlier studies. For example,

Baskaran and Shafeeq (2015) have found that teachers find the existing ICT conveniences

in their institutions inadequate. This finding is consistent with that of Chen (2008) who has

found a discrepancy between teachers’ beliefs and practices due to several external factors.

In the same vein, Gull (2020) has reported that unstable internet connections and

unsatisfactory resources make the integration process ineffective. Similarly, studies

conducted in the Turkish context (see Çebi, 2018; Çelik & Aytın, 2014; Sağlam & Sert;

Yükselir, 2016; Zehir-Topkaya & Küçük, 2010) have also reported the issue of technical

139
obstacles in technology integration processes. In this regard, it would be reasonable to

suggest that attempts for installing digital technologies seem to be failing (Gülbahar, 2007).

What differs is that the issue of the student population does not fully match with the existing

literature in this study. Instead, the existing literature highlights the issues of unmotivated or

incompetent students in terms of digital technologies (e.g Al-Faki & Khamis, 2014; Mohsen

& Shafeeq, 2014). In this regard, what Bitner and Bitner (2002) offer could be illuminating.

They suggest that even though student help in technology integration processes is generally

underutilized, student involvement in such processes might boost their self-confidence and

engage them in their learning experiences. In this regard, the issue of a crowded student

population could be turned into an advantage by sharing responsibilities in the phases of

technology integration in the classroom because learner autonomy, motivation, and more

active participation in classroom discussions are fostered through the successful technology

integration in language classrooms as reported by previous studies (see Bilyalova, 2017;

Pandya, 2016; Varalakshmi, 2016; Zhang & Zou, 2020).

Perceptions of Institutional/Administrative Support for the use of Digital

Resources in Language Instruction

As detailed earlier, even though teachers’ attitudes have a significant place in the effective

technology integration processes, it is not possible to ignore the existence of external factors

that play a crucial role in such processes. Thus, the teachers’ perceptions of their

institutional/administrative support for using digital resources in language education have

been investigated. The following table displays their general opinions on the administrative

support that is provided for the use of digital technologies.

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Table 45
Teachers’ General Opinions on the Administrative Support for the Use of Technology
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Strengths Supporting the use of technology 9
Weaknesses Insufficient attempts for the support 1
Suggestions providing enough technological facilities 6

Having provided an overview of their answers, it is now important to investigate each

question respectively.

The following table displays their opinions on the policy of their institutions.

Table 46
Teachers’ Opinions on their Institutions’ Policy towards Technology Use
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Positive implications Supporting the use of technology 4
Negative implications Weak attempts for the support 1

When the teachers are asked about their institutions’ policy towards technology-integrated

teaching and learning, one of them has not answered. The rest of them have stated that their

institutions support the use of technology. However, one of them has also highlighted the

inadequacy of initiatives in this regard.

The following table displays the teachers’ opinions on the administrative support for the use

of technology.

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Table 47
Teachers’ Opinions on the Administrative Support for the Use of Technology
Theme Subtheme Frequency
encouraging the use of technology 3
Positive implications encouraging the use of the EBA 1
Encouraging the use of a language program 1

As can be seen, when the teachers are asked whether the school administration supports the

use of technology in language teaching, one of them has not answered. The rest of them have

indicated positive implications. More specifically, one of them has indicated that school

administration encourages teachers and students to use the EBA and a language program

called Dyned. The other three participants have suggested a general opinion indicating that

the administration supports them to integrate technology into their language teaching

practices. The implications can be seen in the table above. These implications match those

obtained in the previous question that aims to learn teachers’ opinions on the policy of their

institutions regarding the use of technology in teaching and learning.

The teachers are asked what they would change about their institutional environment

regarding the use of technology in education. What follows provides an overview of their

suggestions regarding their institutional environment.

Table 48
Teachers’ Suggestions for their Institutional Environment
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Suggestions more audio materials 2
more smartboards 1
Convenient software 1
Internet access 1
Language laboratories 1
Having computers 1
Language applications 1
No suggestions already having adequate opportunities 1

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One of them has indicated that she is working in an institution that has adequate opportunities

in terms of technology use in education. One of them has suggested that installing convenient

software into smartboards and providing internet access to all classes are necessary. Two of

them have suggested that they would prefer to have a language laboratory in their schools.

One of them has specified her wish by underlining the importance of having computers,

language applications, and audio materials for developing students’ listening and speaking

skills. In the same vein, one of them has also emphasized the importance of more

smartboards and audio materials.

These findings are in accordance with earlier studies indicating that technology integration

is a complex and demanding process that requires the diligent endeavor of schools

(Gülbahar, 2007). However, there are other authorities such as stakeholders or policy-makers

that can make difference in the teaching and learning processes. Thus, stakeholders,

administrators, policy-makers, and institutions need to provide the necessary assistance and

infrastructure to promote learning processes (Carhill-Poza, 2017; Chen, 2008) because

evidence from previous studies suggests that providing teachers with the necessary training,

support, and ample access to resources could change their teaching practices (see Reel,

2009). In this regard, it is important to address the issue of quality teacher training because

previous studies (see Lawrence et al., 2020) have underlined that single-shot training

opportunities such as one-time workshops fail to intertwine technology with pedagogy, thus

yielding no functional benefit.

Beliefs Concerning Teachers’ Skills and Knowledge with Respect To

Integrating Digital Media In English Language Instruction

Thus far, several studies suggest that teachers’ beliefs about their skills and knowledge

appear to be positively related to their classroom practices. Thus, it is important to have an

understanding of teachers’ beliefs regarding their technology-related skills and knowledge.

The following table displays the general attitudes that are expressed by the teachers.

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Table 49
Teachers’ General Attitudes towards their Skills and Knowledge regarding Technology
Integration
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Undergoing training about technology 13
supporting the use of technology in language education 9
Strengths Feel comfortable using computers 8
Positive implications about colleagues 5
Learning in the process 3
no pre-service training 1
Weaknesses feeling inadequate using computers 1
no in-service training 1
the importance of necessary equipment 3
the importance of financial support 1
Suggestions post-service procedure 1
in-service training opportunities 1
pedagogical use of digital tools 1

As can be seen from the table above, the teachers have generally stated positive implications.

Predominantly, they have highlighted training opportunities, their support for the use of

digital technologies in language education, and their confidence in using digital tools. On

the other hand, lack of training opportunities and the feeling of incompetency in using digital

tools have been accentuated even though they are not frequently reported. Moreover, the

importance of necessary equipment is the most reported issue by the teachers. Having

provided an overview of the teachers’ general attitudes towards their skills and knowledge,

it is now important to examine each question respectively.

When the teachers are asked about their general attitudes towards using technology in

foreign language education, they all have indicated positive statements as can be seen in the

table below.

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Table 50
Teachers’ General Attitudes towards Using Technology in Language Education

Theme Subtheme Frequency

The necessity of technology 3

Technology being enjoyable 2
Positive implications Technology being useful 1
Supporting the use of technology 1
Permanent learning through technology 1
Fostering input through technology 1

As can be seen, one of them has stated that she appreciates the use of technology as it is

more useful and enjoyable. One of them has indicated that she supports the use of technology

in foreign language teaching. Three of them have underlined the necessity of technology in

language education. One of them has also highlighted that technology makes learning

permanent and enjoyable. One of them has also emphasized the importance of getting

exposed to the target language through technology. The table below displays their general

attitudes towards technology use in language education.

Taken together, these implications match those obtained in the first question in the section

on pedagogical/curricular considerations in terms of technology use in foreign language

instruction.

When the teachers are asked how comfortable they feel about using computers and other

digital equipment either in their teaching or for their personal needs. The table below

provides an overview of their feelings while using digital tools.

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Table 51
Teachers’ Feelings about Using Digital Tools
Theme Frequency
Feeling comfortable using computer 4
Offering a suggestion 1

As can be seen from the table above, the four participants have indicated that they feel

comfortable and competent while using digital technologies. Also, one of them has offered

a different point of view.

The following excerpt belongs to the participant who has suggested a different viewpoint.
‘’I do not see any harm in using these devices and I support their use. Because they are definitely
important things that increase the motivation of the students and make lessons effective. Of
course, the use of these devices should only be a tool for education and should not get in the way
of the teacher.’’ (T2)

In the excerpt above, what is highlighted is that technology should support educational

purposes, not hinder them. This is also emphasized by Lawrence et al. (2020) and Rodriquez

(2018) who have suggested that technology should be based on pedagogy. In the same vein,

Altun (2005) has asserted that teachers employ technology as a complementary instrument.

In sum, even though this answer above is not directly related to the question, it yields an

important implication for understanding the place of digital technologies in the classroom.

The teachers are asked whether they think they have the necessary technology-related skills

to support language learners in the use of digital tools. The following table shows their

opinions on their technology-related skills.

Table 52
Teachers’ Opinions on their Technology-Related Skills
Theme Frequency
Adequate technology user 4
Inadequate technology user 1

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As can be seen from the table above, one of them has stated that she thinks she does not have

such skills whereas the other four of them consider themselves adequate in this regard.

What follows is an example excerpt.

‘’I think that I use technology effectively within the framework of opportunities offered by our
institution and students. I definitely use technology in every lesson and extracurricular activities
(homework, exams, exercises, etc.). Whenever I see a new program or application, I review it
and use it in my classroom if appropriate.’’ (T2)

Overall, these findings are in line with those of previous studies. Namely, Almalki (2020)

has found that Saudi EFL teachers are highly proficient technology users. In the same vein,

Chaaban and Ellili-Cherif (2017) have found that EFL teachers in Qatar have high levels of

confidence in technology integration. In the Turkish context, Önalan and Kurt (2020) have

found that EFL instructors see themselves as generally proficient users of some programs

such as presentation software and word-processing. Similarly, Salehi & Salehi (2012) have

found that teachers in Iran perceive themselves as regular or self-reliant users of digital

technologies. These implications are not surprising because it has been reported by earlier

studies that there is a relationship between teachers’ attitudes and their classroom practices.

Namely, the existing literature broadly offers that teachers have positive attitudes towards

technology integration into language education. In this regard, it is reasonable to expect that

those teachers use digital technologies effectively and see themselves as competent users.

The teachers are asked whether they have attended any training on using digital technologies

in the classroom. The following table displays their training experiences.

Table 53
Teachers’ Experiences about Training on Using Digital Technologies
Theme Frequency

Undergoing training on technology use 5

As can be seen from the table above, all of them have indicated that they have undergone

training on technology use in the classroom.

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What follows provides an example excerpt.

‘’Yes, I have received this kind of training. Technology-related courses and seminars that all
teachers working for the state can access can be watched by teachers through EBA. I find these
trainings very useful.’’ (T2)

Apart from the courses that can be accessed through EBA, there are other opportunities that

the teachers have found useful. These are seminars on the use of smartboards, training on

the use of digital technologies, courses on how to use computers and other digital equipment,

and in-service training.

The teachers are asked what they think about their pre-service education with regard to

teaching English via digital tools. The table below displays their in-service training

experiences.

Table 54
Teachers’ Experiences in their Pre-Service Education
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Positive implications Learning in the process 3
In-service training 2
Pre-service training 2
Negative implication no pre-service training 1

One of them has indicated that she has not had any pre-service education and has learned in

the process. One of them has also underlined the importance of learning in the process rather

than her pre-service education. Two of them have seemingly misunderstood the question and

given answers related to their in-service training processes. One of them has expressed his

feelings towards his pre-service education by saying:

‘’During my pre-service education, I thought it was too difficult to apply them in my classes.
Then I have begun to feel like the more I use them, the more I have got used to using them.’’
(T4)

The excerpt above displays that the teacher does not mention the content of his pre-education

regarding technology integration practices. Rather, he has highlighted “learning by doing”.

Similarly, learning in the process is predominantly highlighted by the participants. In this

148
regard, the “learning in the process” theme has been categorized with positive implications

because all the participants except one have not indicated the absence of their pre-service

training opportunities. In other words, there is one participant who has clearly indicated the

absence of her pre-service training in terms of technology integration.

Even though the answers do not directly correlate with negative implications, it should be

bear in mind that all the teachers have highlighted their in-service training opportunities or

their attempts for improving themselves in the process. Thus, it can be suggested that their

pre-service education fails to give sufficient consideration to technology integration

practices even though there are no explicit indicators for their inadequate or absent pre-

service training on how to teach English through digital tools. This implication corroborates

the ideas of Wetzel and Chisholm (2014), who have suggested that university faculties are

failing to provide pre-service teachers with the necessary practice and knowledge for using

computer technologies in the classroom. Overall, these findings strengthen the idea that

considerably more work needs to be done to provide prospective teachers with tangible

models of technology integration practices.

Regarding the teachers’ in-service training opportunities for teaching English via digital

tools, what follows displays the teachers’ implications for their in-service education.

Table 55
Teachers’ Experiences in their In-Service Education
Theme Subtheme Frequency
Positive implication in-service training opportunities 4
Negative implication not attending to any in-service training 1

As can be seen from the table above, the four of them have indicated that they have benefited

from in-service training opportunities. One of them has not attended any in-service training.

What follows is an example answer.

‘’Yes, such seminars and courses are available for teachers. I also attended such training. They
helped me remember what I know and use technology more effectively in my lessons.’’ (T2)
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The implications above indicate that the pre-service education that the participants have

undergone is inadequate in terms of technology integration into language education whereas

there are relatively good opportunities for in-service training. Namely, the implications

above accord with those obtained in the previous question about pre-service education.

Undoubtedly, both pre-service and in-service training could encourage teachers to integrate

digital technologies into their educational practices (Alshumaimeri, 2008). However, pre-

service education is important for preparing prospective teachers for their future practices

(Kuru-Gönen, 2019; Şimşek & Yazar, 2019). However, it has been reported that higher

education institutions fail to provide prospective teachers with the necessary knowledge and

skills to use digital technologies in the classroom (Wetzel & Chisholm, 2014). In addition,

it has been found that prospective teachers do not benefit from their practicum experiences

in terms of practicing with the help of technology since there is a discrepancy between

teacher training programs and actual classroom practices (Aşık et al., 2020; Aydın, 2013;

Merç, 2015; Kuru-Gönen, 2019; Uzun, 2016). Thus, teachers may hesitate to integrate

technology into their practices due to a lack of training (Sullivan & Bhattacharya, 2017). In

this regard, the findings of this study and the existing literature overlap. This displays that

there is a need for more effective and practical pre-service training regarding the use of

digital tools in language education (Waddoups et al., 2004).

In addition to pre-service and in-service training opportunities, the teachers are asked what

could be done in order to support teachers in building a fruitful learning environment through

technology. What follows indicates the teachers’ suggestions on how to build effective

learning environments through technology.

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Table 56
Teachers’ Suggestions Related to Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments
Theme Frequency
Necessary equipment 3
Financial support 1
Post-service 1
Practical in-service training 1

As can be seen from the table above, three of them have highlighted the importance of

necessary equipment. One of them has also pointed out the importance of financial support

for technical equipment. One of them has suggested a procedure that she calls post-service,

which is discussed in detail below. One of them has highlighted the importance of in-service

training opportunities based on hands-on practices.

Apart from the issues of financial support and post-service procedure, the other implications

have been discussed in the previous pages. Regarding the importance of financial support

for effective technology integration processes, it is reasonable to associate it with the issue

of the availability and adequacy of materials and equipment. Regarding the issue of the post-

service procedure offered by a teacher, there is no detailed explanation for it. It has been

stated that:

“Pre- and in-service are good idea. Maybe we need a post-service to discuss what would be done
better.” (T1)

Thus, it is reasonable to infer that this procedure is based on sharing teachers’ experiences

and ideas. In this respect, it can be inferred that it is a procedure that includes benefitting

from the experiences of both in-service teachers and retired teachers. In light of these

implications, this point of view further supports the ideas of Sullivan and Bhattacharya

(2017), who have tried to yield insights into technology integration practices into language

education through the experiences of a retired foreign language teacher in the US context.

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When the teachers are asked whether their colleagues have some effect on their preferences

for using technological tools, all of them have expressed positive implications as indicated

in the table below.

Table 57
Teachers’ Opinions on the Effect of their Colleagues regarding Technology Integration
Theme Frequency
Positive effect on one another 5

Specifically, they have stated that they share their preferences and materials. In addition, it

has been reported that they encourage and learn from each other.

What follows provides example answers.

‘’Yes, we definitely support each other. We hold meetings constantly and keep each other
informed about a new technological development, technique, application, game, etc. related to
language teaching.’’ (T2)

‘’I think my colleagues have a positive effect on my preferences to use technological tools. We
share materials we have or have prepared to support each other.’’ (T3)

As can be inferred from the abovementioned implications, the positive effect of colleagues

on using digital tools is noteworthy. This finding corroborates the idea of Çebi (2018), who

has suggested that encouraging teachers to cooperate with their colleagues could be helpful

for mitigating the drawbacks of technology integration processes.

Thus far, this section has reviewed the three aspects of teachers’ attitudes. These are

pedagogical/curricular considerations, the availability/adequacy of digital teaching tools,

and teachers’ beliefs about their knowledge/skills. The section below has attempted to

provide a brief summary of the teachers’ views on the abovementioned aspects.

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 Findings Related to Teachers’ Comments

This section moves on to consider the last aspect of the teachers’ attitudes, which is their

general comments on the aforementioned issues. To start with, a brief overview of the

teachers’ comments is given in the table below.

Table 58
Teachers’ General Comments
Theme Frequency
technical facilities 9
coursebook content 4
time 2
teacher training 2
administrative support 1
taking the advantages of technology 1
the importance of learning a language 1

As can be seen in the table above, the issue of technical facilities is the most frequently

reported implication, which is followed by the issue of coursebook content. As discussed in

detail in the previous pages, this finding supports evidence from earlier studies. A key policy

priority should therefore be to improve technical facilities and plan for the long-term

effectiveness of the content of coursebooks.

First of all, the teachers are asked about the most critical point that they want to highlight.

In this regard, the table below displays the most critical points reported by the participants.

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Table 59
The Most Critical Points Reported by Teachers
Theme Frequency
quality resources 2
time 2
internet connection 1
teacher training 1
coursebook quality 1

One of them has emphasized the importance of time and internet connection by saying:

‘’Time and internet connection. Howmuchever the digital book is excellent, it is useless without
internet connection and time. Curriculum is heavy, time is limited. Lesson hours are not enough
to teach so many things.’’ (T1)

Similarly, one of them has highlighted the importance of increasing lesson hours and having

quality resources. In the same vein, one of them has stressed the importance of well-equipped

resources and teacher training. In addition, one of them has commented that there is a need

for designing coursebooks that are more compatible with technology according to the

students’ level.

As can be inferred, the availability of well-equipped resources and the time issue are

frequently reported by the participants. These findings match those observed in earlier

studies (e.g. Carhill-Poza, 2017; Ertmer et al., 2012; Hew & Brush, 2007; Salehi & Salehi,

2012).

When the teachers are asked about the most urgent solution that needs to be taken into

consideration, the following themes have emerged as can be seen in the table below.

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Table 60
The Most Urgent Issues Reported by Teachers
Theme Frequency
the importance of technical facilities 3
the importance of coursebook content 2
the importance of teacher training 1

As can be seen in the table above, three of them have emphasized the importance of technical

facilities. One of them has highlighted the importance of teacher training. Furthermore, one

of them has emphasized the importance of coursebooks compatible with the technology.

Similarly, one of them has stated that the content of coursebooks should be rearranged to

align with the students’ needs. The following table shows the most urgent issues reported by

the participants.

What follows is an example excerpt on the importance of technical facilities.

‘’Not for our school but many schools unfortunately lack technology. And these students may
spend their lessons without watching a video in the target language or listening to a native
speaker. I think this problem should be solved immediately. I think that every classroom should
have at least one smart board.’’ (T2)

In the excerpt above, it has been highlighted that technology provides learners with

opportunities for promoting their language learning through audio-visual materials. Again,

this exemplar implication provides further support for the idea that the use of technology in

language education contributes to fostering learning.

The teachers are asked to make one brief statement summarizing their views. What follows

provides an overview of their implications.

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Table 61
Teachers’ Summary Statements
Theme Frequency
the issue of technical facilities 2
the importance of administrative support 1
taking advantage of technology 1
the importance of learning a language 1
the importance of coursebook content 1

Two of the participants have highlighted the issue of technical facilities while one of them

has highlighted the importance of administrative support. Also, one of them has stated that

taking advantage of technology is vital. She says:

‘’The use of technology in language education and teaching is an inevitable need today. A course
prepared by taking into account the needs of individuals and making use of technological
opportunities provides many advantages to both the teacher and the student. And every teacher
and institution should use these opportunities.’’ (T2)

In addition, one of them has highlighted the importance of learning a foreign language while

one of them has offered that coursebooks should be simple and technology-integrated so that

learning processes become more enjoyable and permanent. Overall, the implications above

seem to be consistent with those obtained in the previous questions.

Lastly, the teachers are asked whether they have extra comments, one of them has stated

that:

‘’If there is no internet, there is no digital teaching and learning.’’ (T1)

As can be seen, the implications obtained in this section overlap with the previous

implications. Namely, several lines of evidence suggest that technical limitations are

frequently reported as serious barriers to effective technology integration. Admittedly,

overcoming technical issues is not adequate for efficient learning processes, which is

discussed in detail in the previous pages. Taken together, it is reasonable to suggest that the

technology integration process in language education should include four components: pre-

156
service training opportunities, in-service training opportunities, competent teachers in both

using technology and their field knowledge, and available technical facilities.

This chapter has begun by investigating the content of current coursebooks regarding

technology integration. Then, it has moved on to suggest that teachers’ attitudes are worth

investigating in order to triangulate the data. Having discussed teachers’ attitudes towards

the current subject, the final chapter moves on to provide a brief summary of the study.

Additionally, a number of practical implications are suggested for future practice.

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158
 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

As detailed earlier, the main purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the content of

current English coursebooks regarding technology integration. In this regard, a brief

overview of the investigation of the website EBA is given because it has been realized in the

process that such an investigation contributes to existing knowledge of the subject under

investigation. Returning to the purposes of this study, part of the purpose is to explore

teachers’ attitudes towards current English coursebooks regarding technology integration

and their teaching practices in this regard. Having reminded of the research purposes, it is

now important to provide an account of the research questions.

As can be seen in the discussion part, there are attempts by the MoNE to provide learners

with technology-enhanced learning opportunities. In this regard, the FATİH Project has been

launched to create learning environments that incorporate technology and education, which

aims at fostering students’ learning experiences (Kızılet & Özmen, 2017; Milla et al., 2019;

Yüksel & Eren, 2016). In this regard, several attempts have been made to achieve the

purposes of the FATİH project. Some of the attempts are to equip classrooms with

smartboards or provide students with tablet PCs (Çelik & Aytın, 2014). In addition, the

educational network called EBA has been introduced to public use within the scope of the

project. This instructional network includes a website called OGM Materyal

(https://ogmmateryal.eba.gov.tr/). This website offers a variety of online educational

159
materials and sources that users can benefit from in and out of the classroom. Returning to

the issue of coursebook content and technology, the EBA attempts to connect technological

affordances within the website and educational affordances within the coursebook content.

On the EBA, it is possible to find numerous sources, including soft copies of coursebooks

and various complementary materials. Regarding technology integration, it is of great

importance to maintain a quality coherence between the website and the coursebook. In this

regard, this study has identified that current English coursebooks, which are Teenwise for

the 9th grade and Count Me In for the 10th grade, can be regarded as compatible with

technology to some extent. In sum, each theme for both grades has a QR code that directs

learners to related websites, thus fostering web-based learning. In addition, each theme for

both grades has listening activities that include the use of smartboards, thereby fostering the

use of digital equipment in the classroom. Moreover, both coursebooks include assignments

that require searching for information on the internet even though the number of such

assignments is limited. On the other hand, the quality of related websites is not at the

preferable level. As earlier studies have put it ( e.g. Kızılet & Özmen, 2017), the content on

EBA has not reached the level of global standards in terms of online learning resources. In

this respect, technology integration is generally limited to the basic use of technology, which

Puentedura (2006) names “the enhancement level”. Namely, it is not possible to mention the

significant number of functional benefits that are brought by the use of digital technologies.

In addition, the distribution of technology-integrated activities and assignments is uneven,

which is discussed in greater detail in the following section.

Admittedly, current English coursebooks include digital materials and activities. On the

other hand, it is not possible to mention an even distribution of digital materials and activities

regarding language skills and components. As detailed earlier, listening skills and related

sub-skills are generally supported with the use of digital technologies. Other language skills

and components are generally supported with assignments that require web search. Again,

this is relatable to the implications obtained in the first research question because

technological affordances in digital materials and activities do not bring about a significant

160
amount of practical benefit. In other words, technology-integrated activities in current

coursebooks are generally limited to certain types of activities such as “listen & practice” or

“listen & answer”, thereby fostering the development of listening skills and related sub-

skills. Regarding the assignments, they direct learners to search for information on the

internet or study collaboratively with peers. Even though current coursebooks include some

assignments that promote language skills such as writing or speaking, or collaboration skills

of learners, greater efforts are needed to ensure that the number of such assignments is

increased and their quality is enhanced. Regarding the coursebook content that directs

learners to the EBA when QR codes are scanned, further work is needed to establish a

standard quality for the e-content available. There are a few reasons why a standard quality

is needed. As detailed earlier, the related e-content provides three different types of content.

These are content summaries, video lectures, and presentations. Video lectures and

presentations have the same content as the coursebook content whereas content summaries

provide a brief overview of grammar rules related to the subjects. As detailed in the

discussion part, some e-content is missing.

Regarding the interview part of the study, there are 5 English teachers who have participated

in this study. First of all, they appreciate the opportunities and technological affordances

provided by the MoNE. They have stated that the coursebook content has some beneficial

adaptations for technology-enhanced learning and teaching. In this regard, they appreciate

the affordances provided by the EBA, such as enabling learners to learn in and out of the

classroom, providing immediate feedback, promoting listening skills, etc. On the other hand,

they criticize the drawbacks such as having poor quality technical infrastructure, uneven

distribution of language skills in terms of technology-integrated activities and assignments

in the coursebook content, and a lack of appropriate and up-to-date listening and speaking

materials, etc. Also, most of the participants think that the coursebook content does not

support the use of digital technologies. The rest of the participants think that the coursebook

content supports the use of digital technologies in a limited way. Taken together, their

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implications are in line with the findings obtained in the coursebook evaluation. Namely,

further work is needed to raise the quality of technological affordances.

As regards teachers’ attitudes towards technology integration and their classroom practices,

they think that using digital technologies in foreign language education is valuable in many

aspects. Also, they have indicated that they incorporate such technologies into their

classroom practices and feel comfortable using them. In addition, they have stated that their

colleagues have a positive effect on their technology integration processes. Moreover, they

generally find the administrative/institutional support in their institution meritorious.

Regarding the in-service opportunities for making use of digital technologies in classroom

settings, the teachers have indicated that they have attended such training and find them

adequate and useful. In this regard, it is reasonable to suggest that in-service training

opportunities should be based on practical implementations. On the other hand, they confront

some challenges in their teaching practices such as technical issues, time, student population,

a lack of available facilities, the issue of controlling students’ use of technology, etc. In

addition, it has been reported that the teachers’ pre-service education experiences in terms

of learning how to integrate digital technologies into their classroom practices can be

regarded as inadequate. Therefore, even though it is not easy to catch up with the rapidly-

emerging technologies, there is a need for planning teacher education programs in

accordance with the needs of our century so that prospective teachers gain the necessary

abilities to incorporate current technologies into their future practices.

This section has attempted to provide a brief summary of the study. The section that follows

provides some practical implications to contribute to the field.

Pedagogical Implications

The findings of this study have a number of practical implications for future practice:

1. The content of current coursebooks should include more technology-integrated activities.

For example, assignments that require web-based learning can be added as activities in the
162
coursebook content. However, it should be well-planned so that digital tools that students

can benefit from in classroom activities are predetermined. For example, it would be a

fruitful approach to inform students in advance so that they can bring their digital equipment

such as mobile phones, laptops, or tablet PCs with them. Expectedly, some students might

not have any digital equipment. For this reason, a reasonable approach to tackle this issue

could be to assign students to groups where they can benefit from one another’s digital

devices. Another way is that teachers can detect students who do not have any digital devices

in the school and report them to relevant departments within the MoNE. Subsequently, the

MoNE could provide necessary digital tools that are available for the use of schools.

Needless to say, technical infrastructures need to be arranged accordingly. Most importantly,

the issue of internet access needs to be handled. The internet should be fast enough, allow

learners to access specific websites, and provide a stable connection. In addition, attempts

are required to build a specific department for technical support staff. Namely, even though

IT teachers are knowledgeable about technical facilities and might help teachers when

needed, there is a need for a separate unit that is responsible for technical inconveniences.

2. The distribution of technology-integrated activities and assignments should be relatively

well-balanced in terms of language skills and components. Thus, there is a need for creating

different types of activities and assignments. In this regard, it would be useful to include

academia in the e-content development procedure (Kızılet & Özmen, 2017) because

academic personnel could offer valuable insights into this procedure.

3. Technological affordances in the coursebook content should not only support lower-order

thinking skills but also higher-order thinking skills. This means that technology should be

used beyond the “listen & answer” level. Undoubtedly, such activities are required to

establish the backbone of students’ language skills. However, activities should follow a

rising pattern, which means that their educational affordances accelerate progressively. For

example, activities that embrace lower-order thinking skills should be followed by activities

that embrace higher-order thinking skills. In this regard, a “listen & choose the correct one”

type of activity can be followed by a “listen & criticize” or “listen & comment on” type of
163
activity. In this way, technology is used as a means of fostering students’ cognitive abilities,

thus contributing to their language learning processes.

4. Technology should be used more at the level of transformation (Puentedura, 2010).

Namely, the use of digital technologies should contribute to students’ knowledge and skills

to a greater extent and their identities as global learners of the world. For example, activities

or assignments that direct students to a website where they can find global pen pals and

communicate with them could be added to the coursebook content. In this way, students can

easily obtain some opportunities for authentic learning experiences which they cannot

without the help of technology. This is the redefinition level of the SAMR model by

Puentedura (2006), which falls under the heading of the transformation title. These kinds of

activities that create global opportunities help students interact with their friends in a

meaningful context, learn about different countries and cultures, improve their language

skills, contribute to their social strategies, etc. In sum, embracing more activities and

assignments at the transformation level of the SAMR model contributes to learners’ higher-

order thinking skills, as discussed in detail on the previous page.

5. The website EBA should be arranged in accordance with global standards for online

learning resources. First of all, the drawbacks such as a lack of proper content for each grade

or videos that are not opening, etc. should be eliminated. Secondly, the content should be

enriched with interactivity. For example, learners can be provided with some opportunities

for video-chatting with native speaker English teachers. For this reason, the website could

be rearranged so that learners and native teachers of English could communicate with each

other at specific time intervals. In this regard, both teachers and students need to be able to

book their schedules in accordance with their plans. To achieve these purposes, the MoNE

could cooperate with the stakeholders of the applications/websites that offer similar services.

In this way, the use of technology encompasses the redefinition level of the SAMR model,

which is the fourth step falling under the heading of the transformation title. As suggested

in the content of activities on the previous page, the website could enable students to find

global pen pals through the internet. Again, this leads to an environment that fosters
164
communication and brings about exchanging cultures. Moreover, the website could provide

a section called “word of the day” or “phrase of the week” as available in online dictionaries

or applications to arouse students’ curiosity, thus giving rise to enjoyable, stimulating, and

permanent learning experiences. If these phrases or words are related to what students are

currently experiencing, the possibility for more effective and permanent learning increases

accordingly.

6. As detailed in the previous pages, there is a “send feedback about the question” part in the

question bank part. This part could be added in other sections as well. In this way, the MoNE

could have some opportunities for reflective thinking, thus making some arrangements in

line with the users’ considerations. For example, learners could report technical

inconveniences or their criticism to authorities, or they can comment on their favorite

sections, all of which contribute to creating an environment that supports communication,

reflection, cooperation, and mutual contribution among both sides.

7. The EBA should adopt a more user-friendly interface. As indicated earlier, there is no

coherence in some parts of the website. For example, the e-content in the interactive

practices section has neither a consistent pattern nor a well-categorized interface. Moreover,

there are many titles and subtitles on the website, all of which complicate the process of

“search and find” for users. In this regard, the titles could be categorized into certain main

groups such as coursebook content, complementary materials, interactive materials, etc.

Subsequently, there could be various subgroups within these groups. The reason is that the

e-content on the EBA has many divisions, some of which have very similar names such as

activity sheets, activity books, skills-based activity books, and interactive skills-based

activity books. As can be seen, the similarity of these names could seem perplexing to

students. In sum, there is a need for a more simplistic, convenient, practical, and user-

friendly website.

8. The instructions given in technology-integrated activities need to embrace EFL

methodologies because, as indicated earlier, there are serious shortcomings regarding the

instructions. It is admirable that there are some instructions that provide exemplar texts,
165
sentences, or hints about the task. However, there are some instructions that need to be

elucidated. First of all, they need to highlight the key points clearly. For example, it would

be a fruitful approach to specify digital tools that students can use, indicate the time and

word limit, and clarify what students are expected to do.

Having discussed the pedagogical implications, the final section of this study addresses some

ideas for further research.

Suggestions for Further Research

This study has thrown up several questions in need of further investigation. In this regard,

further research might be conducted to investigate the content of the 11th and 12th grade

coursebooks by the MoNE regarding technology integration. Also, the content of other

coursebooks by international publishing houses could be investigated in order to have a

comparative study. This could shed more light on the processes of designing coursebooks in

accordance with global standards. In addition, if the debate is to be moved forward, a better

understanding of teachers’ attitudes and classroom practices regarding technology

integration needs to be developed. In this respect, further research could be carried out with

a larger and randomized sampling. Additionally, quantitative research in this field is needed

to fully understand the implications for teachers’ attitudes and practices. Furthermore, a

greater focus on different technology integration models for education could produce fruitful

implications. Namely, using a broader range of technology integration models is an essential

next step in establishing a more comprehensive understanding of the content of coursebooks.

166
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APPENDICES

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APPENDIX 1. Evaluation Checklist

TECHNOLOGY AS AN INSIDER OR AN OUTSIDER:

AN EVALUATION CHECKLIST

General Information about the Coursebook:

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION Yes To Some Extent No

OF THE COURSEBOOK
CONTENT

1. Does the course book support the use

of technology for each unit? If yes, how
and to what extent does it support ICT
technologies?

2. Does the course book support the

goals of the program in terms of
technology integration? If yes, how?

3. Does the course book provide

learners with any guidance in terms of
technological adaptations? If yes, what
kind of guidance is provided to
learners?

4. Does the course book support the use

of educational networking as a type of
ICT tool? If yes, how and to what extent
does it support?

5. Does the course book support the use

of web-based learning as a type of ICT

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tool? If yes, how and to what extent does
it support?

6. Does the course book support the use

of mobile learning as a type of ICT tool?
If yes, how and to what extent does it
support?

7. Does the course book support the use

of classroom equipment as a type of ICT
tool? If yes, how and to what extent does
it support?

8. Does the course book support any

technological adaptations for
gamification?

9. Does the course book direct the users

to any other learning platforms? If yes,
elaborate. If not, does the course book
have a website as a complementary tool
or just a digital version of the hard copy?

10. Are there any quick tips for teachers

on how to make use of suggested
technologies?

11. Are there any quick tips for students

on how to make use of suggested
technologies?

12. Are there any teaching and learning

philosophies indicated by the course
book with regard to technology
integration?

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EXERCISES AND/OR ACTIVITIES Yes To Some Extent No

1. Does the course book provide learners

with technology-integrated exercises
and/or activities? If yes, what type of
technology-integrated
exercises/activities are emphasized and
how?

2. Does the course book provide learners

with technology-integrated exercises
and/or activities as a supplementary out-
of-class material?

3. Are technology-integrated exercises

and/or activities evenly distributed
throughout the units, books and grades?
If not, how is the distribution throughout
the units, books and grades?

4. Are technology-integrated
activities/exercises free?

5. Are technology-integrated
activities/exercises controlled?

6. Are technology-integrated
activities/exercises semi-controlled?

7. Do technology-integrated
activities/exercises foster
communicative language learning?

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 LANGUAGE SKILLS AND Yes To Some Extent No
COMPONENTS

1. Are technology-integrated exercises

and/or activities evenly distributed in
terms of the language skills and
components? If not, which language
skills are mostly highlighted and
neglected?

2. Are listening skills supported

through the use of ICT technologies?
How?

3. Are writing skills supported through

the use of ICT technologies? How?

4. Are speaking skills supported through

the use of ICT technologies? How?

5. Are reading skills supported through

the use of ICT technologies? How?

6. Is vocabulary learning supported

through the use of ICT technologies?
How?

7. Is grammar learning supported

through the use of ICT technologies?
How?

8. Is pronunciation learning supported

through the use of ICT technologies?
How?

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 TECHNICAL CONCERNS Yes To Some Extent No

1. Is the course book compatible with

interactive white board?

2. Does the course book provide learners

with any guidance such as user’s
manual, booklet or any section in the
book in terms of technical difficulties? If
yes, what kind of guidance is provided
to learners?

3. Speaking of technology-integrated
elements in the course book, is there any
hard-copy version of the materials in
case of a technical problem?

4. Is the course book compatible with

any hardware/software/infrastructure? If
not, what kind of technical
infrastructures are needed in order to
fully benefit from the course book?

EXTRA COMMENT/CRITICISMS ON THE BOOK:

*adapted from Garinger (2002) and Luo & Lei (2012)

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APPENDIX 2. Semi-Structured Interview

Volunteer Participation Form

This volunteer participation form includes the conditions of participation in the semi-

structured interviews of the research conducted within the scope of the master's thesis, which

is prepared within the body of Gazi University Institute of Educational Sciences. This study

aims at investigating the attitudes of high school English teachers working at the Ministry of

National Education in Turkey towards technology integration. The interview will be

conducted via e-mail.

Participation in the interviews is completely voluntary, and by completing, signing or

confirming this volunteer participation form, you will show that you are willing to participate

as a participant in the interview part of this study. Although you have voluntarily participated

in this interview, you have the right to withdraw from the research at any time,

unconditionally. Your withdrawal from the study at any stage of the study will not impose

any responsibility on you. The data to be obtained from the interview will not contain your

personal information.

Before giving your consent or after the interview, you can ask any questions you want to ask

about the research via e-mail and ask for information about the results.

Researchers:

1. Assoc. Dr. Asuman AŞIK

e-mail: asuman.asik@gazi.edu.tr

2. Research Assistant Tutku ÖZKAN

e-mail: tutku.ozkan@ufuk.edu.tr

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PART I
This part aims at obtaining demographic information about the participants. Please,
answer the questions accordingly.

1. Do you agree to participate in this study?

Yes
No

2. What is your gender?

Female
Male
Other

3. How old are you?

18-30 years old
30-50 years old
50+ years old

4. How long have you been teaching?

6 months-2 years
3 years-10 years
More than 10 years
5. What is the type of your school?
Anatolian High School
Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School
Science High School
6. Which grade/grades do you teach?
9th grade
10th grade
Both 9th and 10 th grade

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PART II

This part includes four sections. The first section aims at obtaining information about

your pedagogical/curricular considerations with respect to technology use in foreign

language instruction. The second section aims at exploring your opinions concerning

the availability and adequacy of digital teaching tools in your institution. The third

section examines your perceptions of institutional/administrative support for the use of

digital resources. The fourth part is about your beliefs concerning your skills and

knowledge with respect to integrating digital media in English language instruction.

The last part has been allocated for your extra comments. Thank you for your

contribution to the study.

Section I – Pedagogical/curricular considerations with respect to technology use in

foreign language instruction

1. Given the communicative goals of the current English language curriculum, what is your

general opinion concerning the place of digital technology (e.g., personal computers,

computer software, PowerPoint, videos, the Internet) in foreign language instruction?

2. What is your general opinion concerning technology integration into currently used

English course books? Please give some examples of technological adaptations that course

books have in terms of language skills/areas and activity types. Please indicate the strengths

and weaknesses of such adaptations.

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3. What do you consider to be some of the advantages of using digital technologies in

teaching English?

4. On the other hand, what do you consider to be some of the drawbacks of using technology

in foreign language instruction?

5. What could your advices be in terms of the drawbacks of using digital technologies in

foreign language instruction?

6. Do you feel a need to include Internet and computer resources or any digital teaching tools

in your teaching with the aim of completing or reinforcing the e-content of the course books?

Why or why not? If so, which tools/materials/approaches do you consider to be the most

effective?

7. In your opinion, does the current English language curriculum support the use of digital

media in language learning? To what extent does it support or not? Please elaborate.

8. In your opinion, do the current English course books support the use of digital

technologies in language learning? To what extent do they support or not? Please elaborate.

192
9. In your opinion, what could be done in order to successfully integrate technology into

current English course books both theoretically and practically?

10. How do students feel about technology integrated lessons? What are some

observations/implications that you can draw upon your experiences?

Section II – Opinions concerning the availability and adequacy of digital teaching tools

in your institution

11. What is your general opinion concerning the conditions of the available facilities? In

your opinion, what could the strengths and weaknesses be?

12. Do you feel like your institution has adequate computing facilities (language labs and/or

classroom computers) for use in English language instruction? Please explain.

13. What about Internet resources? Do you believe that your school provides sufficient

access to the Internet for teachers and students for use in language learning? Please elaborate.

193
14. What types of language learning programs are available in your school (e.g., interactive

learning software, audio/visual materials, social networking, etc.)? If you could, what would

you change about the current situation in your school with respect to available equipment?

Section III – Perceptions of institutional/administrative support for the use of digital

resources in language instruction

15. What is your institution’s policy towards technology integrated teaching and learning?

In your opinion, what could the strengths and weaknesses be?

16. Does your school administration encourage/support the use of technology in language

teaching? Please elaborate.

17. If you could, what would you change about your institutional environment with respect

to use of technology in education?

Section IV – Beliefs concerning your own skills and knowledge with respect to

integrating digital media in English language instruction

18. What is your general attitude toward using technology in foreign language instruction?

194
19. How comfortable do you feel about using computers and other digital equipment, either

in your teaching or for your personal needs? Please elaborate.

20. What kind of training have you undergone with respect to using digital technology in the

classroom (e.g., teacher preparation, professional development programs, training seminars,

etc.)? Do you feel that sufficient training opportunities are available and accessible?

21. Do you think you have the necessary technology-related skills to support language

learners in the use of digital learning tools? Please elaborate.

22. Do you think that your colleagues have some effect on your preferences for using

technological tools? For example, do you support each other? Please elaborate.

23. What do you think about your pre-service education with regard to teaching English via

digital technological tools? What would you say about the strengths and weaknesses of your

pre-service education? Please elaborate.

24. What do you think about your in-service training opportunities with regard to teaching

English via digital technological tools? Have you attended such trainings? Please elaborate.

195
25. In addition to pre and in-service training opportunities, what could be done in order to

support teachers for practically building an environment that leads to fruitful learning

through technology? Please elaborate.

Section V – Comments

26. Among all your answers, what is the most critical point that you want to highlight? Why?

Please elaborate.

27. Among all your answers, what is the most urgent solution that needs to be taken into

consideration? Why? Please elaborate.

28. Can you make one brief statement summarizing your views?

29. Do you have anything to add or state?

196
APPENDIX 3. Approval Forms

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GAZİLİ OLMAK AYRICALIKTIR…