In this “digital age”, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is defined as “technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications” (“ICT”, 2010), has shown increasing importance in various aspects of human lives, including the education field. Recognizing the paramount importance of ICT in the process of learning and teaching, Malaysia has launched several initiatives such as Smart Schools, SchoolNet, Computer Lab and Educational web TV to integrate the use of ICT in teaching and learning processes in primary and secondary schools. The outcomes of these initiatives were indicated in a study by Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia (MSC) & Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) (2006), in which 73% of the teachers identified themselves as “upper intermediate users” and 10% of the teachers identified themselves as “advanced users” of ICT literacy. Also shown in the studies were the opinions of students regarding the use of ICT in their learning processes. A vast majority of the students surveyed (97.7 percent) stated that their interest in learning was improved due to the use of computer (MSC & MOE, 2006).
Despite the large number of teachers who reported themselves as “upper intermediate” or “advanced” users of ICT skills (MSC & MOE, 2006), a “divide” was still found to exist between younger teachers and senior teachers in primary and secondary schools in the frequency of ICT use for “teaching and learning, searching educational resources, and creating presentation/delivery materials” (Umar & Yusoff, 2014). Due to the less frequent use of ICT in the learning and teaching process of primary and secondary schools among the senior teachers as compared to junior teachers in Malaysia, the Ministry of Education (MOE) Malaysia should conduct more ICT workshops for senior teachers to encourage them to incorporate ICT in their classrooms more often.
According to the study done by Umar and Yusoff (2014), senior teachers (teachers who are 30 years old and above) use ICT significantly less than junior teachers (teachers who are less than 30 years old) in their teaching and learning processes. This could be caused by the attitudes of senior teachers towards ICT use in education. For example, some of the senior teachers believe that their age is an obstacle for them to adapt to the modern teaching styles and that traditional teaching methods suffice in educating their students (Raman & Yamat, 2014). As a result of the significantly less frequent use of ICT in their teaching and learning processes, the senior teachers and their students fail to benefit from ICT. ICT use in teaching and learning has many benefits for both teachers and students. Specifically, it promotes active learning in students, encourages them to learn more and increases their interest towards learning (Elmaifi, 2014). Teachers also gain from the use of ICT as it increases their efficiency in lesson planning, besides enabling them to work in teams and communicate ideas more easily (Elmaifi, 2014). In view of the numerous advantages of ICT use in classrooms, actions should be taken to encourage senior teachers to integrate this technology in their teaching and learning processes more often, so that both the teachers and their students will get to enjoy the benefits of this technology.
One solution to reduce the disparity of frequency of ICT use between senior teachers and junior teachers is to conduct special ICT workshops for senior teachers. Although a large number of ICT training programmes have been provided to the teachers in Malaysia, MOE has not conducted relevant training targeted at the senior teachers. Therefore, special ICT workshops should be conducted by MOE to equip the senior teachers with the interest and skills to integrate this technology in their teaching. To ensure the effectiveness of such workshops on the ICT use of senior teachers in classrooms, these workshops should be held with the vision that they will result in an improvement in senior teachers’ ICT skills. The workshops should also raise awareness in senior teachers about the benefits of using this technology in their learning and teaching processes. Thus, experts in ICT should be involved in teaching senior teachers the relevant skills that can be used in teaching such as the usage of presentation tools, word processors and so on. Employing experts in ICT to conduct training for senior teachers is vital as these experts have a high proficiency in ICT skills. This maximizes the possibility that questions raised by the senior teachers will be answered, which would in turn enable the senior teachers to have a greater command of the various ICT applications.
Another necessary instructional method in these ICT workshops is experiential education. In this context, computer labs would be ideal venues for these workshops as participants would have access to a computer each. After the instructor demonstrates the use of ICT tools, the senior teachers should be given time to test the various tools, as the hands-on experience would consolidate their mastery of these skills. In addition to that, participants could be divided into groups, which would in turn be assigned tasks that simulate real-world scenarios. For example, a group of participants might be requested to apply ICT in their teaching process of a new mathematical concept to the other participants. Through the actual application of ICT skills in teaching, the senior teachers would retain more knowledge than if they were to maintain the passive role of listening to the knowledge imparted (Ayers, n.d.). The hands-on experience is indispensable, as it would also arouse the participants’ interest in learning more ICT skills (Ayers, n.d.) and applying the skills in their actual teaching processes.
However, in order to fully equip senior teachers with the knowledge and interest of using ICT in their learning and teaching processes, the ICT workshops would have to be held frequently. This would require the allocation of a substantial amount of funds for these workshops, which could become a burden for the Malaysian government. Furthermore, a more comprehensive approach will have to be taken to address the less frequent use of ICT in classrooms by senior teachers. Adequate technological infrastructures have to be made available in primary and secondary schools, before the senior teachers can apply their ICT skills. Another important strategy is the encouragement from school administrators on the application of ICT in teaching in their schools. This is essential as the support from people whom teachers deem respectable is necessary in the teachers’ execution of a new technology (Ely, 1993, as cited in Khalid, Nawawi & Roslan, 2009).
In conclusion, MOE should multiply their efforts of encouraging senior teachers to integrate ICT in their teaching and learning processes to reduce the disparity of frequency of ICT use between senior teachers and junior teachers. Undoubtedly, the efforts of the other parties involved such as the institution administrators and the junior teachers is equally significant to induce a change in the use of ICT by senior teachers. If a concerted effort is made to bridge the divide between senior teachers and junior teachers, the increased usage of ICT by the senior teachers would definitely be beneficial to both the teachers and their students, which could eventually lead to an improvement in their teaching and learning results.
References
Ayers, S. (n.d.). What are the benefits of hands-on training? Retrieved October 9, 2014 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5136211_benefits-handson-training.html
Elmaifi. (2014, February 9). Advantages of Using ICT in Learning-Teaching Processes. EdTechReview. Retrieved October 9, 2014 from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/959-advantages-of-using-ict-in-learning-teaching-processes
ICT. (2010, January 4). In TechTerms.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014, from http://www.techterms.com/definition/ict
Khalid, F., Nawawi M. Hj & Roslan, S. (2009). Integration of ICT in Malaysian SecondarySchools: What Conditions Will Facilitate its Use? The International Journal of Learning, 15(12), 85-93. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/
Multimedia Super Corridor Malaysia, Ministry of Education Malaysia (2006). Impact Assessment Studies on the Smart School Integrated Solution (SSIS) and other ICT Initiatives. Retrieved from http://www.mscmalaysia.my/sites/default/files/pdf/publications_references/ImpactStudy.pdf
Rahman, K. & Yamat, H. (2014, July). Barriers Teachers Face in Integrating ICT
During English Lessons: A Case Study. The Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 2(3), 11-19. Retrieved from http://mojet.net/index.php
Umar, I.N. & Yusoff M.T.M. (2014, February 21). A study on Malaysian teachers’ level of ICT skills and practices,
and its impact on teaching and learning. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116, 979-984. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.331
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