ESL Teachers' Perspectives On Interactive Whiteboard As An Instructional Tool

IWB(Interactive Whiteboard)is considered as one of the most innovative educational tools that facilitates the learning/teaching process and supports the learning style inventory.However,few qualitative-based research studies have been conducted so far on the purpose of ascertaining the pros and cons of this innovation from the teachers'perspective.This study aims to explore the ESL teachers' perspective on the use of IWBs in the young English language learners' classrooms in Nanjing,China.Throughout the study,two main areas have been discussed.The first area is the ESL teachers' various perspectives of IWB use as an instructional tool in their classrooms,as well as,the impact of the IWB usage on the young English-language learners' skills,engagement,and motivation.The second area discusses the importance of providing ESL teachers with adequate training and assisting them with a new set of skills and knowledge of the technology tools use and what impact the intelligent use has on the pedagogical approach.The study is conducted using qualitative methods:in-depth interview with three ESL teachers at three different English language training centers and classroom observation at Nanjing Second YuYing Foreign Language School.A major goal of the observational part is to understand whether and how the implementation of IWBs change the pedagogical approaches used by ESL teachers and to find out to what extent it impacts the young learners' motivation,engagement,and attitudes.The interview part is designed to verify the data collected from ordinary classroom observation as well as,to gain a deeper understanding of the ESL teachers'view point on their actual use of IWB and highlight the difficulties and ideas they have in order to get the best of IWB integration.Along with the two major methods,my personal experience in TESOL and IWB usage has been added for conducting this study.Utmost findings of the study show that the IWBs have the potential to be a very useful tool in the ESL classrooms,however there are still some challenges facing ESL teachers in using them.The main limitations of IWB usage lies in the lack of training.Other minor limitations have to do with the improper installation of IWB in the classrooms without considering the learners'heights.Moreover,teachers'lack of creativity limits the proper usage of the IWB.Though the three interviewees show their belief in the IWB as a very powerful instructional tool,yet the absence of training makes the IWB less beneficial and less effective.Therefore,in order to make the IWB more efficient and effective in the ESL classrooms,in-advance training must be provided for the teachers.Moreover,learners' age/height should be taken into consideration before the installation of IWB in the classroom.This study could be a start for other potential studies related to the integration of IWB technology as an instructional tool in the ESL classrooms.