A study of three ESL teachers' beliefs about the roles of teachers and L2 learning and their integration of computers

It is often assumed that the use of computers in classrooms will enhance teachers' effectiveness in their teaching practices by creating a constructivist learning environment without consideration of the teachers' purposes for implementing computers. However, it is necessary to understand the teacher's perspectives about computers since teachers play a significant role in how computers are used in the classroom. This study explored three ESL teachers' integration of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in their college-level classrooms. Focusing on the role of teachers, especially their beliefs on language teaching, the following three research questions were developed: (1) In what ways, if any, do ESL teachers integrate CALL in their classrooms? (2) What are ESL teachers' beliefs about the roles of computers in their classrooms and the roles of teachers in CALL? (3) How do their beliefs affect their design and integration of CALL? To explore the ESL teachers' use of computers, the methodology of case study was employed. As for data collection, 6 weeks of non-participant observations of three ESL courses (academic skill, composition and pronunciation) and interviews with three teachers regarding their beliefs about L2 teaching were conducted. Based on the findings, four conclusions were made: (1) ESL teachers' beliefs about the computer were context-bounded and interaction-focused; (2) teachers' use of computers did not necessarily yield a constructivist teaching approach; (3) teachers' knowledge of computers did not seem to correlate with the frequency and the amount of their computer use; and (4) attention to the significance and necessity of a teacher education program and mentoring in integrating computers is needed.