The Changing Landscape of Language Teachers’ Usage of ICT in Classrooms in SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

The Malaysian Smart School is a learning institution that has been systemically reinvented in terms of teaching and learning practices in schools and school management processes in order to prepare students cope with the information age. It aims to produce proactive, efficient and competent students in information literacy so that they will be self-regulated learners who practise self-accessed and self-directed learning, at their own learning pace. In addition the Ministry of Education, Malaysia has also stated clearly in the National Education Blueprint (2013 – 2025) under Shift 7: Leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia. Using models from Fullan’s Change Theory and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Theory, a study was carried out on language teachers’ changing mindset in integrating ICT in their classroom teaching in the school, SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu. The study was carried out using observation techniques supported by the results obtained from the SSQS survey questions and a language teacher’s feedback form to determine language teachers’ progressive usage of ICT in their teaching process. Special focus is given to the changing attitudes of the language teachers in using ICT in their classrooms. Some issues that arise in the school’s context and smart solutions taken to overcome these issues are also discussed. In conclusion, the writer proposes ways to further enhance and to upgrade the school’s achievement in using ICT in the teaching and learning process.