Experience of ICT Use in Pedagogy by English Teacher: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

This dissertation examined the experience of Information and Communication Technology(ICT) use in pedagogy by community school English teachers in Panauti. ICT has added value to the present-day education system and English teachers are expected to use ICT in pedagogy. However, educational authorities in Nepal exhausted much ICT resources in education, yet the maximum achievement has yet to be skyrocketed. To comprehend the situation, this research addressed the following question: How did community school English teachers experience ICT use in English pedagogy in Panauti? This study aimed to explore the lived reality of community school teachers when they employed ICT to teach English. In this study, I employed the constructivist paradigm because the constructivist paradigm best addresses human interest to co-construct meaning (Guba & Lincoln,1989a). The ontological truth of this research is a relativist. The epistemology of this study is subjectivist and axiology value-laden as I have a strong belief that education needs ICT integration. I utilized Gadamerian hermeneutic phenomenology as a data collection and analytical method that sought an open interaction with participating teachers who already formed a horizon of understanding while using ICT (Gadamer, 1975a). Godamer emphasizes on the integrated horizon of researchers and participants to make meaning out of their phenomena. I selected three teachers purposefully from three different community schools in Panauti. This study examined five components – teachers, computer devices, internet, school policies and power supply - to find out teachers’ phenomena. To understand the communication among selected components, I applied general system theory because communication occurs among the system's components and thus strong interdependency is created (Von, 1972a). The undertaken components, if overused or underused, can provide a different experience to English teachers and make up a system. The findings suggested that the community schools had enough ICT instrumentation for education. But ICT is not used by teachers as envisioned governmental policy by, and the teachers were frustrated for not being able to use it for various reasons, including a low level of ICT knowledge and skill. To improve this situation, the teachers expected further training from the school administration, yet the participants stated that the administration was indifferent to their forwarded opinions. It was also found that the school administration had no written policy except a few meeting minutes regarding ICT use, and the head teacher had no knowledge and skill in ICT. As a result, the participating teachers used ICT fearlessly at their discretion and condition because the school administration lacked a monitoring efficacy. The use of ICT was conditional because the teacher used ICT by students’ demand. The participating teachers realized their inability to use ICT in the classroom, which triggered a restlessness in the live class.