Promoting ICT integration in Indonesian EFL classrooms through in-service teacher professional development

Despite its potential benefit in teaching and learning as many researchers have reported, stories regarding barriers and challenges in ICT integration in language teaching and learning still exist. The integration of ICT in language teaching and learning has, and continues to experience, complex issues. The realities in many developing countries, especially in Indonesia as in the context of this research, are often problematic and frustrating. Various studies have established that technology integration into classroom instruction is a slow and complex process influenced by many factors, with a significant amount of support for the technology required. Also, many researchers have called for increased and varied professional development on technology integration. This study deals with ICT integration in Indonesian EFL classrooms in Gorontalo province and potential supports that in-service teacher professional development can provide. The importance of this study was conducted is extracted as follow. On an individual level, it is necessary to understand the bottom line of teachers’ ICT-related competencies including technical and didactic skills and their commitment in relation to ICT integration. This study fundamentally argues that a systematic framework for in-service teacher professional development relevant to ICT integration is critical for successful ICT integration in EFL classrooms. Three hundred and twenty five Indonesian EFL teachers of English from Gorontalo province have participated in the survey, and 25 of them agreed to participate in the interview. With the combination of these approaches, this study is expected to probe responses coming from the surveys and interviews as needed and obtain more detailed descriptions and explanations of experiences, behaviours, and beliefs in ICT integration in an EFL context. This study found ICT use in EFL education is challenged due to insufficient infrastructure, lack of technical support, and the educators’ insufficient ICT skills and resistance to change. This study also presents the findings from the analysis of the interview with EFL teachers on their value of integrating ICT in teaching and professional development programs to support the integration of ICT to EFL teaching practice. Based on the analysis of the interviews, a group of significant themes on the definition of ICT have been introduced and discussed: ICT as teaching aids, ICT as learning resources for students, ICT as research resources for teachers and students, ICT as communication tools, ICT as learning assessment, and ICT as innovation. EFL teachers viewed professional development as a process to change teachers, students’ achievements and also change at an institutional level.