Capítulo I

CHAPTER I

Introduction to the problem

Over the past years, technology has improved by leaps and bounds, facilitating our lifestyle and making our lives easier than it was before. Since its appearance, ICTs have become a very popular studied subject among researchers due to its easy access and great innovation. With so many people using these technologies all around the world, it has been present in multiple life activities such as work, education, business, and home. In educational field, teachers are always looking forward to discover new strategies or techniques that will allow them to enhance their teaching style and thereby, their classes. Currently, one of the most prominent trends that teachers are adapting –or at least trying to- is the use of ICTs in the classroom. Even though a lot of teachers do not agree with this tendency, it cannot be if ignored the fact that many schools are starting to invest in ICTs and they are being adapted more and more for educational purposes.

What do institutions have to say about the use of ICTs in the classroom? To start with, a worldwide familiar institution such as UNESCO agrees with the argument that ICTs are beneficial tools that enhance the performance of both teaching and learning processes: “UNESCO considers that ICTs can contribute to universal access to education, equity in education, the delivery of quality learning and teaching, teachers’ professional development as well as improve education management, governance and administration provided the right mix of policies, technologies and capacities are in place.” (UNESCO, 2017)

Let us not forget about SEP, a national institution which should be familiar to all Mexican teachers. SEP is also interested in having ICTs promoted in education, so much that it has its own website page dedicated to ICTs called Learning to Learn with ICTs, a project designed to help students, teachers, parents, and other members of the educative community to strengthen the use of ICTs in order to stimulate lifelong learning.

In more local terms, it is usual to find classrooms equipped with televisions, computers, projectors, and other demanded technologies at BUAP. Also, teachers are constantly being recommended to acquire the use of ICT in their classes, to the point that, when students are requested to evaluate their teachers, it is asked if their teachers used ICTs during their imparted courses. Another example is CAA, an auto-access center valued by independent students and one of the many resources BUAP has to offer inside the ICTs parameters.

Statement of the problem

The increasing development of technology and Internet in the 21^st century has changed the way things are being done in education. Students also have evolved, using technology more frequently in everyday life. With so much attention given to ICTs, people are noticing this kind of technology can also have repercussions. Numerous studies have been made about the impact of ICTs to students’ performance. Results are not clear enough yet; some of them have been positive, while others have the completely opposite. Even though ICT are being more recognized, it is necessary to question their implementation in the educational field and to see how they are influencing students’ learning process in order to make a conclusion about their effectiveness.

Objectives

To recognize teachers’ perceptions about the use of ICTs in the classroom.

To identify if teachers share information with their students using ICTs.

To recognize if ICTs are used to generate knowledge.

To locate teachers’ levels of knowledge on ICTs.

Research questions

What are teachers’ perceptions about the use of ICTs in the classroom?

Do teachers share information with their students using ICTs?

Are ICTs used to generate knowledge?

Are ICTs used for collaboration among students?

What are teachers’ levels of knowledge on ICT?

Methodology

Qualitative approach will be used in the following research in order to analyze and interpret its results and to make a contribution to related study fields.

Significance of the study

The findings of this study will contribute to the educational field considering that English plays a crucial role in education nowadays.

Research content and organization

In chapter I the introduction and statement of the problem, objectives, research questions, methodology and significance of the study will be discussed. In chapter II, literature will be review in order to understand and analyze the theory. In chapter III, the approach, method, subjects of study, technique and instrument will be analyzed in order to specify the way things will be done.