Abstract:

Constructivism has influenced language instruction as well as the use of educational technology in higher education. In fact, the nature of language learning is in line with the principles of social constructivism. Language learning involves social interaction, not only with others, but also with the learning environment, which help improves their communicative competence. Meanwhile, researchers argue that educators can use ICT to support constructivist learning. Teachers who hold constructivist beliefs are more likely to adapt to the ICT paradigm shift than teachers who do not. In Taiwan, as language and communication becomes a necessity in the foundations of global competitiveness and economic success, technological development and the enhancement of foreign (English) language proficiency of college students have become the two major issues in the recent Taiwanese educational reform. This empirical study details an analysis of the pedagogical and technological shifts occurring in the higher education English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. A survey was administered to 125 randomly selected higher education EFL teachers all over Taiwan. Descriptive data analyses were accomplished using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), while the multivariate analysis method Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) was achieved using the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) statistical package to analyze the causal relationships model (path analysis) between teaching beliefs, instructional pedagogy, and teaching goals. Results show that higher education EFL teachers, which are constructivist-oriented, are highly correlated with ICT use, whether in their instructional pedagogy or other intra-curricular activities. In addition, results of SEM show a significant path from the EFL teachers’ teaching goals to their instructional pedagogy. Instructional pedagogy, in turn, is significantly related to teaching beliefs. Implications suggest that in order to increase the higher education EFL teachers’ ICT use, assistance in the cognition of constructivism might help to modify their existing beliefs about instruction.

Keywords:

ICT, EFL, teaching belief, teaching goal, Structured Equation Modeling.