Teachers' Perceptions of Technology Integration in the United Arab Emirates School Classrooms

Introduction Technology integration in the classroom has become an important aspect of successful teaching. It has triggered many researchers to investigate different aspects of such integration (e.g., Kotrlik & Redmann, 2005; Bauer and Kenton, 2005; Judson, 2006; Totter et al., 2006; ChanLin et al., 2006; Zhao, 2007; Gulbahar, 2007; Anderson and Maninger, 2007; Abbit and Klett, 2007; & Wood and Ashfield, 2008). This is because it allows students to learn more in less time and allows schools to focus on global learning environments if used appropriately. In addition, it could be an effective teaching tool when used to engage all students in the learning process (Almekhlafi, 2006a, 2006b). Research shows that there are increasing number of computers being used at home and an increasing number of technological devices available to schools (Goddard, 2002). Research documented teachers' use of computers for different purposes and objectives (e.g., Guha, 2000; Yildirim, 2000; & Rowand, 2000). Some teachers use computers for instructional purposes while others use them for both personal and instructional goals. This study investigates teachers' perceptions of tilizing of computers and other technologies for teaching and learning. Literature Review Technology use in education is becoming an increasingly important part of higher and professional education (Wernet, Olliges, & Delicath, 2000; & Almekhlafi, 2006a, 2006b). Technology not only gives learners the opportunity to control their own learning process, but also provides them with ready access to a vast amount of information over which the teacher has no control (Lam & Lawrence, 2002). According to Rowand (2000), a survey based on a National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2000), found that 39% of teachers indicated that they used computers or the Internet to create instructional materials, 34% for administrative record keeping, less than 10% reported to access model lesson plans or to access research and best practices. Novice teachers were more likely to use computers or the Internet. Similarly and according to a report released by the U. S. Department of Education, NCES (2000), novice teachers were more likely to use computers or the Internet to accomplish various teaching objectives. Teachers with at most nine years of teaching experience were more likely compared teachers with 20 or more years of experience to report using computers or the Internet to communicate with colleagues. Because technology integration is a very broad concept and has several aspects and implications, researchers categorized the previous studies into four different categories: (1) Technology Integration and its Impact on Students and Teachers A number of researchers have explored technology integration projects worldwide and reported positive impact on teaching and learning for teachers using technology (e.g., Holinga, 1999; Guha, 2000; Sandholtz, 2001; Manzo, 2001; Sherry et al., 2001; Hong and Koh, 2002; Zorfass and Rivero, 2005, & Almekhlafi, 2006a, 2006b). For example, Guha (2000) reported significant differences and positive correlations between teachers' present computer training, level of comfort, and computer usage in the classroom as compared to their previous training, comfort level, and usage. Manzo's (2001) study found that many of the students who are drawn to Electronic Arts Class were struggling in most of their other classes. Once they saw what they could do with technology, they began to appreciate the importance of doing well in all subjects. Similarly, Sherry et al. (2001) studied the WEB Project. Their findings of a survey assessing the grant's impact on student achievement suggest that teachers should emphasize the use of meta-cognitive skills, application of skills, and inquiry of learning as they infuse technology into their academic content areas. (2) Factors Influencing Teachers' Technology Integration in the Classroom Technology integration at schools and factors affecting such integration has drawn the attention of many researchers and has been of high interest to them. …