Lecturers’ Adoption and Integration of Information and Communication Technology in English Teacher Education at Two Universities in the Mekong Delta, Viet Nam

Abstract

This qualitative comparative case study aims to investigate lecturers’ perspectives on ICT (Information and Communication Technology) mandatory use by the government in Viet Nam. The study explored the current conditions of ICT use for English teacher education at two institutions in the Mekong Delta, the lecturers’ responses to ICT and the factors that influence the adoption and implementation of ICT into their teaching. The findings helped create a framework to guide the process of ICT adoption and implementation in English teacher education in similar contexts. Forty-four lecturers of English teacher education completed the open-ended questionnaire, twenty-four of whom also contributed to semi-structured interviews. This study identified the main categories of factors influencing ICT uptake at these institutions including the lecturer factor, the institutional or organisational factor, the technological or ICT factor, and the external agencies factor. Among these, it was found the lecturers play a determinant role in ICT uptake and integration in the classroom. However, the institutional administrators also play an important role in supporting and fostering the diffusion of innovation or implementation of change within their organisation. In the context of Viet Nam and the tendency for a top-down leadership approach, the role of the administrators is very influential and critical. The study suggests that professional development for lecturers is essential to prepare them for any change or innovation diffusion. In addition, the learning community or collegiality is important in supporting lecturers to adopt and integrate ICT into teaching. The findings of this study can contribute to both practices and scholarship in the field. The findings can help administrators at the institutional level and policy-makers at the national level to have better strategies and plans for efficient ICT integration in teaching and learning. They can also contribute to the creation of a framework for ICT adoption and implementation by integrating a combination of different theories such as educational change, diffusion of innovation and self-efficacy.