Analysis of Nigerian Pre-service English Language Teachers’ Internet Use Habits
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Date
2011
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Nigerian Association of Teachers and Researchers in English as a Second Language (with National Office at the Department of General Studies, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta)
Abstract
The use of the Internet by Nigerian undergraduates is obviously ever-increasing. This study, taking a cue from the common assertion from research and extant literature that the Internet is an amazing resource for language learning, seeks to determine how judiciously the Nigeria pre-service English teachers use the Internet, especially for their career development. This is deemed necessary because the population that the pre-service teachers are being prepared for have records of consistently poor performance in English language examinations, thus being in obvious dire need of teachers that can exploit all potential language learning resources for result-oriented teaching endeavours. This survey was carried out to get empirically valid data on how frequently they access the Internet, how long they stay online at each contact, and how much of such time is devoted to Internet materials that could enhance their language teaching proficiencies in terms of subject-matter mastery and knowledge of pedagogy. Responses of one hundred and ten pre-service English teachers to a self-constructed and validated nineteen-item questionnaire were the data for the study. Frequency counts, percentages and a bar chart were employed in analyzing the data. The findings reveal that 88.5% of the respondents are Internet-literate, a good number of them do not access the Internet frequently enough and do not stay long online. Search for online journals and materials for school assignments rank fifth of the pre-service teachers’ eight Internet activities.
Description
Peer reviewed
Keywords
the Internet, Career development, Enlish Language teachers, online journals, learning resource, access, private universities, public universities
Citation
Olatunji, S. O. (2011). Analysis of Nigerian Pre-service English Language Teachers’ Internet Use Habits. English Language Teaching Today; A Journal for Teachers of English and Communication Skills 8:31-37.