Targeting the Country: Exploring the Technology Integration Practices of World Language Teachers in Rural Georgia

Technology integration affords World Language teachers opportunities to engage with the target language and cultures in a way previously unknown, yet world language teachers in Georgia’s rural high schools have inconsistent integration of technology into their teaching practices. The study was guided by two research questions regarding (1) the current technology integration practices of world language teachers in rural Georgia high schools for communicative language teaching, and (2) the influences the decisions of world language teachers in rural Georgia high schools to integrate technology in their communicative language teaching. The purpose of this action research was to describe how high school world language teachers in rural Georgia schools integrate technology into communicative language teaching and come to understand what influences their decisions about technology integration. This descriptive qualitative study began with a survey emailed to rural world language teachers in Georgia. Respondents (n = 25) were then invited to participate in individual interviews (n = 4) and submit documents that reflected their technology integration practices. Survey data were reported using descriptive statistics of the demographic data along with composite mean scores for survey items. Interview data were inductively analyzed via transcription, coding, and identification of themes. Document analysis was complete using the Technology Integration Assessment tool to develop an analytic memo before a further round of coding and identification of themes. Survey data revealed high frequency of technology use for efficient delivery and enrichment of curriculum. These findings were supported by interview and documents data, which further uncovered technology use for assessment as a frequent technology integration practice. Interviews identified themes that influenced world language teachers’ technology integration decisions, such first- and second-order barriers and pedagogical beliefs. Limitations of the study include small sample size, survey item interpretations, and researcher bias. The study called for further research into technology integration for communicative language teaching and language teaching in rural America.