TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS REGARDING THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ENGLISH CLASSROOMS IN NORTHERN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

ABSTRACT The development of technology has led to significant changes in society, and there is a need for teaching methods to keep pace with societal changes to prepare learners to live and work in the 21st century. Traditional teaching practices using chalkboards and textbooks need to be replaced with digital tools to make English learning more interesting and engaging for learners. This paper reports preliminary findings from an ongoing study that seeks to establish English teachers' perceptions of the use of technology in English instruction. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study explores teachers’ perceptions towards the use of technology in English classrooms in selected high schools in the King Cetshwayo district, KwaZulu-Natal. This study employed a qualitative case study design to collect descriptive data from English teachers’ spoken and written words. Purposeful sampling was used as it allowed me to handpick the teachers to be included in the study. I selected six teachers from three schools that had received computer donations from local mining companies. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2013) was used to analyse the data. Before commencing the study, I sought ethical clearance from the University Research Ethics Committee. The findings indicated that the language teaching journey had not progressed much in some schools, even when the necessary infrastructure already existed. The data revealed a need to train teachers and change their attitudes towards the use of technology in English classrooms. In addition to internal factors, external factors such as crime and theft also impede the integration of technology into English classrooms. Keywords: English teachers, perceptions, technology, English classrooms