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Teachers' ICT Practices: A Case Study of a Moroccan EFL Teacher

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AWEJ Volume.5 Number.4, 2014
Pp.398-410

Teachers’ ICT Practices: A Case Study of a Moroccan EFL Teacher

Sana Lamtara
Hassan II university-Mohammedia-Casablanca
Casablanca, Morocco

Abstract
The teaching community in Morocco is exposed to pedagogical challenges in the wave of new
technologies despite the efforts and the important investments of GENIE program (Programme
de Géneralisation des Téchnologies d‟Information et de Communication). The purpose of this
paper, therefore, is to examine ICT (Information Communication Technology) practices of a
Moroccan EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher so as to find out about EFL teachers‟
ICT beliefs and practices in the classroom. This paper relies on two methodological procedures;
structured interviews with EFL teachers and the ELT (English Language Teaching) supervisor
and participant observation through a qualitative case study. The findings show that the
Moroccan EFL teacher‟s ICT practices are disadvantaged by an existing dissonance between
technological and pedagogical exploitation of teaching activities. Moreover, the article explains
that despite the teacher‟s advanced ICT skills, technology was not used appropriately as it did
not reinforce pedagogical planning of teaching activities. More than that, technology was favored
over pedagogy as it was used for its own sake in many parts of the demonstration lesson.
Therefore, this article concludes with some recommendations which refer to the need of teacher
ICT training which should not only focus on the acquisition of ICT skills, but also on the
pedagogical use of new technology. Besides, the availability of digital resources and training
teachers in the use of these digital resources is another determinant factor for effective ICT
integration in teaching.
Key Words: Information Communication Technology; English as a Foreign Language; English
Language Teaching; pedagogy and technology

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Teachers‟ ICT Practices: A Case Study of a Moroccan EFL Teacher Lamtara
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1. Introduction

1.1 The statement of the problem

Similar to many domains like engineering, commerce and science, education is also exposed to
the impact of new information communication technologies. Information technology does not
only provide a set of new technological practices to education, but it has also given rise to new
pedagogical approaches to both teaching and learning. All over the world, many countries adhere
to this technological revolution as it promises quality education. In Morocco, for instance, ICT
integration in education is given a lot of importance through GENIE program which was
launched in 2005. This program aims to integrate information technology in education and sets
four different axes for this purpose: The development of infrastructure, content, training and the
development of ICT best practices (GENIE program web site). These axes are meant to enable
Moroccan teachers to use Information technology and integrate it in their teaching.

1.2 The Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this paper is to examine ICT practices of a Moroccan EFL teacher in order to find
out about EFL teachers‟ ICT beliefs and practices in the classroom.

1.3 The Rationale of the Study

ICT integration in education is not simply a new trend which alters the outward surface of
educational practices. It is rather a new technological advancement which promises quality education.
This explains the huge investments of many countries throughout the world in this domain. The
kingdom of Morocco is among these countries as it has invested a huge budget for the development
of an ICT national program (GENIE program). Obviously, EFL educational practices are part of the
Moroccan educational scene which must be investigated due to the importance of learning foreign
languages in Morocco especially English. Moreover, ICT integration in teaching can only be
measured through teachers‟ ICT practices.

1.4 Research Questions

Undoubtedly, ICT integration in education targets the main actors of education, teachers, whose
practices are essential for effective ICT integration in education. Therefore, this paper focuses on
teachers‟ ICT practices in order to answer the following questions:
1- How do EFL teachers perceive ICT integration in education?
2- How is information technology integrated in an EFL classroom?

1.5 The Organization of the Study

This article consists of an introduction, four parts and a conclusion. The introduction sets the general
background of the article, prepares for its main concern, introduces its rationale and presents the
research questions. The first part is devoted to a review of literature which focuses on the impact of
new technology on education in many countries all over the world especially in the Arab world.
Then, the review also focuses on the new roles of both teachers and students. Later, it refers to the
problematic of teacher ICT training. The second part describes research methodology. The third part
is devoted to data analysis. The fourth part discusses the major findings, suggests some
recommendations and presents some limitations. Finally, this paper ends with a conclusion.

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2. Review of Literature
The first part reviews the literature related to the impact of new technology on education in
different parts of the world especially in the Arab world. Then, it focuses on the shift in both
teachers‟ and students‟ roles. The last part of the review is devoted to the problematic of training.
Nowadays, new technology operates in different domains and ICT practices are undergoing a
process of normalization. In education, Pelgrum (2001) explains that “the current belief is that
ICT is not only the backbone of the information society, but also an important catalyst and tool
for inducing educational reforms”(p. 163). In this respect, many countries in the Arab world like
Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Jordan are concerned with the technological revolution in
education. In Syria, for example, “the global adoption of information and communication
technology (ICT) has been the landmark of the educational scene for the last two decades”
(Albirini, 2004, p. 4). As far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, it is among the countries which give
importance to the integration of ICT in education in general and especially in the teaching of
English as a foreign language (Alkahtani, 2001). In Qatar, the supreme education council
introduces technology in education so as to improve it. In 1989, the Ministry of Education in
Qatar launched the Computer Technology Center (CTC) which focuses on teacher training and
the use of computers in administrations of all public schools (Al Ammari, 2004). In Jordan, king
Abdullah II encourages the development of ICT in an attempt to make Jordan the IT center in the
Middle East and in 2003, the Education Reform for Knowledge Economy (ERfKE) project was
launched to improve the educational system and especially to prepare young learners for the
knowledge society (Abuloum & Qablan, 2008).
Concerning the impact of technology on education, Elder and Etta (2005) argue that “many new
technologies are interactive, making it easier to create environments in which students can learn
by doing, receive feedback, and continually refine their understanding and build new
knowledge” (p. 155). So, ICTs shapes education and offers new teaching and learning
opportunities. “The fundamental aim is to give the learners the opportunity to become critical
thinkers, problem solvers, information literate citizens, knowledge managers and, finally, team
members who are proficient in collaborating with others” (Ibid, 2005, p.163). This explains that
new technology assigns new roles to students whereby they have more independence and more
freedom in their learning. Barnet (1993) explains that technology encourages learners‟ autonomy
as it directs their attention to some metacognitive strategies like planning, attention direction,
self-monitoring, self-evaluation, etc. Undoubtedly, the use of ICT in the classroom influences
learners who become more motivated and more engaged in learning.
It is very important to note that ICT has great impact on teachers‟ roles and practices as well.
Nowadays, teachers are challenged in terms of their technical ability, knowledge, and expertise
(Levin and Wadmany, 2008) in order to alter the old approach to education and offer new
opportunities and insights to the learner. Thus, the old approach to education which is teacher-
centered moves towards a new approach which is student-centered. That is to say, technology
determines new roles for both teachers and students in a way to minimize teachers‟ control and
maximize students‟ manipulation and ease of use. With the use of technology, teachers have less
power over teaching practices and turn into monitors and facilitators instead of possessors and
regulators of knowledge. This does not deny the importance of teachers at all; teachers‟ role is as
important as it used to be except that it takes another dimension within the new era of new
technology.
On the other hand, the role of teachers refers to the importance of ICT teacher training which is
often problematic. In Greece, for example, teachers still find difficulties with new technologies
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especially because ICT training institutions in Greece do not provide effective ICT training for
teachers (Kiridis, Drossos and Tsakiridou, 2006). Concerning the United Kingdom, Watson
(2001) describes the ICT policy as unclear and dichotomous and asks the following questions:
“Is IT a subject in its own right, with a conceptual knowledge and skill base; or is IT a tool to be
used mainly for the learning of other subjects?” (p. 253). Hence, if an ICT policy lacks a precise
vision, as it has just been mentioned, it is very difficult to design a well-structured teacher ICT
training program. On the other hand, it is also argued that effective training should happen at the
level of educational ideas more than technological ones (Watson, 2001). That is to say,
importance should not only be given to the acquisition of ICT skills, but also to the acquisition of
new learning and teaching pedagogies which must accompany the use of new technology. In this
respect, Chitiyo and Harmon (2009) argue that “integrating technology in education is not just a
matter of having the necessary infrastructure however. To be successful, technology integration
plans must insure that faculty are prepared to use technology effectively” (p. 809). So, effective
use of technology is related to both technical and pedagogical manipulation of ICT
infrastructure. However, this is far from being achieved not only in the Arab world, but also in
countries which are expected to be leaders in information technology in education. In Ireland, for
example, “the predominant use of the technology lies within discrete informatics subjects which
tend to focus on learning about the technology rather than learning with it” (p. 1094). Likewise,
Watson (2001) claims that “after many years of national policies and investment in Information
Technologies in the UK and elsewhere, technology is still an imposed and novel „outsider‟ in the
pedagogy of schools” (p. 251). He explains that “…ICT skills and seeking and downloading
information dominates computer use” (p.258).
So, it can be noticed from the aforementioned experiences that ICT integration in education is
usually limited to computer access, and/or learning computer skills. The Second Information
Technology in Education Study (SITES) conducted by the International Association for the
Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) refers to computer access as “a necessary but not
sufficient condition for ICT–use in learning and teaching” and explains that “the impact of ICT–
use on students appears to be highly dependent on the pedagogical orientation that teachers adopt
in regard to that use” (Law, Pelgrum and Plomp, 2006, p. 275). Thus, teacher ICT training must
not only focus on the acquisition of ICT skills, but also on the development of appropriate
pedagogies for effective ICT practices in the classroom.
This literature review highlights the importance of information technologies in education in
many countries especially in the Arab world. Then, it explains that both teachers‟ and learners‟
roles are transformed given that new technology brings about new responsibilities and duties.
Finally, the review refers to ICT teacher training as a problematic issue in many countries.

3. Methodology
This part describes the methodological strategy used in this paper. First, it describes the overall
research design. Then, it informs about setting, participants and data analysis procedures.

3.1 Research Design

This paper relies on a qualitative research method which is a case study. The case study is a
demonstration lesson which examines ICT practices of an EFL teacher. Yin (2003) refers to a
descriptive case study as the one which describes phenomena and the real life context in which
they occur. So, this paper‟s case study can be characterized as descriptive as it describes a
teacher‟s ICT practices in an EFL classroom in which they occur. Since case study methodology
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is known as a triangulated research strategy (Ibid, 1997) which “provides stronger substantiation
of constructs and hypotheses” (Meyer, 2001, p. 336), this paper relies on multiple data collection
procedures which are participant observation and structured interviews with teachers and the
ELT supervisor who attended the demonstration lesson.

3.1.1 Case study

It is very important to mention that this paper‟s research questions are best determined using a
qualitative case study which is used as a unit of analysis. The case study is a demonstration
lesson of an EFL teacher who was asked by the supervisor of the English language in Ain Sebaa
Hay Mohammmadi delegation in Casablanca Morocco to introduce a lesson which integrates
new technology. The teacher is an experienced EFL teacher who has been teaching the English
language for more than twenty years. The teacher is also known for his manipulation of ICT
tools. The lesson is reading comprehension along with grammar revision and the teacher relied
on the reading comprehension lesson (Different but equal p. 86-87) on the assigned English
textbook; Ticket to English; for second year baccalaureate level.

a- Participant observation
Since participant observation is considered to be the principal method of data collection in case
studies (Johanson, 2007), I decided to conduct a participant observation especially that I was
among the teachers who were invited to attend the demonstration lesson. The focus of my
observation was on the pedagogical orientation of the teacher as well as on the methodological
approach which accompanied the use of new technology.

b- Interviews
Meyer (2001) affirms that “Observation produces rigor when it is combined with other methods”
(p.339). Therefore, another data collection procedure which is structured interviewing is used.
Interviews were not conducted immediately after the demonstration lesson because time was
needed to plan for a structured interview which was designed according to the content of the
demonstration lesson. After a short period of time, teachers were contacted and each interview
lasted about 15 minutes. It is very important to mention that the structured interview was in the
form of a self-administered questionnaire (see the appendix) along with oral discussions. The
self-administered questionnaire is used for more involvement and commitment from the part of
teachers, in addition to the organization of data which was compared from one teacher to
another. In the beginning of my interviews, I explained the importance of teachers‟ feedback to
my research paper. Some teachers welcomed the initiative and accepted to answer my questions
immediately. Some others were reluctant, but finally agreed to answer my questions. However,
there were a few teachers who did not show any interest to my request and firmly refused to give
any feedback. In total, I was able to interview 12 teachers and the supervisor. The interview
contains ten questions and focuses heavily on closed questions which consist of four
dichotomous (i.e. Yes or No) and six multiple choice questions. The closed questions are opted
for since they “are easier to code, analyze and compare across surveys” (Martin, 2006, p. 6).
Moreover, since the answers to some questions are expected, the questionnaire controls possible
answers in multiple choice questions. Open questions are not directly included in the interview to
avoid reluctance of teachers to answer my questions and guarantee the success of the interview.
Instead, teachers are asked to justify their choices in dichotomous questions or provide other
alternatives in multiple choice questions. This way, teachers are led to provide explanations and
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express their opinions indirectly and willingly. This technique is opted for because of the
importance of open questions which “can provide detailed responses in respondents‟ own words,
which may be a rich source of data” (Ibid, p. 6). The second cause is that some answers cannot
be expected. So, it is the task of open questions to trigger a variety of possible answers to meet
the aim of questions. It is also important to mention that all interviewees are asked the same
questions and are asked to choose answers from the same set of alternatives.

3.2 Setting
The inspector of the English language in Ain Sebâa Hay Mohammadi delegation in Casablanca
invited a number of EFL teachers to attend a demonstration lesson in El Baroudi high school in
Ain Sebâa district. The teacher who volunteered to conduct the demonstration lesson did not use
his usual classroom. Instead, he used the activity room which is habitually devoted by the school
administration to official meetings, activities and demonstration lessons.

3.3 Participants
Many people were present in this demonstration lesson. First, the inspector of Ain Sebâa Hay
Mohammadi delegation who organized it. Second, about 20 EFL teachers from the same
delegation. Third, about 25 second year baccalaureate students.

3.4 Data analysis procedures

The questions of the interview are standardized so that comparable information is collected from
each interviewee. Consequently, the data allows for comparison and its reliability increases. The
analysis focuses on identifying, coding and categorizing patterns of the data to extract meanings
and implications for the purpose of formulating a coherent narrative.

4- Findings
This part presents the results of data collection. Teachers‟ interviews and the ELT supervisor‟s
interview are examined separately in order to suggest two different standpoints concerning ICT
integration in an EFL classroom. Then, this part suggests some recommendations and concludes
with some limitations.

4.1 Participant Observation

The circular entitled the use of ICT which the ELT supervisor sent to some EFL teachers in Ain
Sebaa Hay Mohammadi delegation in order to attend a demonstration lesson attracted my
attention as I was interested in the use of ICT in education in general and in ELT in particular.
Therefore, I decided to attend this demonstration lesson with the intention of observing my
colleague.
In the beginning of the demonstration lesson, the teacher projected his power point presentation
and started with grammar revision which included several grammar lessons. The teacher used
exercises of previous Moroccan national baccalaureate exams in which students were required to
write appropriate forms of verbs and modals between brackets or to rewrite sentences as
required. The teacher discussed each example with his students and made use of some
animations in order to provide correct responses with a more interesting and dynamic effect. The
fly in animations created an enjoyable atmosphere as they impressed both students and the
audience. In addition, students were very motivated to discuss different alternatives, which were
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later confirmed or denied by the fly in animations. However, the slides were condensed with
different examples and students were not able to take notes of all correct responses. Later on, the
teacher moved to the next slide which presented the first stage of the lesson which was the pre-
reading activity. In this activity, the teacher asked his students to fill in a chart that he projected
on a slide. Students had to fill in the chart with information about their foreign friend‟s name,
age, nationality and hobby. Immediately after the correction of the first task, the teacher
projected the reading passage on the next slide. While reading the text, the teacher highlighted
certain passages which were essential to the understanding of the text. From time to time, the
teacher used a digital dictionary to check meaning and pronunciation of some words in addition
to the use of a geographical map to locate the Dominican Republic, a country which appeared in
the text. Concerning questions of the while reading stage, the teacher asked his students to work
in pairs in order to answer the reading comprehension questions in the textbook page 86. After
the correction of the reading comprehension questions, the teacher moved to the last part of the
lesson which was post-reading in which the teacher just repeated the same activity of the pre-
reading stage. Again, he asked students to fill in a projected chart with information about their
foreign friend. However, students were not able to finish the activity because of time constraints.
In the 20 minutes allotted for the discussion of the demonstration lesson, teachers seemed to be
very much impressed by the teacher‟s ICT skills. Some of them intervened to ask about some
ICT skills like the insertion of the reading comprehension passage in the power point
presentation. Very willingly, the teacher explained the steps he went through in order to insert
the reading comprehension passage in the power point presentation. Then, one teacher intervened
to question the use of technology in the pre-reading and the post-reading stages and referred to
the absence of audio and/or video materials. Besides, this teacher also criticized the fact that the
activities of both the pre-reading and the post-reading stages were the same.
When the supervisor intervened, he referred to the fact that the teacher possessed the largest data
base of EFL tests and activities. The teacher himself reinforced this and explained that he
possessed a great number of digital dictionaries on his lap top. Because of time constraints again,
the supervisor did not allow for further discussion and invited everybody for a coffee break.

4.2 Interviews
4.2.1 Teachers’ interviews
The first question of the interview aimed to gather the impression of teachers concerning the use
of ICT in the whole demonstration lesson. Almost all teachers were impressed by the use of
technology and the projection of the power point presentation except one teacher who was not
excited about it. Concerning the second question, it focuses on the first part of the lesson which
was grammar revision. The majority of teachers approved of the use of technology in grammar
revision as it saved time and effort. Two other teachers preferred the use of handouts to make
sure all students correct easily. Concerning the exploitation of technology in the pre-reading
stage, three teachers disapproved of the pre-reading activity for the following reasons: First, the
activity was only a repetition of what was mentioned in the textbook. Second, the activity was
not suitable for second year baccalaureate students‟ level. Third, the pre-reading activity did not
contain any sound and/or color. As far as the while-reading stage is concerned, the projection of
the reading passage was described as useful and practical. Some teachers appreciated the way the
teacher highlighted different paragraphs and words. Though, other teachers thought that the
projection of the reading passage was unnecessary as it was available in students‟ textbooks.
Moreover, one of the interviewed teachers suggested the use of other techniques instead of only
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projecting the text. In the next question of the interview which was devoted to the while-reading
passage, teachers agreed with all the advantages I provided them with in the interview.
Concerning the last step of the lesson, the majority of teachers found that the post-reading
activity was suitable. The next question of the interview focuses on the role of the teacher in the
demonstration lesson. The majority of teachers believed that the responsibility of the teacher was
facilitated and referred to several examples like the use of the digital dictionary and the
geographical map. A few teachers, however, thought that technology did not facilitate the
responsibility of the teacher who only got rid of the board. As far as the role of students is
concerned, almost all teachers thought that students were motivated and engaged except one
teacher who held a negative attitude; he believed that technology did not facilitate learning as it
only impressed students. In the following question, all teachers described the teacher‟s ICT skills
as excellent, good or very good. In the last question of the interview, almost all teachers
expressed their interest in the use of technology in their teaching except one. In fact, it was
always the same teacher who expressed a negative attitude towards the integration of technology
in teaching.

4.2.3 The ELT supervisor’s interview

The general impression of the supervisor concerning the use of technology in this demonstration
lesson is positive. First, he appreciated the use of technology in grammar revision and argued
that it motivated students and saved time. Besides, he was also satisfied with the use of
technology in the pre-reading activity. Concerning the use of technology in the while-reading
stage, he described it as effective and referred to the projection of the reading passage as useful
to the audience but not to students as they all had their textbook. As far as the last part of the
lesson is concerned, the supervisor described it as effective as it created a learner-centered
environment in which all students participated in the activity. As for the role of the teacher and
students, the supervisor affirmed that technology facilitated the responsibility of both the teacher
while delivering the lesson and students in their learning process.

5. Discussion
This part discusses the findings of the qualitative research methodology, namely participant
observation and the interviews with teachers and the supervisor. Then, it suggests some
recommendations and concludes with some limitations.

5.1 Interpretation of key Findings

5.1.1 Participant Observation
I believe that the demonstration lesson was not presented in a coherent manner since it started
with a grammar revision which lasted about twenty minutes knowing that the whole lesson was
assigned sixty minutes. Students seemed to be very much interested in the grammar revision, but
the teacher suddenly shifted their focus of attention to introduce a pre-reading activity. At this
point, I was wondering about the use of the grammar revision for the reading comprehension
lesson which was the main lesson. I thought that the teacher had probably the intention of
introducing a new way of revising grammar using new technology.
By asking students to only fill in a projected chart with their friend‟s name, age, nationality and
hobbies in the pre-reading activity, the teacher did not brainstorm the topic of culture shock nor
did he activate or refine students‟ prior knowledge and interest in the topic of the reading passage
which is culture shock. Students only exchanged information about their foreign friend and the
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teacher did not elicit any information related to the content of the reading passage. In fact, this
was a pedagogical problem which could not be solved by technology. In this case, technology
was of no added value in the presence of pedagogical problems. Concerning the while-reading
stage, the teacher made good use of technology because of the projection of the reading passage,
the use of a digital dictionary and a geographical map. The projection of the reading passage
increased students‟ concentration and allowed the audience to follow. Besides, the use of the
digital dictionary facilitated the search of words and enabled students to listen to pronunciation
of words. At this level, the learning approach was less teacher-centered because students did not
rely solely on the teacher to provide meaning and/ or pronunciation of words. The teacher was no
more the source of information. Instead, he was a monitor who guided his students in the use of
the aforementioned leaning tool.
As for the post-reading stage, it was of no great importance as it did not develop or clarify any
interpretations from the text. Instead, the teacher only repeated the activity of the pre-reading
stage and did not even have time to finish it as he run short of time. The reason behind this
problem of time management is the lengthy grammar revision in the beginning of the lesson.
Besides, this activity was inappropriate for both the pre-reading and the post-reading stages as it
lacked pedagogical orientations.
In the discussion phase, I was surprised by the reaction of teachers who were impressed by the
use of technology. One teacher expressed his admiration concerning the use of technology in the
revision stage. Another teacher expressed her appreciation as far as the projection of the reading
passage is concerned. Similarly, another teacher intervened to admire the teacher‟s ICT skills. At
this point, the supervisor intervened to reinforce these positive attitudes and referred to the fact
that the teacher possessed the largest data base of EFL tests and activities. The teacher confirmed
this and added that he also possessed many digital dictionaries on his lap top. I was personally
wondering whether ICT integration in teaching was about the possession or the exploitation of
digital content.
Later, one teacher intervened to criticize the use of ICT in this demonstration lesson. She
explained that the teacher did not include any audio or video material and that the activity of the
pre-reading and the post-reading stages were the same. The teacher did not respond to this
remark especially that time allotted for the discussion was over. The supervisor ended the
discussion and did not allow for more suggestions or remarks.

5.1.2 Teachers’ Interviews

Throughout the interviews, it has been noticed that despite teachers‟ excitement concerning the
use of technology in teaching, their attitudes are still held in reserve. For example, one of the
interviewed teachers did not appreciate the use of technology in the demonstration lesson. This
teacher‟s point of view can be related either to her attitude towards the use of information
communication or to a personal view concerning the use of technology in this particular lesson.
Furthermore, another teacher preferred the use of handouts instead of the projection to make sure
all students correct easily. This teacher did not seem to trust the digital format even though
technology gives the possibility to share the whole power point presentation with students, not
only the grammar revision. However, other teachers thought that the use of technology was
suitable or appropriate because the teacher did not have to make photocopies or copy the chart on
the board. I personally believe that making photocopies is unnecessary and that copying the chart
on the board is better and especially effortless. From a pedagogical perspective, the projected
chart did not stimulate student‟s interest or prepare them for the discussion of the content of the
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reading passage. Students only generated superficial information like their foreign friend‟s name,
age, nationality and hobbies. I am surprised that no one of the interviewed teachers referred to
this problematic. Concerning the level of the pre-reading activity, one of the teachers referred to
the fact that the activity was not suitable for second year baccalaureate students. This is true
since second year baccalaureate students are expected to take part in more advanced activities
and discussions.
As far as the projection of the reading passage is concerned, one of the interviewed teachers
suggested the use of other techniques instead of only projecting the text. However, I believe that
the use of the digital dictionary and the geographical map made the while-reading stage more
pedagogical than the pre-reading and the post-reading stages. Concerning the teachers‟ ICT
skills, most teachers were impressed by them even if they did not totally agree with the teacher‟s
pedagogical use of technology in all the steps of the reading comprehension lesson
All in all, the interviews showed that teachers‟ perception and beliefs concerning ICT integration
in teaching is still fuzzy as they are still not sure about the appropriate or pedagogical use of
technology in teaching. In most questions, interviewed teachers seemed hesitant and confused
about pedagogical and technical manipulation of teaching activities. Besides, some of them
referred to the need of teacher ICT training.
It is very important to mention that Moroccan teachers are not the only ones who complain about
lack of ICT teacher training. In Qatar, the findings of Al-Ammari (2004) indicate that “86% of
the participants in his study asked for more computer training” (p.181). Moreover, lack of
training is also considered to be an obstacle in EFL education in Saoudi Arabia. The findings of
Alkahtani (2005) “indicate that half of the respondents did not receive any CALL training from
their universities or department” (p. 2). The above quotations refer to the urgent need that the
teaching community places on computer training. So, teachers themselves are quite aware that
ICT teacher training is the key determinant for effective ICT integration in education.

5.1.3 The ELT Supervisor’s Interview

The interview with the ELT supervisor is an opportunity to present the view of an ELT
supervisor concerning ICT integration in English Language Teaching. The supervisor‟s
impression concerning the use of technology in this demonstration lesson is generally positive
and did not refer to the appropriateness of some activities or to the pedagogical use of
technology. As far as the post-reading activity is concerned, the supervisor described it as
effective as it created a learner-centered environment in which all students participated in the
activity. However, he did not refer to the fact that the activity was only a repetition of the pre-
reading activity and that the teacher did not stimulate students‟ inquiry to recapitulate or discuss
the content of the text. In addition, the supervisor did not refer to the problem of time
management when the teacher did not complete the post-reading activity.
Concerning the supervisor‟s attitude towards the use of technology in teaching, the theme of this
demonstration lesson already confirms the interest of the supervisor in this topic as he was the
one who organized it. Accordingly, a supervisor‟s positive attitude is very important to stimulate
teachers‟ interest in the use of new technology and encourage them to integrate it in their
teaching. However, a supervisor‟s positive attitude is not enough as it must be accompanied with
enough knowledge, practical skills and competences for effective supervision concerning
pedagogical use of new technology.

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5.2 Recommendations
On the basis of the findings of this study and the implications arising from them, this article
suggests some recommendations with reference to the case study.
It seems that ICT integration in teaching is a problematic issue in the sense that education is
exposed to pedagogical challenges in the wave of new technologies. Both the pre-reading and the
post-reading phases of this demonstration lesson refer to the insignificance of the use of
technology in the absence of pedagogical considerations. If the pre-reading and the post-reading
phases had been carefully and didactically planned, technology could have been used effectively.
As an example, the teacher could have used a video or an interactive exercise to activate
students‟ background knowledge or brainstorm the concept of culture shock in the pre-reading
stage. As for the post-reading stage, the teacher could have introduced pictures of people of
different races in order to discuss the content of the text and make connections with it. This way,
the teacher could have manipulated both stages technically and pedagogically.
Besides, this demonstration lesson refers to the fact that the possession of ICT skills alone does
not ensure effective ICT integration in teaching. While presenting the lesson, the teacher seemed
to manipulate technology as he used his lap top as well as the data show effectively. He also
exhibited some of his ICT skills in the power point presentation he prepared. However, the
teacher only replaced traditional teaching materials (the board and handouts) with the projection
of slides and the paper based form dictionary with the digital dictionary. I personally had the
impression that the lesson was fashionable but not pedagogical.
Therefore, these types of ICT practices which sacrifice pedagogy for the sake of technology
threaten teaching and learning practices. At the same time, they spoil traditional pedagogical
teaching practices. These ICT practices are very likely to occur in the absence of a clear vision
concerning ICT integration in education and especially when teachers are required to integrate
ICT in their teaching after the acquisition of ICT skills only.
In this respect, the content of teacher ICT training should not only focus on the acquisition of
ICT skills, but also on the pedagogical use of new technology. The availability of digital
resources and training teachers in the use of these digital resources is another determinant factor
for effective ICT integration in teaching.

5.3 Limitations
It can be noticed that the interviews with teachers as well as the ELT supervisor were not
conducted immediately after the demonstration lesson. I admit that the immediacy between the
demonstration lesson and the interviews would have facilitated the interviews with teachers
especially that some of them did not accept to answer my questions. These teachers may have
accepted if they had been asked for an interview immediately after the demonstration lesson.
Unfortunately, this was not possible as I needed some time to reflect on the whole lesson and
prepare for my structured interview.

6. Conclusion
This article investigates teacher‟s ICT practices through a demonstration lesson of an EFL
teacher in order to draw attention to the challenge of ICT integration in teaching. This study
reveals that the complexity of the issue is related to the existing misperception and
indecisiveness between technological and pedagogical manipulation of teaching activities.
This article starts with a review of literature which focuses on the impact of new technology on
education in many parts of the world especially in the Arab world. Then, the review highlights
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 AWEJ Volume.5 Number.4, 2014
Teachers‟ ICT Practices: A Case Study of a Moroccan EFL Teacher Lamtara
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the shift in the role of both teachers and students and explains that the learning approach to
education is more student-centered and less teacher-centered. The last part of the review focuses
on the problematic of teacher ICT training. As far as the methodological part is concerned, it
relies on a case study of an EFL teacher along with participant observation and interviews with
teachers as well as the ELT supervisor who attended the demonstration lesson. It has been found
in the analysis that the use of technology was achieved at the expense of pedagogical planning
since the teacher gave more importance to the use of technology than to pedagogical planning of
teaching activities. Therefore, the recommendation part alludes to two examples of teaching
activities which reconciliate technological and pedagogical manipulation of teaching activities.
In addition to this, the recommendation part also refers to the need for digital resources as well as
to the training of teachers for effective use of these digital resources.

About the Author:

Sana LAMTARA, a Moroccan English teacher in a public senior high school since 2003. A
Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication and Advertising in Ben M‟sik Faculty,
Hassan II university Mohammedia, Casablanca Morocco

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Teachers‟ ICT Practices: A Case Study of a Moroccan EFL Teacher Lamtara
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Appendix
The structured interview
-Tick (√) or answer the questions appropriately.
1. How do you describe the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the demonstration lesson?
Effective beneficial of no great concern insignificant irrelevant
other, ……………………
2. Was the use of technology effective in the first part of the lesson which was grammar revision?
Yes, explain how? …………………………………………………………………
No, why? …………………………………………………………………………..

3. How was the exploitation of technology in the pre-reading activity?

Effective Suitable Inappropriate Of no great concern
Please, explain your choice ……………………………………………………………………

4. How did you find the projection of the reading passage?

Effective Useful Inappropriate Of no added value
Please, explain your choice ………………………………………………………………………..
5. In your opinion, what was positive about the use of technology in the while-reading phase?
(If applicable, you can tick more than one choice.)
The reading passage was available for all students.
An electronic dictionary was used to check meaning and pronunciation.
A geographical map was projected to locate the Dominican Republic.
The power point presentation saved time and efforts.
The power point presentation decreased Teacher talking Time (TTT).
The possibility of sharing the power point presentation with all students.
Others, please specify …………………………………………………………………………
6. How was the exploitation of technology in the post-reading stage?
Effective Suitable Inappropriate Of no great concern
Please, explain your choice ……………………………………………………………………

7. Did the use of technology facilitate the responsibility of the teacher while delivering the lesson?
Yes, how? ……………………………………………………………………………
No, why? …………………………………………………………………………….
8. Did the use of technology facilitate the learning process for students?
Yes, how? ……………………………………………………………………………….
No, why? ………………………………………………………………………………...
9. How did you find the teacher‟s ICT skills?
Excellent Very good Good Fairly good Average Low
10. Personally, are you interested in ICT integration in your teaching?
Yes, why? ………………………………………………………………………………….
No, why? …………………………………………………………………………………
Thank you very much for your cooperation

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