LEARNING ICT TOOLS THROUGH TASK – BASED APPROACH : A CASE STUDY OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH IN UDON THANI PROVINCE, THAILAND

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the use of a teacher training programme for teachers of English focusing on learning ICT tools for self-directed professional development. The participants were 32 in-service teachers of English in primary and secondary schools in Udon Thani province. They attended a two-day workshop specifically designed by using task-based approach as a framework. The research instruments comprised three sets of questionnaires. The results
revealed that the participants were aware of the importance of professional development and the potential of ICT as a powerful tool for the development of both linguistic and pedagogical skills. However, they needed to be trained in how to use the tool effectively. Moreover, they perceived that a task-based approach was an effective way to learn how to use ICT tools in a limited timeframe. Finally, the follow-up questionnaire revealed that internal and external constraints affected the application of the knowledge they had learned from the training into their classrooms