Perceptions of English Language Teachers on the Effectiveness of Technology-Enhanced Learning in Secondary Schools

Abstract

The post-pandemic digital transformation has fundamentally reshaped secondary education, placing learning management systems (LMS) and mobile learning applications at the center of English language teaching (ELT). However, a significant disconnect persists between national digital policy mandates and classroom-level execution in vocational secondary schools. This study aims to analyze English language teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of technology-enhanced learning (TEL), identify the operational challenges encountered during implementation, and examine the adaptive strategies deployed to overcome these barriers. Using a descriptive qualitative research design, the study examined three English language teachers (N = 3) at SMK Negeri 1 Makassar, who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and systematic classroom observations and analyzed using the interactive model of data analysis proposed by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). The findings reveal that teachers have favorable perceptions of TEL, highlighting its capacity to foster student engagement, enhance instructional efficiency, and create dynamic learning environments. However, implementation is often hindered by severe infrastructural limitations, unequal device access among students, digital skill disparities, and reluctance to embrace rapid technological changes. In conclusion, although TEL can improve English teaching practices, its long-term success in vocational high schools depends on improving institutional infrastructure and providing targeted professional development to support adapting teaching methods to specific contexts. This study contributes to vocational English language teaching (ELT) literature by offering an empirically grounded framework that illustrates how teacher pedagogical agency and adaptive strategies sustain digital learning in resource-constrained secondary school environments.