What Hinders and What Promotes the Integration of Digital Resources in English Language Teaching

Abstract

The integration of digital resources in the teaching of English has increased, but their incorporation does not always translate into interactive, collaborative, and student-centered pedagogical practices. This study aimed to analyze the factors that slowed down and drove the integration of digital resources in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Ecuadorian educational contexts. A mixed, descriptive and exploratory, cross-sectional approach was developed. Four teachers and 123 students of English IV-1 and English IV-2 from the Zootechnics major of the ESPOCH participated. The DigCompEdu Check-In, a student perception questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, an observation checklist and a document review matrix were applied. The results showed a frequent presence of technology and a favorable teaching digital competence; however, its use was mainly concentrated in the presentation and practice of content. Connectivity, planning time, and pedagogical training were the main barriers, while teacher readiness, perceived usefulness, and institutional support acted as facilitators.