Ian McGrath

Innovation in higher education in China: are teachers ready to integrate ICT in English language teaching?

This paper describes a study of ICT‐related teacher development in the context of a national reform of College English teaching in China. The reform, in which emphasis was placed on use of information and communications technology (ICT) in classroom teaching and self‐access learning, had challenged teachers of English as a foreign language to adapt to new teaching materials, student‐centred classroom teaching and to guide students in their autonomous learning. The study examined teachers’ attitudes towards ICT use in education and ICT‐related continuing professional development (CPD) policies and practices in a university in southern China. Mixed methods were used: questionnaires to teachers, classroom observation, interviews with teachers, management and administrative staff, and focus groups with both teachers and students. The findings indicated that limited ICT skills and pedagogic expertise were obstacles to the use of ICT in English language teaching. Moreover, although initially the majority of teachers had held positive attitudes towards ICT use in English teaching and the national reform, their enthusiasm was waning in the light of inadequate support and training. Implications for policy and teacher education are discussed and an ICT‐based CPD model for language teachers is proposed.

Integrating ICT into College English: An implementation study of a national reform

This paper describes a mixed-methods case study of a national reform of College English teaching in China which called for the integration of ICT (information and communication technology) into English classroom teaching and self-access learning. The study examined ICT implementation of the national reform in a specific tertiary institution from the perspectives of ICT use in language education and ICT-related policies and practices for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers. The findings indicated that the reform had represented a challenge for teachers, who were expected to adapt to technologically-enhanced teaching materials, embrace student-centred classroom teaching and guide students’ autonomous learning in ICT settings. Constraints included insufficient ICT facilities, teachers’ limited ICT skills and pedagogic expertise; and lack of effective communication networks and inadequate technical support and ICT-related training also hindered the smooth ICT implementation of the reform. Implications for national and institutional policy-making are discussed.

The Representation of People in Educational Materials.

This paper re-visits, in the light of a recent survey in Hong Kong, issues in relation to how people are represented in educational materials for language-learners. Consideration is given to stereotyping in the way men and women are depicted and broader questions concerning the ‘visibility’ of women, the divorced and other groups, and the possible effects of such representation on school-age learners.

Distance education for language teachers : a U.K. perspective

The advantages and disadvantages of distance education, J. Cowan distance education for teacher training - international experience, H. Perraton promoting confidence and autonomous learning in teacher education at a distance, E. Broady pre-service training for language teachers, Ian McGrath the contribution of a face-to-face component in initial teacher training at a distance, T. Haworth and R. Parker distance education for language teachers and educational technology, G. Motteram virtual language schools - overcoming the problem of distance in the training of language teachers, C. Jennings interaction across computer conferencing, C. Howell-Richardson inputs and outputs of distance education, R. West and G. Walsh direction and debate in distance materials for teacher development, K. Richards monitoring the effectiveness of distance learning as a means of partially delivering teacher education, R. Parker and T. Graham from teaching materials to teacher induction, H. Mulphin formation a distance - learning strategies, B. Hallam concept of quality in distance education, D. Carver.