“Why this and not that social media?” Reasons for using technology during online practice teaching

Abstract

Recent research has revealed increased use of social media platforms for English as a foreign language (hereafter, EFL) teachers’ English language teaching (hereafter, ELT) practices. However, the reasons for such adoption have received little attention, particularly among EFL preservice teachers who lack teaching experience using technology. Thus, this study examined the rationales and concerns surrounding the use of specific social media platforms for ELT purposes. This study employed a basic qualitative approach by recruiting 18 EFL preservice teachers. The data were collected through interviews and document analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring these participants to perform emergency remote teaching. The data revealed various reasons why EFL preservice teachers chose to incorporate WhatsApp and YouTube into their English classrooms but not Facebook or Instagram. This study offers three recommendations for improving EFL preservice teachers’ technology integration.