FACILITATING AND HINDERING FACTORS OF TECHNOLOGY-ASSISTED TEACHING AND LEARNING: EVIDENCE FROM A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) redefines the landscape of education. It changes the way teachers teach and students learn. However, achieving innovative teaching and learning is not an easy task because technology-assisted teaching and learning are affected by many variables. Teachers are challenged to utilize new teaching strategy to fill in the gap with the millennial learners. This paper presents the experiences of 16 teacher educators from the Philippines who underwent intensive training on the use and integration of ICT in the classroom. Specifically, this article describes the facilitating and hindering factors of innovative teaching and learning as experienced by the respondents. Likewise, this paper articulates the lessons learned of ICT integration as experienced by the respondents. Further, this article presents the recommendations to achieve innovative teaching and learning using ICT. Results reveal that portability, usability, creativity, independent learning, commitment, dedication and administrative support are the facilitating factors in ICT integration in the classroom. On the other hand, time constraint, lack of technical and administrative support, and poor flexibility of the technology are the hindering factors in technology-assisted teaching and learning. Results show that there is a positive change as experienced by participants in using the technology in the classroom, in spite of obstructions which are always present in any classroom integration of technology. The study concludes that innovative teaching and learning are a responsibility not only of teachers but all stakeholders in the teaching and learning processes. Innovative teaching and learning are possible, yet, they need enough time and investments, especially in a developing country like the Philippines.