Evaluation of Methodology: Qualitative Studies about Mobile Technology Implementation in Education

Abstract

The description and understanding of the learning has changed significantly over time and is still in its transformational modern stage, which necessitates exploration and investigation of the pros and cons of innovative changes in the field of education. Some teachers resist those changes and do not feel comfortable teaching through or with mobile technology as they do not want to look incompetent when they are unable to troubleshoot. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the methodology of qualitative studies conducted on the integration of mobile technology in language classroom and teachers' attitudes towards using technology in teaching. The paper aims at examining 15 studies published in educational journals between 2006 and 2016. The articles discuss two aspects of educational technology: mobile technology integration in education and teachers' attitudes and professional development for implementing technology in language classroom. Introduction The contemporary view of how the learning process changes and revolutionizes with the help of mobile technology can affect decision making about educational policies. If one considers learning to be under the control of teachers in traditional teaching methods, believing that 'teaching equals learning', it is entirely reasonable to support polices that make teachers directly accountable for student test results. However, the assumption 'if teachers work harder learners will learn better' is viewed differently when a constructivist observation is put forward, looking at learning as being largely under the control of learners, where teachers and students are viewed as collaborators. Here is when the third party in a form of the mediating tool is needed to infer educational policies to focus on student motivation to achieve and progress through their studies. That mediating tool could be a mobile technology that facilitates learning and improves performance. In our days the world is moving toward digital enhancement, which means digital enhancement will be available for just about everything people do. That is to say, digital and mobile devices already enhance people's cognitive competences in many ways, such as memory, decision making or problem solving. To explain it better, digital tools improve our memory through data input and output as well as electronic storage. Other tools, such as digital data gathering or decision making tools develop our decision making, problem solving and analytical thinking skills by letting us search in seconds, choose the needed information and collect more data than we could have done unaided, helping us multitask and carry out quick and complex analyses. Hence, it must be stated, that digital enhancement of people's cognition supported by mobile technologies and digital tools is a reality in every profession and every field today. However, it should not be assumed that the human brain is no longer significant and that mobile technology is smarter by itself. Quite the opposite, " It is through the interaction of the human mind and digital technology that the digitally wise person is coming to be " (Thomas 2011, p. 27). The time we live in necessitates the urge to educate digitally smart students and teachers, to embrace digital enhancement in the field of education and encourage others to do so. " With our eyes wide open to enhancement's potential harm as well as its benefits, let us bring our colleagues, students, teachers, parents, and peers to the digital wisdom of the twenty-first century " (p. 27).