Factors influencing teachers’ intentions to integrate smartphones in language lessons

Abstract

Research has shown that mobile technology could enhance the effectiveness of common language learning activities but in practice, few teachers are using mobile devices. Fishbein and Ajzen’s (2010) reasoned action approach was used to identify to which extent certain personal factors influenced teachers’ intentions to integrate smartphones in their language lessons. Data were collected from 63 teachers at language centres connected to 15 institutes for Higher Education in the Netherlands. Four subgroups were distinguished based on two variables: first basic versus smartphone owners and second non versus frequent phone users. The subgroup of basic phone owners had less favourable feelings, and a subgroup of frequent phone users had more favourable feelings towards integrating smartphones in their lessons compared with the whole group. Differences in the number of hours teachers worked and age were not significant. Some differences were found in the role of perceived norm and perceived behavioural control for the whole group and for the subgroup of smartphone owners (n = 49). This study contributed to the growing number of studies that found Fishbein and Ajzen’s model suitable for predicting technology acceptance in an educational context.