IT Literacy of Language Teachers in Malaysian Technical Schools

Successful introduction of technology in language education comes with a price - as not only the technology is expensive, it is ineffective unless teachers are trained and made comfortable with its use. As technical schools contribute and prepare skilled workforce for Malaysian economy, the need for teachers to be IT literate is immensely critical. This paper presents findings of a study designed to investigate the existing level of IT competency of language teachers in Malaysian technical schools. The results show that the majority of English teachers in Malaysian technical schools are still novice users of IT. Some of the reason deduced from the survey and the interview were low level of computer competency, less focus on the new computing skills, limited training program, technofear, limited infrastructure and support. Recommendations in addressing these issues especially regarding the provision of supportive teaching environment in technical schools are put forth.