Pros and Cons of Technology Implementation in EFL Classroom Perceived by Digital Natives in Thailand

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate digital native students’ perceptions covering both advantages and disadvantages of technology implementation in their EFL classroom. The sample group consisted of 34 third year English program students enrolled in Semantics in the 2nd semester of academic year 2017 in Buriram Rajabhat University. They were selected purposively. An online questionnaire was used in data collection. The statistics used in data analysis were percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The qualitative data were analyzed by utilizing content analysis. The results showed that for the pros, the digital natives perceived that technology in the classroom helps boost engagement and motivation at a high level (3.97), students can concentrate more because they can learn by themselves using their own methods (3.91); they can access authentic materials to supplement their learning experience (3.91); and there are countless resources for enhancing education and making learning more fun and effective (3.85); respectively. For the cons, students perceived that technology in the classroom can be distractions at a high level (3.58); sometimes it is hard for them to receive interactive lessons (3.44); and technology in the classroom encourages plagiarism (3.41), respectively. It was suggested that teachers who would like to use technology should find the measures to prevent the drawbacks of the technology implementation in the classroom.