Perceptions of Pre-Service English Teachers towards the Integration of an LMS into English Language Teacher Education

With the growing availability of educational technologies, informing future teachers about the use of such technologies in their classrooms has become essential, particularly for language teachers. Integrating these technologies into the curriculum of language teaching education programs is more appropriate than simply sharing information with pre-service teachers via short computer courses. Over the past decade, various Learning Management Systems (LMSs) have been gradually integrated into language teacher education programs to provide 24/7-connected teaching and learning environments. Many studies have investigated LMS adoption in terms of economic and technical challenges. However, what have been less covered are the perceptions of pre-service on the integration of an LMS. This paper reports on a study designed to gain insights into the perceptions of pre-service English teachers on the integration of an LMS into courses at a state university in Turkey. A total of 122 prospective English teachers participated in the study. Data were collected from questionnaires, open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that pre-service English teachers had positive perceptions towards the use of an LMS as an integral part of face-to-face courses. The study also provides recommendations towards LMS integration into courses in other English language teaching departments.

Publisher: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327