Teaching and Learning with Technology: Effectiveness of ICT Integration in Schools

Abstract

Integration of Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) will assist teachers to the global requirement to replace traditional teaching methods with technology-based teaching and learning tools and facilities. In Malaysia, ICT is considered as one of the main elements in transforming the country to future development. The Ministry of Education, through the latest Education Blueprint (2013-2025), insights the importance of technology-based teaching and learning into the schools’ national curriculum. This study aims to analyze teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of ICT integration to support the teaching and learning process in the classroom. A survey questionnaire was distributed randomly to a total of 101 teachers from 10 public secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The data for this quantitative research were analyzed for both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS (version 21) software. The results indicate that ICT integration has great effectiveness for both teachers and students. Findings indicate that teachers’ well-equipped preparation with ICT tools and facilities is one of the main factors in the success of technology-based teaching and learning. It was also found that professional development training programs for teachers also played a key role in enhancing students’ quality learning. For future studies, there is a need for consideration of other aspects of ICT integration especially from a management point of view concerning strategic planning and policymaking.

Full text

133
Teaching and Learning with Technology: Effectiveness of
ICT Integration in Schools
Swarali Sanjay Shah*
Department of Management Studies, Rajarambapu Institute of Technology, India
*Correspondence: E-mail: swarushah1229@gmail.com
A B S T R A C T S
A R T I C L E I N F O
Integration of Information, Communication, and Technology
(ICT) will assist teachers to the global requirement to replace
traditional teaching methods with technology-based
teaching and learning tools and facilities. In Malaysia, ICT is
considered as one of the main elements in transforming the
country to future development. The Ministry of Education,
through the latest Education Blueprint (2013-2025), insights
the importance of technology-based teaching and learning
into the schools’ national curriculum. This study aims to
analyze teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of ICT
integration to support the teaching and learning process in
the classroom. A survey questionnaire was distributed
randomly to a total of 101 teachers from 10 public secondary
schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The data for this
quantitative research were analyzed for both descriptive and
inferential statistics using SPSS (version 21) software. The
results indicate that ICT integration has great effectiveness
for both teachers and students. Findings indicate that
teachers’ well-equipped preparation with ICT tools and
facilities is one of the main factors in the success of
technology-based teaching and learning. It was also found
that professional development training programs for
teachers also played a key role in enhancing students’ quality
learning. For future studies, there is a need for consideration
of other aspects of ICT integration especially from a
management point of view concerning strategic planning and
policymaking.
© 2022 Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Article History:
Received 29 Dec 2021
Revised 19 Jan 2022
Accepted 21 Jan 2022
Available online 23 Jan 2022
____________________
Keyword:
ICT integration,
Malaysia,
Teaching and learning,
Technology effectiveness,
Education.
Indonesian Journal of Educational
Research and Technology
Journal homepage: http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/IJERT/
Indonesian Journal of Educational Research and Technology 2(2) (2022) 133-140

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1. INTRODUCTION
In this 21st century, the term “technology” is an important issue in many fields (Puspitawati
et al., 2021; Baldwin, 2009; Liu & Gee, 2017), including education. This is because technology
has become the knowledge transfer highway in most countries. Technology integration
nowadays has gone through innovations and transformed our societies that have totally
changed the way people think, work and live (Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015).
As part of this, schools and other educational institutions which are supposed to prepare
students to live in “a knowledge society” need to consider Information, Communication, and
Technology (ICT) integration in their curriculum. Integration of ICT in education refers to the
use of computer-based communication (Rachmawati, 2019). Specifically, it incorporates into
daily classroom instructional process. In conjunction with preparing students for the current
digital era, teachers are seen as the key players in using ICT in their daily classrooms (Ghavifekr
et al., 2014). This is due to the capability of ICT in providing a dynamic and proactive teaching-
learning environment, while ICT integration aims to improve and increase the quality,
accessibility, and cost-efficiency of the delivery of instruction to students, it also refers to
benefits from networking the learning communities to face the challenges of current
globalization (Albirini, 2006; Abdullah et al., 2017).
The process of adoption of ICT is not a single step, but it is an ongoing and continuous step
that fully supports teaching and learning and information resources. ICT integration in
education generally means technology-based teaching and learning process that closely
relates to the utilization of learning technologies in schools (Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015; Wang,
2008; Sarker et al., 2019). Because students are familiar with technology and they will learn
better within the technology-based environment, the issue of ICT integration in schools,
specifically in the classroom is vital. This is because the use of technology in education
contributes a lot in the pedagogical aspects in which the application of ICT will lead to
effective learning with the help and supports from ICT elements and components. It is right
to say that almost all ranges of subjects’ starting from mathematics, science, languages, arts,
and humanistic and other major fields can be learned more effectively through technology-
based tools and equipment.
ICT can be used in various ways where it helps both teachers and students to learn about
their respective subject areas. Technology-based teaching and learning offer various
interesting ways which include educational videos, stimulation, storage of data, the usage of
databases, mind-mapping, guided discovery, brainstorming, music, World Wide Web (www)
that will make the learning process more fulfilling and meaningful (Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015).
On the other hand, students will benefit from ICT integration where they are not bounded
to the limited curriculum and resources, instead, hands-on activities in a technology-based
course are designed to help them stimulate their understanding of the subject. It also helps
teachers to design their lesson plans in an effective, creative and interesting approach that
would result in students’ active learning.
Previous research proved that the use of ICT in teaching will enhance the learning process
and maximize the students’ abilities in active learning. Identified three main stages for ICT to
be highly valued and regarded by the teachers; integration, enhancement, and
complementary.
The integration approach is about implementing the right use of ICT in particular subject
areas that involved complex concepts and skills to improve students’ achievement and
attainment. Besides, the review of the curriculum is also needed so that only related ICT
resources and appropriate software will be installed for the main aims and objectives of the

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curriculum to be achieved. The enhancement approach is about using ICT to give great
emphasis on the topic introduced. For instance, Microsoft PowerPoint can be used to present
the topic in a very innovative and creative way that will lead to discussion and exchanging
ideas and thoughts (Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015).
Finally, a complementary approach is when the ICT is used to aid and support the student’s
learning (Arukaroon & Krairit, 2017). This approach allows students to be more organized and
efficient in which they can take obtain notes from the computer, submit their works by email
from home as long as they meet the deadline, and look for information from various sources
provided online to fulfill the task given to them.
2. METHODS
2.1. Research Design
In this research, a quantitative methodology was used to collect and analyze the data
obtained from all the respondents. The researchers developed the questionnaire and finalized
it before being distributed to the targeted group of respondents. Few sections on the
questionnaire were designed specifically to address research Knowledge on Technology Use
Confirmation and Actual Use Intension to use Perceived ease of use Perceived usefulness
objectives regarding the effectiveness of ICT integration for students in learning and effective
elements of ICT integration in a public school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Therefore, the
questionnaire was distributed to obtain the data from the respondents.
2.2. Population and Sampling
The overall total of respondents for this research was 101 teachers from public primary
and secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The questionnaire was randomly
distributed to the respondents with teaching backgrounds regardless of gender, race,
teaching experience as well as highest teaching experience. There are no preferences set by
the researchers as long as the respondents come with teaching backgrounds especially in
public primary and secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since the targeted
respondents for this research are meant for individuals with teaching backgrounds, the
researchers tried to get especially teachers from public primary and secondary schools in
Kuala Lumpur to be part of this research. Hence, the questionnaires distributed are not equal
in numbers where teachers from secondary schools dominate the overall population as
compared to teachers from primary schools.
2.3. Instrument
A survey questionnaire with a total of 43 items was used as the main instrument in this
study to analyze the effectiveness of ICT integration in teaching and learning in public schools
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 101 questionnaires were distributed where all
respondents were asked to read the statements given and choose their answers based on the
4-Likert scale: 4= Strongly Disagree, 3= Disagree, 2= Agree, and 1= Strongly Agree. The
questionnaires consisted of 4 sections. Section A is about the demographic background of the
respondents consists of 8 items that include gender, race, teaching experience, type of school,
school area, preference of teaching style, highest academic qualification, and the ability to
handle ICT in teaching. The other 3 sections in the questionnaire focus more on teachers’
perception and the elements of effectiveness of ICT integration in schools. Section B comes
with 15 items that look into teachers’ perception of ICT in teaching, section C consists of 10

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items that look into the effectiveness of ICT integration for students in learning meanwhile
section D comes with 10 items that look into the effective elements of ICT integration in
teaching.
2.4. Data Collection Procedure
The researchers modified the questionnaire before it is being finalized and distributed to
the target group of respondents. Then, each researcher takes up 50 and 51 questionnaires
respectively made a total of 101 questionnaires being distributed to all respondents. The data
were collected within 2 weeks through random distribution and some of the questionnaires
were sent to respondents’ email. The respondents were given 3-5 days to complete the
questionnaire and send it back to the researcher for data analysis. After 2 weeks, all the
complete filled-up questionnaires were gathered and collected for further data analysis by
the researcher to get the output and findings for the research.
2.5. Data Analysis Process
All the data collected from the respondents were gathered together to be analyzed using
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The analysis includes both
descriptive and inferential analysis. The researchers used descriptive analysis to analyze the
frequency and percentage of the overall population in the demographic background. Besides,
it is also used to determine the mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage to
identify the effectiveness of ICT integration for students in learning as well as the effective
elements of ICT integration in teaching in public schools in Kuala Lumpur.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The findings of this research will give the output needed to answer the research questions.
The findings are done according to the sections in the questionnaire and some inferential
analysis that includes reliability testing and Mann-Whitney U testing is also conducted
towards the overall data (see Table 1).
The results of this study show that technology-based teaching and learning is more
effective in comparison to the traditional classroom (Sumitra et al., 2021). This is because
using ICT tools and equipment will prepare an active learning environment that is more
interesting and effective for both teachers and students. Moreover, this study proved that
students learn more effectively with the use of ICT as lesson designs are more engaging and
interesting (Hashim et al., 2020).
Accordingly, the participants agreed that integrating ICT can foster students’ learning. The
Internet Use in EFL Teaching and Learning in Northwest China and the findings indicated that
teachers have a positive attitude regarding the use of the Internet in teaching and learning;
teachers have some knowledge about Internet use in teaching and learning; they have not
well-integrated Internet into teaching and learning so far; teachers’ knowledge about ICT and
network technology is very limited.
Likewise, the first two points were similar to the findings of this research, in which most
teachers think ICT integration for students in learning is effective. Because students can
develop the confidence to have better communication and the ability to express their
thoughts and ideas; ICT helps students to be more creative and imaginative as their
knowledge paradigm expend, and ICT helps students to possess all four skills in learning when

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they can acquire necessary information and knowledge (Saripudin et al., 2020). However, this
study finds that public school teachers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are not given enough time
to learn and be comfortable with ICT.
Table 1. The demographic background of respondents.
Factors
Frequency
Percentage
Gender
Female
82
81.19
Male
19
18.81
Race
Malaysia
36
35.64
India
22
21.78
Chinese
39
38.61
Others
4
3.96
Teaching experience
<1 year
20
19.8
1-5 years
36
35.64
6-10 years
35
33.66
>10 years
11
10.89
Type of school
Primary
37
36.63
Secondary
64
63.37
School Area
Urban
79
78.22
Rural
22
21.78
Preference of teaching style
Conventional/Traditional
42
41.58
Modern/Contemporary (Use of ICT)
59
58.42
Highest academic qualification
Diploma
10
9.90
Degree
63
62.38
KPLI
19
18.81
Master
9
8.91
The ability to handle ICT in teaching
High
25
24.75
Medium
67
66.34
Low
9
8.91
This study found that most teachers think ICT integration is effective, but ICT tools provided
in school are not enough nor in good condition; training and professional development are
not adequately provided for teachers; technical supports are somehow provided but can be
improved from time to time; and not a very good condition of computer lab in school with
well-functioning tools and facilities (Karniawati et al., 2021).
In conclusion, the very first stage of ICT implementation must be effective to make sure
that, teachers and students can make the best use of it. Thus, preparations for technology-
based teaching and learning begin with proper implementation and supports by the school's
top management (Rochmawati & Rahmayanti, 2021). If the implementation process of
technology integration in schools takes place appropriately from the very beginning stage and
continuous maintenance is adequately provided, ICT integration in schools will result in huge
success and benefits for both teachers and students (Riyanto et al., 2021).

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The use of ICT especially in teaching and learning is more about practicality as compared
to theories and that is why teachers must be given time to learn and explore it, face the “trial-
and-error” phase before they are completely comfortable with its usage and able to make use
of it for teaching and learning. Finally, the integration of ICT in the classroom needs serious
consideration to increasing the competency of the country’s education system. This will help
in increasing the world ranking of the national education and produce a better future
workforce. To enhance the use of ICT in the classroom, the government needs to improve and
change the teachers’ beliefs about the integration of ICT in the classroom. As the teachers’
role is the key role in making any of the new policies be implemented efficiently and
successfully.
The changes that are taking place are driven by advanced technology and communication
devices that should be available to students wherever they are either at school or home. In
addition, the need for teachers to be literate and have good skills and knowledge in using ICT
to improve their teaching methods and approach is desired to promote effective learning as
well as to meet the demand of the 21st century teaching skills.
It might be too common for issues and challenges of ICT integration to be discussed but an
in-depth study of ICT integration in core subjects in schools is least discussed. It is good if
further studies can be made based on what barriers teachers are facing in using ICT in their
daily classrooms in schools. Besides, rather than just focusing on public schools, it is best if
this study can be conducted in 3 major schools, we have in Malaysia including public schools,
Chinese schools as well as Indian schools. This is because some schools might have more
funding that makes ICT implementation much faster and easier. It is good if a comparison can
be made between different schools in which it can take the good side as examples and make
improvements needed from the flaws identified. Other than that, it is highly recommended
for comparison studies about ICT integration in teaching and learning to be done between
public and private schools. This is because most private schools permit students to bring
gadgets to school and the teaching and learning process takes place within the use of ICT. It
would be exciting to see the findings of the effectiveness of ICT integration in public and
private schools.
4. CONCLUSION
This study informs an integration of ICT to assist teachers to the global requirement to
replace traditional teaching methods with technology-based teaching and learning tools and
facilities. This study analyses teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of ICT integration to
support the teaching and learning process in the classroom. The results indicate that ICT
integration has great effectiveness for both teachers and students. Findings indicate that
teachers’ well-equipped preparation with ICT tools and facilities is one of the main factors in
the success of technology-based teaching and learning. Professional development training
programs for teachers also played a key role in enhancing students’ quality learning. For
future studies, there is a need for consideration of other aspects of ICT integration especially
from a management point of view concerning strategic planning and policymaking.
5. AUTHORS’ NOTE
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this
article. Authors confirmed that the paper was free of plagiarism.

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