Technology Integration in the Language Class: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and In-service EFL Teachers’ Contextual Knowledge, TPACK, and Attitudes in Public Schools

Taherkhani, Mahdi; Kiany, Gholam Reza; Allami, Hamid

doi:10.22132/tel.2025.503520.1784

Technology Integration in the Language Class: Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and In-service EFL Teachers’ Contextual Knowledge, TPACK, and Attitudes in Public Schools

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahdi Taherkhani ¹

Gholam Reza Kiany ²

Hamid Allami ¹

¹ Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

² University of Mazandaran

10.22132/tel.2025.503520.1784

Abstract

Research on effective technology integration by language teachers has grown exponentially. Previous research has shed light on significant factors contributing to effective technology integration by language teachers, such as teachers’ competence and skills. This research study adds to the literature by investigating the impacts of four variables—the COVID-19 pandemic, contextual knowledge, TPACK, and attitudes—on technology integration of in-service Iranian EFL teachers in public schools. For this purpose, three surveys for assessing TPACK, attitude, and technology integration were employed from prior research, and two instruments for the COVID-19 pandemic and contextual knowledge were developed to address the impacts of these two factors on technology integration in an EFL setting. These two instruments were constructed following rigorous stages of survey development. All five surveys were employed to gather data from a cohort of 449 tenured in-service EFL teachers. Structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the direct and indirect effects among the variables. The results indicated that the independent variables (i.e., contextual knowledge, TPACK, and attitudes) were significant predictors of technology integration except for the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, significant direct relationships were found between contextual knowledge and TPACK, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic and attitudes. Analysis of the indirect path coefficients revealed contextual knowledge influences technology integration through the mediating role of TPACK. The findings have several implications for language teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers.

Keywords

Attitudes toward technology

Contextual knowledge

In-service EFL teachers

Technology integration

The COVID-19 pandemic

TPACK

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