ICT Use and Students’ Perceived EFL Learning in the Kyrgyz Republic

Abstract

Technology has significantly impacted every aspect of society including education. With the development of online digital platforms, students participate in various activities for communication, leisure, and learning both at home and school. Yet in developing countries such as the Kyrgyz Republic, several factors impede the systematic adoption of technology for learning purposes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, educators realized the significance of online learning because it enables continuous learning. Moreover, educators and students could supplement their teaching and learning with diverse quality resources provided by technology and the Internet. Along with many learning possibilities, various technology-assisted language learning tools, such as mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) became more attractive, and appealing to young learners. Nowadays, students are considered to be digital natives; however, they mostly learn technology on their own without proper education on the possible threats. Therefore, there is a need to educate students from an early age on digital literacy. Digital literacy does not only involve basic ICT use of students for non-learning and learning purposes, but also involves the complex soft skills required for students to ethically and safely navigate the digital environment. It is crucial for students including EFL learners to gain digital literacy skills in order to be able to critically analyze the source and safely retrieve information available on the Internet. Focusing on ICT use, it is vital to highlight the issue of digital divide. The developed and developing worlds have dissimilarity in ICT access, use and distribution, where students of developed countries easily access to digital technologies and the Internet. On the other hand, students of developing countries have difficulties in access to the latest digital technologies and the Internet as in the case of the Kyrgyz Republic, which is the focus of this study. The Ministry of Education implemented several strategies to resolve the digital divide issue, such as the programs of ICTs integration in education in partnership with the World Bank. As mentioned previously, students can enjoy a myriad of resources for non-learning and learning purposes via digital devices. However, the benefits of such platforms can be undone if students are distracted by the vast online content and be less efficient in managing their time, which could affect their academic achievement at school. Therefore, it is vital for pupils to acquire and apply self-regulated learning strategies (SRLS) to apprehend their learning goals, monitor their learning achievement and cope with distractions. They can acquire these skills through three broad strategies namely: metacognitive, cognitive, and resource management strategies (Zimmerman, 2013). Furthermore, utilizing strategies, such as “planning, monitoring, effort regulation, and critical thinking” helps students to regulate their learning effectively in the digital environments autonomously (Zimmerman, 2013). Therefore, students studying in the digital environment can enhance their SRLS to successfully achieve learning goals in EFL class. The present study attempts to investigate two variables that mediate the relationship between students’ use of ICT and attaining significant learning achievement. For instance, Tri and Nguyen (2014) discovered that ICT use substantially impacts learners’ EFL learning overall. The first mediating variable between ICT use and learning achievement is digital literacy. Another mediating variable that influences student’s learning achievement is SRLS (DiBenedetto & Zimmerman, 2010). As of July 2020, nearly all (98.6 percent) of learners in about 200 countries were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and were obliged to study online (United Nations, 2020). Furthermore, researchers suggested that instructors should utilize new online teaching and learning approaches to advance education, especially after COVID-19 impact (Pokhrel & Chhetri, 2021). Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic has served as a catalyst forcing late adopters of technology in education such as developing countries to rapidly implement ICT use for learning. Under this circumstance, the present study is relevant as it provides a timely investigation of the various mechanisms linking the use of ICTs and students perceived learning achievement in the context of developing countries through the following research questions: 1. Does students’ ICT use significantly predict their perceived learning achievement? 2. Does students’ digital literacy significantly predict their perceived learning achievement? 3. Does students’ use of self-regulated learning strategies significantly predict their perceived learning achievement? 4. Does students’ digital literacy mediate the relationship between ICT use and perceived learning achievement? 5. Does students’ use of self-regulated learning strategies mediate the relationship between ICT use and perceived learning achievement? A total of 314 students from 3 public middle schools participated in this study in the capital city – Bishkek. Out of 314 answers 23 were excluded from the analysis, 21 due to the missing responses and 2 for the age reasons as they were 17 years old. Therefore, a total of 291 answers were incorporated into the analysis. The students were asked to take a questionnaire about ICT use, digital literacy, self-regulated learning strategies, and perceived learning achievement. The collected data was analyzed quantitatively with descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression analysis, and simple mediation analysis. The first research question was assessed by investigating the association amid predicting variable ICT use for learning purposes and dependent variable perceived learning achievement. The results showed that ICT use for learning purposes was statistically significant and predicted perceived learning achievement whereas ICT use for non-learning purposes was excluded from the analysis due to its lack of correlation with perceived learning achievement. For the second research question, similar analysis was conducted to assess whether digital literacy predicts perceived learning achievement. The present study’s findings reveal that, digital literacy significantly predicted perceived learning achievement. The third research question is concerned with whether the predicting variable self-regulated learning strategies predicts students’ perceived learning achievement. The findings revealed that self-regulated learning strategies significantly predict students’ perceived learning achievement. The fourth question analyzed the mediating effect of digital literacy on the association between ICT use and perceived learning achievement. The results showed that, digital literacy completely mediated the relationship between ICT use for non-learning purposes and perceived learning achievement. Moreover, digital literacy showed complete mediation between ICT use for learning purposes and perceived learning achievement. Lastly, the mediating effect of the self-regulated learning strategies on the link between ICT use and perceived learning achievement was investigated. The results of the study revealed that self-regulated learning strategies predicts the relationship between ICT use for learning purposes and perceived learning achievement. However, mediation of self-regulated learning strategy between ICT use for non-learning purposes and perceived learning achievement was not analyzed because correlation between variables was not significant. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the drivers of student’s learning achievement and to suggest to educators and policy makers the importance of student’s acquisition and understanding of ICT use, digital literacy and self-regulated learning strategies that could help them achieve higher academic results in their learning. The present study confirms previous study findings and contributes by broadening the research subject with additional variables. Previous research mainly focused on the effect of ICT use on digital literacy, and on the effect of self-regulated learning on learning achievement. Based on the previous work, the present study includes digital literacy’s effect on perceived learning achievement by broadening the implications to the research subject. Moreover, this study investigates the mediating effect of digital literacy on the relationship between ICT use and perceived learning achievement with significant findings. ICT use for non-learning purposes did not have significant correlation with perceived learning achievement, but with the mediating effect of digital literacy ICT use for non-learning purposes had an indirect effect on perceived learning achievement. Lastly, the study findings showed that self-regulated learning strategies completely mediate the relationship between ICT use for learning purposes and perceived learning achievement. This confirms the previous research findings stating that students who regulate effectively their learning can achieve higher learning achievement. This research includes additional implications by linking the relationship between ICT use and self-regulated learning strategies on the effect of perceived learning achievement. Therefore, students studying via ICTs can achieve better academic achievement while utilizing self-regulated learning strategies. Despite the implications of the present study, there are open doors for future improvements. Future research could consider a random sampling by including school in other regions of the Kyrgyz Republic. Moreover, future research could consider non-self-reporting by deploying qualitative methods and consider direct academic measurement. Therefore, based on the results, the present study findings recommend educators, parents, and policymakers to increase ICT use accessibility at school and at home by integrating digital technologies in the school curriculum and training teachers and learners on its proper and safe use. Moreover, educators should integrate digital literacy and self-regulated learning strategies in school curriculum for students to be able to obtain the necessary 21st-century skills that are crucial for their academic achievement at school and for their expertise and competitiveness in their future workplace. ;테크놀로지는 교육뿐 아니라 우리 삶의 모든 측면에서 상당한 영향을 미쳤다. 온라인 디지털 플랫폼의 발달에 따라 학생들은 가정과 학교에서 커뮤니케이션, 여가, 학습을위한 다양한 활동에 참여하고 있다. 특히 COVID-19 유행 기간 동안 온라인 학습의 발전과 더불어 학생들은 테크놀로지와 인터넷이 제공하는 다양한 양질의 리소스로 학습을 보완할 수 있게 되었다. 이에 따라 다양한 학습 가능성과 테크로노지가 결합된 언어학습도구인 모바일 지원 언어 학습 (MALL) 및 컴퓨터 지원 언어 학습 (CALL)은 더 매력적으로 젊은 학습자들에게 주목받고 있다. 오늘날 학생들은 디지털 네이티브로 인식되지만 그들은 대부분 적절한 교육없이 위험 속에서 스스로 기술을 배우고 있다. 따라서 어릴 때부터 디지털 리터러시에 대한 교육이 필요하다. 디지털 리터러시는 학습 및 비학습 목적으로 학생들의 기본적인 ICT 사용뿐만 아니라 학생들이 디지털 환경에서 윤리적이고 안전하게 탐색하는 데 필요한 복잡한 소프트 기술을 포함한다. EFL 학습자를 포함하여 학생들은 출처를 인터넷에서 사용 가능한 정보를 비판적으로 분석하고 안전하게 검색하는 능력인 디지털 리터러시를 습득하는 것이 중요하다. 또한, ICT 활용을 중심으로 디지털 격차 이슈에 대한 중요성이 부각되고 있다. 선진국과 개발 도상국 간에 ICT 사용 및 배포에 차이가 있으며, 선진국 학생들은 디지털 기술과 인터넷에 충분히 접근할 수 있다. 반면 키르기즈스탄과 같은 개발도상국 학생들은 최신 기술과 인터넷에 대한 접근이 제한적이다. 이에 키르기즈스탄 정부는 ICT 통합 프로그램과 같은 디지털 격차 문제를 해결하기 위해 세계 은행과 협력하여 교육에서 여러 가지 전략을 추진하였다. 본 연구의 연구문제는 다음과 같다. 1. 학습자의 ICT 사용은 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하는가? 2. 학습자의 디지털 리터러시는 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하는가? 3. 학습자의 자기조절학습전략이 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하는가? 4. 학습자의 디지털 리터러시가 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 간의 관계를 매개하는가? 5. 학생의 자기조절학습전략이 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 간의 관계를 매개하는가? 본 연구는 키르기즈스탄의 수도인 비쉬켄에서3 개의 국립 중학교에서 온 총 314 명의 학생이 참여하였다. 연구에 참여한 314명 중 답변이 누락되 23개를 제외한 총 291명의 답변이 분석에 포합되었다. 학생들은 ICT 사용, 디지털 리터러시, 자기조절학습 및 인지된 학습 성과에 대한 설문지를 작성하였으며 수집된 데이터는 기술 통계 및 회귀 분석을 통해 연구가설을 검증하였다. 첫째, 독립변수인 ICT 사용과 종속변수인 인지된 학습 성과 간의 관계를 분석하기 위해 단순 회귀 분석을 한 결과, 학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용은 통계적으로 유의미하고 인지된 학습 성과를 유의미하게 예측한 반면, 비학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용은 인지된 학습 성과 간의 상관 관계가 유의미하지 않아 분석에서 제외하였다. 둘째, 디지털 리터러시가 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하는지 여부를 분석한 결과 디지털 리터러시가 인지된 학습 성과를 유의미하게 예측하였습니다. 셋째, 종속 변수인 자기조절학습전략이 학생들의 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하는지 분석했하였다. 그 결과, 자기조절학습전략이 학생들의 인지된 학습 성과를 유의미하게 예측하는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 간의 디지털 리터러시의 매개 효과를 분석한 결과 디지털 리터러시는 비학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습성과 간의 관계를 완전매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 마찬가지로 디지털 리터러는 학습적인 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 간의 관계를 완전매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 마지막으로 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 자기조절학습전략의 매개 효과를 분석한 결과 자기조절학습전략이 학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 간의 관계를 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 자기조절학습전략은 비학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 사이의 매개 관계를 예측하지 못했다. 본 연구의 목적은 학습자의 학습에 영향을 미치는 요인을 조사하고 교육자 및 정책 입안자에게 학생의 ICT 사용 습득, 디지털 리터러시 및 학습에서 더 높은 학업 결과를 달성하는 데 도움이 될 수 있는 자기조절학습전략의 중요성을 제안하는 것이다. 본 연구는 선행연구를 확인하고 변수를 추가하여 연구 주제를 확대함으로써 그 시사점이 있다. 선행연구에서는 주로 ICT 사용이 디지털 리터러시에 미치는 영향과 자기조절학습이 인지된 학습 성과에 미치는 영향에 주목하였다. 본 연구에서는 선행연구를 기반으로 연구주제에 대한 의미를 넓혀 인지된 학습 성과에 대한 디지털 리터러시의 영향을 포함하였다. 또한, 본 연구는 디지털 리터러시가 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과의 관계에 미치는 매개 효과를 조사함에 그 시사점이 있다. 비학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용은 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하지 못했지만, 디지털 리터러시의 매개 효과와 비학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용은 인지된 학습 성과를 예측하였다. 마지막으로 본 연구결과는 자기조절학습 전략이 학습 목적을 위한 ICT 사용과 인지된 학습 성과 간의 관계를 완전히 매개하였다. 이는 학습을 효과적으로 조절하는 학생들이 더 높은 학업 성과를 달성 할 수 있다는 선행연구의 결과를 뒷받침한다. 또한, 본 연구는 인지된 학습 성과에 대한 ICT 사용과 자기조절학습전략 간의 관계를 매개하는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 ICT를 통해 공부하는 학생들은 자기조절학습전략을 활용하면서 더 나은 학업 성과를 달성 할 수 있음을 알 수 있다. 하지만 본 연구의 시사점을 기반으로 향후 연구에 개선의 여지가 있다. 향후 연구에서는 키르기즈스탄의 다른 지역에 있는 학교를 포함하여 무작위 샘플링을 고려할 수 있다. 또한, 학생들이 수업에서 달성하는 성적을 사용하여 자기 보고가 아닌 직접적인 학습 성과의 측정을 고려할 수 있다. 본 연구의 결과를 바탕으로 교육자, 학부모, 정책 입안자들이 디지털 기술을 학교 커리큘럼에 통합하고 교사와 학습자에게 적절하고 안전한 사용을 교육함으로써 ICT 사용 접근성을 높이도록 권장한다. 또한 교육자는 학생들이 학교 및 미래 직장에서 필요로 하는 학업 성과를 습득할 수 있도록 학교 커리큘럼에 디지털 리터러시와 자기조절학습전략을 통합해야 한다.