Perception and utilization of multimedia-assisted teaching of English teachers in the academies in Kang Neung City, South Korea

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the English teachers’ perception towards Multimedia Assisted Teaching (MAT) and their actual utilization of it in their profession. The data of this research were obtained from 151 English teachers of the academies of Kang Neung City, South Korea. Teachers’ characteristics such as age, gender, educational attainment, and teacher-type were also examined whether or not they are factors influencing the teachers’ perception towards MAT. The teachers’ perception towards MAT was composed of three dimension: perceived necessity of MAT, perceived efficiency of MAT, and the teachers’ perceived individual skills in using MAT. The data gathered were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. A registered copy of the spreadsheet software from Microsoft Corporation was employed to aid in the calculations. Statistical treatment followed the suggestion by Boone and Boone (2012) on the descriptive analysis for Likert-type data to find the median for central tendency analysis and frequencies and standard deviations in analyzing variability. Pearson’s Chi-squared (x2) test, Cramer’s V coefficient, Pearson’s r correlation and Gamma coefficient were used to test for association and measurement of direction among the ordinal variables and interval variables. As to the findings of the study, majority of the respondents belong to the age bracket 26-30 years old. There were more female respondents than the male respondents. Most of the respondents had a 1 to 5 years teaching experience and majority of them had a Bachelor’s degree. The majority of the respondents were Koreans who lived and studied in Korea. Most of the respondents had high perception on the use of MAT as to its necessity and efficiency. Moreover, most of the respondents perceived that they had high individual skills on the use of MAT. In addition, most of the respondents utilized multimedia facilities in the whole process of teaching English and they spend time using multimedia facilities moderately for their English lessons. Meanwhile, there was no significant relationship between the respondents' age, teaching experience and their perception towards MAT. However, for female respondents, the higher educated respondents and Korean respondents who lived and studied in Korea had higher perceived necessity, efficiency and individual skill towards MAT than other respondents. Also, the respondents who had higher perceived necessity, efficiency and individual skill towards MAT spent more time using MAT. For the relationship of the respondents' characteristics to their actual utilization of MAT, there was no significant relationship between the respondents' age, teaching experience and their actual utilization of MAT, however, the female respondents, the higher educated respondents and Korean respondents who lived and studied in Korea spent longer time using MAT more than the other respondents.