Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Tools in Teaching and Learning Literature Component in Malaysian Secondary Schools

Abstract

Literature Component has been part of the English Syllabus in Malaysian secondary schools level since the year 2000. Previous researches have proven that teaching Literature component is not easy as teachers still rely heavily on the conventional methods like discussing plot, characters, theme, setting and moral values of the texts. With the advancement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), this study is meant to explore the teachers and students' usage of ICT and their attitudes towards ICT in teaching and learning of Literature component. The study involves 58 Form 5 students and 33 English teachers in Kapit district, a rural area in Sarawak, Malaysia. The study revealed that ICT is used on the satisfactory level by the teachers as well as the students. In addition, both the students and the teachers possessed high positive attitudes towards the use of ICT tools in Literature lesson and the component itself. However, the implementation and usage do not demonstrate the attitude. To conclude, more actions should be taken to encourage wider usage of ICT in the teaching and learning of Literature component.

ESL Teachers’ Perceptions toward the Practices and Prospects of Autonomous Language Learning

“…Nowadays with the existence of ICT, students can surprisingly be creative if they are given a certain amount of time and the freedom of how they want to learn and when they want to learn as they became more motivated and responsible (Yunus, Salehi, & Chenzi, 2012;Borg & Al-Busaidi, 2012). In addition, ICT also has the capability in assisting and stimulating students to be more creative and help to develop ALL as well as improving teaching and learning quality (Yunus & Suliman, 2014). …”

Blended CEFR in Enhancing Vocabulary among Low Proficiency Students

“…Apart from that, the use of ICT integration in blended learning is a confidence boost among low proficiency students. This is also supported by Yunus and Suliman (2014) in their study that the blending of ICT in literature teaching benefits students in motivational aspects. The ability to maneuver their way using the internet to access resources related to the lesson and videos (YouTube), digital dictionaries, online games and many more shows that ICT integrated less promotes 21st century learning and students can choose the pace of the lesson in accordance to their learning ability.…”

The Influence of Locality, Training and Teaching Experience on the Approaches to Teaching Literature

“…As the use of literal meanings is common in literature, it may require special assistance from teachers to assist students' understanding. As revealed by Yunus and Suliman (2014), teachers lack ideas in making a literature lesson meaningful, and this is supported by Muthusamy et al (2017) whose study showed that most teachers claimed that teaching literature is the most difficult thing to do. On the contrary, students might face difficulties to fathom a literary text as a result of limited language mastery as affirmed by Novianti (2016) and Sunardi et al (2018), that limited language proficiency impedes students in understanding literary texts especially classical ones.…”

“…In addition, Suliman and Yunus (2014) explain that their respondents preferred to use simpler terms in giving explanation as well as probing questions in the teaching process. Yunus and Suliman (2014) as well as Muthusamy et al (2017) come to disclose that different preferred techniques and approaches in teaching literature such as note-copying, presentation, class discussions and autonomous learning. All these studies have demonstrated that different settings may opt for different approaches in teaching literature.…”

“…Teachers should make full use of this approach as it is the platform for them to observe the effectiveness of their teaching. Moreover, the questioning approach is also prevalent in Sidhu, Chan and Kaur (2010); Suliman and Yunus (2014); Yunus and Suliman (2014). The third category looks into the teaching experience.…”