The seewo interactive whiteboard (IWB) for ESL teaching: How useful it is?

Abstract

The perceived usefulness (PU) of a technology is critical for its final adoption; however, what makes an interactive whiteboard (IWB) perceived useful remains unclear. This study aims to investigate how pre-service teachers perceive the usefulness of Seewo interactive whiteboards for ESL (English-as-a-second-language) instruction. We recruited 80 pre-service ESL teachers, divided them into 16 groups, provided five weeks of training, and conducted focus group interviews to gather qualitative feedback. The data were analyzed using grounded theory techniques with the aid of the software Nvivo. Three research questions were addressed: how pre-service ESL teachers perceive the usefulness of Seewo IWB in terms of its functions that enhance the learning process (PU-process), how they perceive the usefulness of Seewo IWB in terms of its functions that improve learning outcomes (PU-outcome), and how they perceive the non-usefulness of Seewo IWB. The findings shed light on the determinants of the perceived usefulness (PU) concept, which is crucial for fostering a higher intention to accept technology.

Keywords

• Interactive whiteboard (IWB)
• Technology acceptance
• Perceived usefulness (PU)
• Teacher perception
• Grounded theory