Interactive Digital Applications among Teachers: Issues and Challenges

The high pace of digital technology has led to the adoption of interactive digital applications (IDAs) like Google Classroom, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Padlet, Nearpod and DELIMa in the teaching and learning (T&L) in high schools. Access to technology however does not necessarily equate to effective and consistent usage among teachers. The key issues and challenges that impede the meaningful incorporation of IDAs into the pedagogical practice of teachers are discussed in this issue paper, including the urban-rural infrastructure gap, teacher digital competency, time constraints and workload, inconsistent school leadership support, teacher attitude and psychological readiness, including challenges unique to senior teachers, the pedagogy-technology gap, and technology-based assessment challenges. These problems are classified according to the first and second-order barriers framework provided by Ertmer (1999) and the discussion is also associated with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to clarify why the presence of technology is not enough to change the pedagogical practice of teachers. To respond to the identified challenges, the current issue paper advises the teacher professional development strategies and the school technology leadership and digital education policy to be more holistic and responsive to the local context, including the particular needs of specific groups of teachers.