The POSITIVE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE, LIMITED PEDAGOGICAL INTEGRATION: TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF GOOGLE CLASSROOM FOR EFL WRITING IN ETHIOPIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL

Study in ELT

Abstract

The integration of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) into language education has expanded opportunities for technology-enhanced writing instruction; however, positive technology acceptance does not necessarily translate into deep pedagogical integration. This study investigated teachers’ and students’ perceptions and experiences of using Google Classroom (GC) for EFL writing instruction in a private secondary school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A descriptive mixed-methods design with a quantitative emphasis was employed. Data were collected from four English language teachers and 60 Grade 11 students through structured questionnaires, complemented by six classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with three teachers and six students. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were thematically analyzed and integrated with quantitative findings. Teachers generally perceived GC positively (M = 3.85), and students reported positive perceptions of its ease of use and accessibility. However, observations and interviews showed that GC was used more for distributing materials, assigning tasks, managing deadlines, and collecting work than for collaborative writing, sustained feedback, peer interaction, and recursive revision. Training and support represented a weaker area for teachers, while students reported modest contributions of GC to writing development. The findings indicate that GC was functionally adopted more strongly than pedagogically transformed, highlighting teacher digital pedagogical competence, instructional design, technological access, and institutional support as conditions for meaningful integration.