Abstract:
This study investigated the current Information and Communications Technology integration practices of junior high school teachers from a rural school in the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines. Specifically, this study explored how teachers perceive ICT, experience challenges, and integrate ICT in their curriculum and instructional practices. It focused on six (6) Filipino junior high school teachers, selected through a purposeful sampling with reputational technique. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, and the investigation was guided by the activity theory. The strength of using activity theory is that it demonstrates the connection between ICT, learning, and their own contexts. Salient findings revealed that participants defined ICT integration as the use of any form of new technology in the teaching and learning process and its purpose is to simplify concepts, to capture students’ attention, and to help teachers’ tasks become easier. The participants applied various approaches and methods when integrating ICT and expressed that these methods are determined by the subject and their students’ learning needs. Dealing with the participants’ challenges on ICT integration such as technical problems and power interruption, teachers’ asked help from their colleagues, and collaborate simultaneously. Despite the limited ICT resources and facilities, the participants were able to integrate ICT into their instruction.