THE EFFECTS OF USING TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET ON SOME IRANIAN EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR COMMUNICATION CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

This study aims to explore the effects of implementing a CALL framework on the students’ perceptions of their communication classroom environments. The What Is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC) questionnaire was distributed twice among 34 (F=14 and M=20) Iranian EFL students, the first time after a ten-session-long regular no-tech communication class and the other time after a ten-session-long communication class informed by a CALL framework. The data were analyzed using SPSS and the results showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the participants’ perceptions of each dimension (i.e, Student cohesiveness, Teacher support, Involvement, Task orientation, Cooperation, and Equity) of their communication classroom before and after introducing the CALL framework. The CALL-informed communication class led to a learning environment that was perceived by students as more efficient and learner-centered. The work uses the concept of learning environment, which is claimed to take into account many different aspects of a learning context and hence comprehensive, to explore practicality of CALL ideas for an EFL classroom.