Volume 12 - Issue 63
/ March 2023
109
http:// www.amazoniainvestiga.info ISSN 2322- 6307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.63.03.10
How to Cite:
Yucedal, H.M. (2023). Integration of web 2.0 tools in EFL classes: Barriers and solutions. Amazonia Investiga, 12(63), 109-122.
https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.63.03.10
Integration of web 2.0 tools in EFL classes: Barriers and solutions
Web 2.0 Araçlarının EFL sınıflarına entegrasyonu: Engeller ve Çözümler
Received: February 2, 2023 Accepted: March 30, 2023
Written by:
Hur Mustafa Yucedal1
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8246-3214
Abstract
Technology is in the center of all disciplines
including education thanks to the rapid
development of information and communication
technologies. Accordingly, the influence of Web
2.0 tools has increased exponentially in
education. However, a gap in literature has been
observed to define the barriers and get sensible
resolutions from the educators as a career saving
endeavor. In this regard, this study was carried
out to highlight the barriers to the integration of
Web 2.0 tools in EFL classes and provide rational
solutions. Thirty English teachers who have been
working actively at different educational
institutions abroad were chosen via convenience
sampling method in this qualitative study. The
participants were the members of a knowledge
sharing page on Facebook for English teachers.
The data were collected within 6 weeks via a
comprehensive questionnaire and interview
which were analyzed by Microsoft Excel and
NVivo. The collected data revealed that teachers
encountered problems related to lack of time,
competence, infrastructure and support. They
expressed that reserving a certain amount of time
for training, receiving the support of the parents,
administrators and colleagues, assigning mentors
for novice teachers and teaching how to use time
in the activities wisely can be of greatest
importance to remove these barriers completely.
Keywords: Web 2.0 tools, barriers, solutions,
EFL, mentor.
Introduction
Technology is a crucial instrument for language
teachers to facilitate the learning of their students
(Yildiz, 2021). Teachers are able to spend more
time interacting with students and monitoring
their progress thanks to the integration of
1
Ma, Instructor, English Language Teaching Department, Faculty of Education, Tishk International University, Erbil/Iraq.
technology into classroom instruction. The time
spent preparing and giving lectures is reduced,
allowing teachers to spend more time interacting
with their students (Daskan & Yildiz, 2020).
Information and communication technology
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(ICT herein after) plays pivotal roles in all fields
thanks to their availability and numerous
advantages. A number of ICT tools which are
laptops, cellphones, tablets and PDAs have been
produced to meet the needs of the users in
different occasions. Given devices are so
versatile that they allow the users to gain
information, spread their ideas through posts and
create content (Sanchez & Aleman, 2011; Sadiq,
2023). In this regard, envisioning a life without
ICT tools is unavoidable, so reflections of it can
be seen in social, personal and professional lives
starkly. To illustrate, students can employ the
features of their laptops to complete their projects
via office programs and send by e-mail which is
so convenient to be in touch with the teachers
officially. Likewise, a businessman can get the
offers and filter the best product to order
electronically as a part of online shopping. In
addition, colleagues can have a video talk
through social media platforms or chat
applications to exchange their information and
come to mutual decisions in cooperation.
Subsequently, a newly graduated engineer can
see job opportunities available online with
his/her mobile phone and secure the position if
both parties agree. Moreover, users can develop
various skills on YouTube ranging from learning
how to cook and be a good public speaker. After
that, ICT tools allow the parents to monitor their
children’s progress at schools via learning
management systems, so they can take action
instantly if needed. It can be stated that ICT tools
have numerous dimensions to carry out different
tasks in a convenient format.
The popularity of ICT tools has also triggered a
need to increase the efficiency of them with
numerous proxy applications. Correspondingly,
the advent of Google Play, App Store and
Amazon App Store has contributed significantly
to use more applications actively (Peterson et al.,
2020; Hur, 2023). To illustrate, an ICT tool
becomes handier once used with office programs.
Users can write, calculate and create
presentations via Microsoft Word, Excel and
PowerPoint. Additionally, users can use any chat
applications such as WhatsApp, Viber and
Telegram flexibly, so they can stay in touch with
others whenever they want. In the same vein,
GPS applications relieve the stress of the drivers
to find the destination abruptly. Similarly, social
media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and others are one
click away to access to rich content anytime and
anywhere. Additionally, online education came
about as an alternative to face-to-face education,
and it was used mainly to get rid of some
opportunity gaps. With the speed of data transfer
on the internet getting faster to meet the needs,
this training model has become more common
and is used by more people (Dzakpasu & Adom,
2017; Yildiz, 2022a). The popularity of online
education has boomed since 2020, so Zoom,
Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Google Meet
applications have been used in increasing
numbers globally to receive the education
continuously. Afterwards, some applications
which are Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime,
Disney Plus, have been quadrupled to entertain
people with appealing features. Subsequently,
children's cerebral growth and social adaptability
can be sped up by exposing them to a variety of
games at different points in their lives.
Considering these features, it's clear that games
have found widespread use in the realm of
education, so some applications to play online
games have also increased dramatically to have
fun and develop various skills (Celik et al.,
2022). Considering the given applications, it can
be stated that the duration of using ICT tools has
been multiplied with the help of related
applications.
Apart from using ICT tools in numerous fields,
they have been used extensively in education as
Web 2.0 tools which refer to employing a group
of technologies to add, make modifications and
benefit collaboratively. Blogs, wikis, podcasts,
quiz applications, video and presentation
applications can be prominent examples of Web
2.0 tools in education. To name a few, YouTube
can be used in various ways to expand students’
learning in classes as it offers billions of valuable
videos to be used in education and it is a huge
resource for learning new languages and for
viewing informative TV lectures and conferences
(Kara & Yildiz, 2022). In addition, Kahoot and
Quizizz can be used actively to check students’
understanding and allow them to see their reports
and learn from their mistakes. Additionally, Zip
Grade can be used to design exams and grade
electronically, so teachers can have a chance to
see mean, median and most frequently made
mistakes in a second. Moreover, Padlet can be
used to make writing activities more appealing
for students and activate peer learning. When
students write on Padlet, all students can learn
from each other. Additionally, different graphics,
images, videos, presentations can be offered to
enrich students’ learning with supplementary
materials on Padlet. Likewise, Google Form can
be used without any hesitation to create short
quizzes which may include different types of
questions, videos, photos, audios according to the
priorities of the teacher. The underlying point for
these applications is that they are user-friendly,
convenient, professional and revolutionary
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because they permit users to construct their own
learning and trigger different learning channels
which are fundamental principles of inquiry-
based learning.
Implementation of Web 2.0 tools in education
requires professional conduct as well. Although
they can be used as a vehicle to transform the
education on a global scale, some adverse effects
can be unavoidable if not conducted with a
systematic plan and monitoring mechanism
(Ziegler, 2022; Soran & Kara, 2022). Insufficient
internet coverage, inadequate infrastructure,
having less training period, having negative
attitudes towards computer literacy, unable to
reserve time due to having content-heavy
curricula can be given as some examples to
reduce the feasibility of Web 2.0 tools in
education (Lim & Khine, 2006; Geyer, 2010). To
illustrate, the educational goals cannot be
realized if the internet is down several times. In
addition, educational institutions’ infrastructure
such as network, devices, accessories should
work in a trouble-free way to get the highest
benefit. Likewise, lack of training period can
disrupt students’ learning because teachers
cannot apply all the steps successfully in this
situation. After that, developing computer
literacy skills of the teachers in general can have
far-fetching effects to raise the awareness and put
Web 2.0 tools into practice successfully.
Moreover, content-heavy curricula prevent the
teachers from integrating Web 2.0 tools into
education. Considering the given hesitations, it
can be stated that taking some measures in
advance can increase the positive outcomes of
Web 2.0 tool enhanced education at institutions.
Purpose of the Study and Research Questions
The primary purpose of the current study is
twofold. First, common barriers of Web 2.0 tool-
based education were defined. Next, some
rational solutions were offered to guide the pre-
service and professional teachers throughout
their career. Correspondingly, research questions
were formed to be investigated thoroughly.
• What are some barriers to prevent successful
implementation of Web 2.0 tools into EFL
classes?
• What measures can be taken to resolve the
barriers against employing a Web 2.0 tool
enriched instruction?
Literature Review
The World Wide Web has undergone radical
transformation since its launch by Tim Berners-
Lee in 1991. Correspondingly, web tools have
evolved drastically from Web 1.0 to Web 3.0.
The former only allowed users to read basic web
pages using HTML and JavaScript, such as
MySpace, LiveJournal, and Geocities. The latter,
like ChatGPT, Google Bard, Apple Siri, and
Amazon's Alexa, use artificial intelligence to
make interpretations, offer customized solutions,
and create content. For example, chatbots use
artificial intelligence to comprehend queries
more quickly and provide effective responses.
Consequently, conversations in online chat
and/or with chatbots can take the form of text
(text chat) or voice (voice chat), as if the user
were conversing with the instructor (Yildiz,
2022b).
On the other hand, Web 2.0 tools such as
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Kahoot were
used to join, edit, and share in an interactive
environment. The term Web 2.0 was coined by
O'Reilly in 2004, and its usage has expanded
exponentially since that time. Web 2.0 tools have
been actively used in all disciplines, particularly
in education, because their theoretical
background is consistent with constructivist
learning theories advocated by Piaget and
Vygotsky, who argued that learners should
construct their learning actively in an interactive
environment and progress gradually. The pace of
learning, the degree of difficulty, and the type of
media can be easily customized, so Web 2.0 tools
have expanded the scope of the territory at
educational institutions.
Some scholars (Kara, 2023; Egüz, 2020; Monje,
2014; Vurdien, 2012) argue that Web 2.0 tools
have increased the success rate of students in
various aspects, while others (Ertmer, 1999;
Pritchett et al., 2013; Mauch & Tarman, 2016;
Prasojo et al., 2019) postulate that implementing
Web 2.0-based instruction in education can be a
fruitless attempt. The findings of the studies
differ greatly, as exemplified in detail below:
Schulz et al., (2015) highlight that Web 2.0
enhanced instruction offers unmatched potential
for educational institutions, such as expanding
learning sources with various alternatives,
increasing efficiency, raising the quality of
education, driving students to develop new skills
at ease, becoming lifelong learners, and closing
the gap in terms of ICT literacy. Similarly, Salehi
and Salehi (2012) postulate that employing web-
enhanced tools in education allows educators to
switch the focus from the teacher to the student,
unlocking the full potential of the students. They
assert that ICT tools and modern teaching
methodologies to foster communication and
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interaction in classes have many common points,
so they support each other for the betterment of
the education offered on a global scale.
In contrast, conducting web-enhanced
instruction in classes can encounter barriers.
Küçük (2023) reiterates that lack of skill,
insufficient competence, and inadequate
infrastructure can undermine the reputation of
technology-integrated classes. He asserts that
investing time and money in training staff and
purchasing necessary items can yield better
results. Otherwise, the process can be disrupted
several times, reducing the efficiency of web-
enhanced education. In the same vein, Schmitz et
al., (2022) divide the barriers into two broad
categories: external and internal factors. The
former refers to technology and equipment, while
the latter is related to beliefs and skills of the
teaching staff and administrators. They conclude
that external barriers have significantly reduced
since people have access to mobile devices at an
affordable price.
Similarly, Korukluoğlu et al., (2022) conducted a
study in a Turkish context on primary school
students which uncovered that Web 2.0 based
instruction boosted students’ critical thinking
skills, helping them develop good habits of
asking accurate questions, seeking novel
information, and demanding a more appealing
classroom atmosphere. They concluded that
improving students’ critical thinking skills
initiated a positive chain reaction that resulted in
the development of their academic and personal
skills, making them role models for other
students. Additionally, Chen et al., (2022)
conducted a study in Taiwan on primary school
students, which found that Web 2.0 tools urged
students to learn through inquiry, helping them
figure out how to access trustworthy information
and manage it during the learning process.
Being based in a time and place where so many
people are dependent on electronic devices
makes it difficult for teachers to instill a love of
reading in their students (Yildiz, 2020). Another
notable study was conducted by Nasr (2022),
who measured the effects of Web 2.0 enriched
reading instruction on university students,
showing that the success rates of students
increased dramatically after being exposed to e-
reading activities. Additionally, Kara (2023)
found that Web 2.0 tools enhanced students’
overall performance in English, resulting in a
substantial increase in their proficiency in
English at a tertiary level in Iraq. Considering the
aforementioned studies, it can be stated that Web
2.0 tools offer various benefits in classes, ranging
from academic success to personal development.
Apart from studies that have emphasized the
positive effects of Web 2.0 enhanced instruction,
a growing number of studies have been carried
out to warn education stakeholders about the
barriers and possible solutions. To name a few,
Khan et al., (2022) conducted a study in Nigeria
that revealed regional discrepancies in income, a
relatively slow pace of technology adoption, and
a lack of mentors to train teachers on ICT literacy
as chronic problems that need to be addressed for
successful implementation of Web 2.0 tools.
Similarly, Zakrzewski and BriAnne Newton
(2022) conducted a comprehensive study on pre-
service teachers in the USA, revealing that while
pre-service teachers had positive views on the
implementation of Web 2.0 tools, periodic
orientation periods, assigning a mentor who is an
expert in employing Web 2.0 tools in classes
successfully, and ensuring the quality of the
network were distinguishing factors that
increased the satisfaction rate of web-enhanced
enriched education. An insightful study was
conducted by Schmitz et al. (2022), including the
perceptions of teachers and students spanning 30
European countries, which uncovered that old
electronic devices, low levels of ICT literacy,
inflexible curriculums, a lack of support from
administrators, and a lack of teachers’ interest in
developing their ICT skills can reduce the
possibility of success. Therefore, each sub-
category should be discussed to find a resolution
in cooperation. They conclude that although the
number of such problems is not high, they have
the potential to affect other educators negatively,
and undertaking some initiatives to handle this
issue can be of great help in promoting the
positive use of Web 2.0 tools.
Methodology
Research Design
In this study, a qualitative research design was
employed, requiring the researcher to collect data
through the interview and a questionnaire using
the grounded theory method. As a qualitative
study method, grounded theory was employed to
investigate the central theme and make
interpretations by following specific stages with
multiple evaluations until saturation (White &
Cooper, 2022). The grounded theory is an
inductive method for discovering novel
interpretations from gathered data.
The grounded theory method consists of several
steps, including determining research questions,
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collecting data in a planned and disciplined
manner, converting the interview recording into
a transcript, coding, classifying data based on
common cases, and analyzing data until
theoretical saturation (Walker & Myrick, 2006).
These steps were also followed in this study, so
it may be beneficial to elucidate them in greater
detail. The initial stage involved the formulation
of clear questions. The interview was then
recorded to elicit the interviewees' genuine
opinions. In the subsequent phase, the recorded
version was transcribed into a modifiable format
so that adjustments could be made if new data
were added using the Nvivo software. This
software enables researchers to evaluate the
interviews meticulously (Dhakal, 2022). The
subsequent step was coding to classify the
themes so that distinguishing characteristics of
each theme could be readily identified. The
transcribed data were then classified so that
interpretations could be made based on common
themes.
Two open-ended questions about a barrier the
teacher encountered while using one of the Web
2.0 tools in classes were asked to the participants
to exemplify it and offer some sensible
precautions to eliminate the possibility of having
such problems in the future. The questions in the
interview are presented below:
• Did you encounter any barriers against
implementation of Web 2.0 tools?
• How did you overcome these barriers?
Apart from the interview, the participants
answered several questions via a questionnaire,
so their tendencies to use Web 2.0 tools were
determined closely.
Setting, Participants, Sampling
As data were gathered virtually via Facebook
Messenger and Video Talk features, there was no
specific setting for this study. On a social media
platform, the participants uncovered their ideas
on barriers to the integration of Web 2.0 tools in
education. The participants were chosen based on
convenience sampling method because it
accelerated data collection process dramatically.
The researcher has been the member of the group
for over 5 years, so s/he has known them because
they have shared files and novel ideas with each
other for a long time. In this research, samples
were drawn from the population using the
technique of convenience sampling. The
researcher informed the participants about the
study, and s/he started the procedures with 30
teachers who responded earlier than others.
Figure 1 illustrates the nationality of each teacher
respectively.
Fig 1. Nationalities of teachers
Figure 1 clearly represents that 4 different
nationalities were included in this study with
varying numbers. The percentage of the participants
had a descending order from Iraqi to Turkish ones.
Figure 2 depicts the number of years the teachers
have worked so far.
Iraqi
33%
Turkish
17%
American
23%
British
27%
Iraqi Turkish American British
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Fig 2. Professional careers of teachers
According to Figure 2 illustration, it is observed
that more than 40 % of the teachers have been
working professionally between 6 and 10 years.
In addition, the second highest category is
working between 11 and 14 years. On the other
hand, working between 1-5 and 15-18 years is
relatively less than other categories which are 7
and 22 percent respectively.
Table 1.
Participant Demographics
Variables Option
Frequency
%
Gender
Male
12
40
Female
18
60
Highest Degree
Bachelor
22
73.3
Master’s
5
16.7
PhD
3
10
Current Educational Institution
Primary School
16
53.3
Secondary School
5
16.7
High School
7
23.3
University
2
6.7
Total
30
100
As shown in Table 1 clearly, female students are
higher than male ones. In addition, the majority
of the teachers have earned bachelor degree as
the highest one. Subsequently, more than half of
the teachers have been studying in a high school
Data Collection Procedure
Data collection process lasted 6 weeks in this
study which included the questionnaire and the
interview. Upon persuading them to be a
participant in this study, the researcher shared the
link of the questionnaire on relevant Facebook
Page designed for English teachers who have
been living abroad. In the next stage, the
researcher set an appointment to have a video
talk and ask items in the interview. The
researcher had the interview as one on one, so it
took around 4 weeks to set a common free time
for both parties. Once the questionnaire and the
interview were held, they had the last virtual
meeting on Zoom to highlight certain points and
brainstorm. Finally, collected data were fetched
and analyzed by Excel and NVivo respectively.
The former was employed to measure teachers’
tendencies on Web 2.0 tools precisely, while the
latter was used to transcribe and categorize the
excerpts of the interview. In the final period, the
data were cross-checked whether they complied
with each other.
Research Process
This study was planned to have 6 consecutive
phases, so all details could be uncovered in detail
on time.
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Fig 3. Stages of the study
Figure 3 illustrated the stages of the study clearly.
It was observed that the study started by
informing the teachers, continued with data
collection process and ended by analyzing the
results meticulously to make certain
interpretations.
Findings and Results
The findings of the study were channeled into
two groups as the questionnaire and the interview
which could be explored in detail below.
The Analysis of the Questionnaire
Table 2.
Teachers’ genuine opinions on Web 2.0 tools
Items
Variables
Frequency
%
What is your favorite Web 2.0
tools?
Kahoot
6
20
Padlet
4
13.3
Prezi
2
6.7
YouTube
5
23.3
Zip Grade
11
36.7
Google
Form
2
6.7
Are you in favor of using Web 2.0 tools in
education?
Yes
27
90
No
3
10
I am not
sure.
0
0
How do you take advantage of Web 2.0 tools?
As a class activity
10
33.3
As an assignment
7
23.3
In a hybrid format
8
26.7
I have never used them
5
16.7
How long have you been using Web 2.0 tools
for educational purposes
0-5 years
8
26.7
6-10 years
17
56.6
11-15 years
5
16.7
How often do you use Web 2.0 tools on a
weekly basis?
Never
2
6.7
Sometimes
8
26.7
Usually
14
46.6
Always
6
20
Which expression describes the administrators’
genuine opinion for Web 2.0 tools
integration?
Encouraging
17
56.6
Hesitant
8
26.7
Opposed
5
16.7
What is the colleagues’ tendency to use Web 2.0
tools in classes?
Enthusiastic
25
83.3
Hesitant
2
6.7
Opposed
3
10
How often do you receive intensive training on
Web 2.0
tools?
Never
4
13.3
Sometimes
9
30
Usually
15
50
Always
2
6.7
What is the gravest barrier against using Web
2.0 tools in education successfully?
Lack of competence
5
16.7
Lack of support
10
33.3
Lack of time
6
20
Lack of infrastructure
9
30
1.Staying in touch with the teachers through a
Facebook Page specifically designed for
English teachers working abroad
2. Informing the participants and forwarding
the questionnaire electronically
3. Setting aside time individually for each
interview
4. Taking an action to analyze collected
data
5. Classfying the data to make
interpretations
6. Inserting final remarks based on the
findings
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Table 2 illustrates teachers’ tendencies to use
Web 2.0 tools. According to the questionnaire,
the teachers use Zip Grade the most frequently,
while Prezi is used the least. In addition, the
majority of teachers are in favor of using Web 2.0
tools in education actively. Subsequently, they
take advantage of Web 2.0 tools as a class
activity and assignment with varying degrees.
After that, more than half of the teachers use
them between 6 and 10 years. Afterwards, nearly
half of the teachers reiterate that they usually use
the Web 2.0 tools. Furthermore, more than half
of the teachers attest that the attitudes of the
administrators are encouraging. Additionally,
teachers have postulated that most of the teachers
are enthusiastic to integrate Web 2.0 tools into
education except some hesitations. In addition,
half of the teachers elucidate that they usually get
intensive training on Web 2.0 tools. The last item
in the questionnaire is related to the barriers
against using Web 2.0 tools which shows that
lack of support and lack of infrastructure are
leading factors to hinder teachers in their efforts
to use Web 2.0 tools periodically. These figures
hint that Web 2.0 tools will play pivotal roles in
their career if some obstacles are handled
professionally in a systematic manner.
The Analysis of the Interview
Common themes in the interview were presented
with distinguishing examples in this section.
Having Challenging YouTube Videos and
Kahoot Quizzes
I have worked in various countries so far as an
EFL and ESL teacher. My career has spanned
more than ten years. I am interested in integrating
new technologies into my lessons actively. My
favorite Web 2.0 tools are YouTube and Kahoot.
Although I believe that they are revolutionary
applications, some problems may arise if not
planned well. For example, I showed a YouTube
video to connect to my topics in the past. I
noticed that the degree of difficulty was beyond
students’ understanding in terms of the pace of
the speaker. I realized that considering students’
current levels can be a distinguishing factor to
choose relevant videos, so students’ enthusiasm
can increase accordingly. Otherwise, students
can gradually close their learning channels for
web-enhanced tools. Subsequently, I
encountered some problems while using Kahoot
to present continuous. I used to choose ready
materials on the website. However, the ready
quiz I chose had many challenging exceptions
which demotivated my students. In addition, they
got confused about the basics of present
continuous. The questions included all
exceptions of present continuous which I did not
expand in my lessons according to the
curriculum. This lesson was a fruitful one for me
to have some lessons for future endeavors. I
learned that assigning relevant quizzes and
showing easily comprehensible videos should be
my rule of thumbs in the future. (Teacher 3)
Not Setting Aside Time for Zip Grade and
Padlet Orientation Period Before Practical
Sessions
I have worked in 5 countries so far as an ESL
teacher. I have been working actively since my
graduation. I prioritize Padlet and Zip Grade in
my classes as they are more convenient than
others. However, I had some problems about
using Padlet in the early years of my career. I
conducted some exams with the enrichment of
Zip Grade, but I did not orient my students about
using it successfully in advance. My students
took the exam without a proper training period,
so they made many mistakes which urged me to
repeat the exam. Thus I lost my credibility, time
and money. It was uncovered that the students
filled more than one option for a lot of questions.
The worse part of the story was that they used a
pen which made erasing process impossible. I
had another serious issue while using Padlet
application. I assigned a writing task to be
submitted on Padlet, but I did not inform my
students about noting their names. Once they
completed their tasks, I figured out that they did
not write their names. Fortunately, they
remembered their writing works, so they
highlighted later, but we wasted some valuable
time until the problem was fixed in cooperation.
My bitter experiences confirmed that a brief
training period with some practical sessions can
be a time-saver in order not to come across more
serious and dreadful mistakes. (Teacher 4)
Unable to Cope with the Lost Internet
Coverage and Unfair Collaboration on
WhatsApp Application
I have worked in 8 countries so far as an English
teacher. My career spanned more than 7 years. I
was using YouTube actively to show some
videos related to my topics, so their learning
channels would be activated by different sources.
Once the internet connection was lost in the class
which reduced the quality of my lesson
dramatically. I got used to typing in the search
bar and being directed to the chosen video.
However, the internet coverage was lost on that
day. As a result, I could not enrich students’
learning with different materials. Although I
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made all my plans to complete the lesson with a
video, I could not realize it due to having such
technical issues. Starting that day, I have started
downloading the videos to save in my USB flash
player and reserving some supplementary
materials to use my time efficiently in case a
problem arises. I had another serious problem
while using WhatsApp for educational purposes.
I informed my students to send their essays to me
by WhatsApp at a university. However, I noticed
that they were pasting the same essay from one
of their friends in their groups with some minor
changes. After this valuable lesson, I planned all
writing activities to be completed in the lesson
rather than being flexible to welcome
submissions in an online format. Losing the
internet connection and pasting the same essay
from their friends were essential problems to be
handled in my classes. (Teacher 7)
Unable to Manage Time Wisely in Zip Grade
Exams
I have worked in 11 countries so far as an EFL
teacher. I have been working professionally since
2011. I have used many types of Web 2.0 tools in
education particularly Zip Grade. I had some
conflicts with my students about the duration of
the exams in Zip Grade enriched exams.
Although the duration was written clearly and I
set the timer during the exam, my students
complained several times. Then I devised a plan
to develop their time-management skills with
workshops. I divided the sections of the exams
into manageable tasks. They took the exam
section by section. Once they were ready to
complete all sections within one session, they
took the exam by racing against time. After
several attempts, they learned how to manage
their time wisely, so we have not had any
problems about the duration since that time. They
could answer the questions and transfer all the
answers to the answer sheet within given time
without causing a common nuisance. (Teacher 9)
Having E-mail Address Related Problems in
Google Form Quizzes
I have worked in 13 countries so far as an English
teacher. I have been working enthusiastically
since 2005. I am interested in employing Google
Form Quizzes for educational purposes. Once I
formed a quiz after working tirelessly for days
and sent the link to the students with a timer.
However, I did not know that their email would
be collected during the exam. Once the time
started, they could not start the exam on grounds
that they did not have a valid e-mail address. It
took around 20 minutes to fix this issue for all
students. When the exam was over, it was
revealed that only 20 percent of the students
could take it successfully. As a result, there was
no chance but to repeat the exam by spending
around 5 hours from beginning till the end. After
this first-hand experience, I learned all the
features of Google Form by watching some
tutorials and reading some articles in the blogs.
Now I know when to activate and deactivate e-
mail collection feature. If I need to collect their
emails, I help them create one in advance, print
their email addresses and passwords individually
to have peace of mind during the quizzes.
Realizing the possible technical issues in
advance can increase the possibility of
conducting the exam successfully. Otherwise,
spending a lot of time for technical issues can
distract the attention from the exam to minor
problems. (Teacher 13)
Unable to Create Prezi Presentations on Time
I have worked in 9 countries so far as an English
teacher. I have been working actively for 15
years. Once I assigned my students at university
to create presentations via Prezi. However, they
were not familiar with the program. I had some
brief workshops on how to create them
successfully, but they were not comprehensive
enough to figure out all details easily. I thought
that they were digital natives who could learn
further on the internet with different tutorials.
However, it turned out that they could not
understand well. When I welcomed their
presentations, they struggled a lot to use it
actively. Additionally, some students
complained about the program due to not being
able to use features easily. Although the topics
were quite engaging, the result was dreadful. I
wish I could set aside more time for further
explanation. Also, offering some recorded videos
could be a great time-saver for me. Now my
policy is to explain all details meticulously
before introducing a novel application. (Teacher
16)
Having Misinformation During a Common
Exam
I have worked in 12 countries so far as an ESL
teacher. I have been working actively for 14
years. I had some administrative duties in the
past. During that time, I organized a Zip Grade
enriched exam to be conducted for the whole
school. We had some meetings to carry out it
successfully. Once the exam was held, it was
noticed that there were some missing points. The
students did not fill their Zip Grade codes which
made receiving analysis for each class and
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student impossible. Additionally, some students
filled multiple choice options in the wrong order
because they were in a rush while filling the
options in the last 5 minutes. The number of
problematic papers was so high that we had to
repeat the whole exam. Thus we had to prepare
another unique exam, proofread all questions,
make announcements on all bulletin boards and
print all question booklets. It was a bitter
experience for me. Since that time, I have been
keeping a checklist to orient the students,
teachers in advance, so troublesome issues will
be eliminated in advance. (Teacher 19)
Unable to Balance the Degree of Difficulty in
a Google Form Exam
I have been working actively as an EFL teacher
since 2005. I am interested in integrating web-
enhanced tools into education. A few years ago,
I wanted to conduct some exams on Google
Form. I had 4 sections to measure students’ 4
skills in one exam. However, it turned out that
they lost their enthusiasm as they progressed. At
the end of the exam, some students complained
that the number of questions to be responded was
overwhelming. Once the results were announced,
I observed that even the best students made a lot
of mistakes which were more than tolerable. It
was a turning point in my professional career.
After this exam, I divided the sections into
manageable chunks. For example, the students
were required to answer the questions section by
section rather than answering all sections at once.
In addition, I merged some questions to eliminate
some barriers in their minds, so they could
answer less questions. (Teacher 22)
Using Web 2.0 tools as Homework
I have been working actively as an English
teacher for 15 years. During my early years of
career, I supposed that we had to stick to the
curriculum, so I did not enrich any of my lessons
with web-enhanced tools. However, my policy
was to assign some homework via Kahoot,
Google Form or Padlet. All procedures seemed
fine at first. However, I carried out a general
exam whether they were doing the homework
themselves or not. The results revealed that the
students got help from someone else whose
English was better than them. As a result, it was
a fruitless attempt for me. Starting that time, I
have employed a hybrid system in my classes.
The students took the exam with web-enhanced
tools such as Zip Grade or Kahoot. I also
assigned them as homework to take them again
until they had no mistake. At the end of the year,
this cycle yielded better results. Their
performance improved dramatically. I suggest
my colleagues to use traditional and online
assessment tools harmoniously. (Teacher 27)
Unable to Progress According to the Syllabus
I have been working actively as an EFL teacher
for 8 years. I was inexperienced during my early
years of the career, so I made some grave
mistakes. For example, I was obsessed with
integrating web-enhanced tools into education.
However, I did not proceed according to the
expectations of the administrations based on the
syllabus. As a result, I was three units behind the
syllabus when my students took the exam. The
results were terrible as expected. After the exam,
my students and parents filed a complaint for my
grave fault. I was investigated thoroughly after
this incident. They issued a warning letter for me
by hinting a more severe punishment in the
following cases. The school administration
assigned two mentors to monitor all my files and
actions for the betterment of the education, but
this process was a stressful one for me. I was
afraid of being sacked sooner or later. In the
following years, I mastered as a professional
teacher. I integrated web-enhanced tools into the
education if time allows after completing all
procedures based on the syllabus. I suggest my
colleagues to keep the balance between the
expectations of the syllabus and enriching
lessons with relevant web-enhanced tools.
(Teacher 30)
Discussion
This study was carried out to investigate the
barriers of Web 2.0 tools and offer sensible
solutions. Correspondingly, the obtained
findings represented that the barriers could be
handled if certain criteria were met in advance.
Considering the findings of the questionnaire,
several points were emphasized. To name a few,
the popularity of Zip Grade has grown
tremendously thanks to its various advantages
such as conducting exams for large volume of
students, grading instantly in a second, getting
detailed feedback for each student and class,
observing the most frequently made mistakes.
This finding was in line with Saenkhot and
Boonmoh`s (2019) study which unearthed that
Zip Grade transformed the assessment system
from a tiring process to practical one.
Subsequently, approximately all teachers
reported that they were in favor of using Web 2.0
tools in education despite some minor hindrances
which was consistent with Ningsih and
Mulyono’s (2019) study which uncovered that
students’ perceptions on using Web 2.0 tools
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were mostly positive. In addition, teachers
reiterated that they took advantage of Web 2.0
tools in various formats such as a class activity,
an assignment or in a hybrid format. This finding
was supported in Conole and Alevizou’s (2010)
study which indicated that there were numerous
ways to integrate Web 2.0 tools into education.
Moreover, more than half of the teachers
elucidated that they have been using Web 2.0
tools between 6 and 10 years. Crook (2012)
asserts that the adoption rate of web-enhanced
tools in education has been higher in digital
natives because they are born in the age when
there are ubiquitous examples of tools to be used
in education and daily life. After that, nearly half
of the teachers preferred choosing the frequency
adverb ‘’usually’’ which showed that it was their
habit to employ a web-enhanced tool instruction
in classes. Kongchan (2008) and Abubakr et al.
(2022) postulate that digital natives are capable
of finding logical solutions to Web 2.0 tool
related issues, so they know how to take
advantage of these tools wisely. Another point to
deserve special attention was the attitudes of
administrators and colleagues towards a web-
enhanced tool enriched classroom which
revealed that they were supportive to implement
them in increasing numbers. Şenel (2016) states
that the success rate of web-enhanced education
increases accordingly once all units at a school
work collaboratively and harmoniously.
Furthermore, half of the teachers highlighted that
they received intensive training on web-
enhanced tools frequently. This finding confirms
that stakeholders of education are aware of the
significance of them to have more engaging
classes (Alhassan, 2017). Subsequently, a
number of teachers reiterated that lack of support
was a serious hindrance while putting a Web 2.0
tool-based instruction into practice. This
insufficient support may be related to technical
help, parents’ or students’ attitudes to embrace
this type of instruction, receiving professional
help from top-notch experts on integrated
technology in education or expecting assistance
from colleagues and administrators to find some
common grounds and implement it in
cooperation. Pritchett et al. (2013) contend that
lack of support can be a demotivating factor for
the teachers, so taking necessary measures can be
of greatest importance to increase the success
rate of the program.
Apart from the questionnaire, the findings of the
interview shed light on essential points. To name
a few, balancing the degree of difficulty was
observed as a serious issue which can increase or
decrease the satisfaction rate. Dohn (2009)
asserts that challenging tasks which are beyond
students’ understanding can have adverse effects
in education, thereby, increasing the difficulty
gradually should be the rule of thumb for
educators. In addition, setting aside insufficient
time for orientation period was noticed as a
troublesome point both for teachers and students.
Doherty (2011) elucidates that reserving time for
the training of teachers and students can increase
the chance of realizing educational goals,
otherwise, it can be unavoidable to be in chaotic
situations. Additionally, planning the activities
within the class can reflect more trustable results
was another finding of the interview. The
teachers stated that using Web 2.0 tools only as
homework can have opposite effects because
they can get help from web-sources or people
around them. They suggested using hybrid
version to use primary tests in classes and assign
some tasks to develop their learning. Crook et al.
(2008) assert that urging the students to join web-
enhanced activities by racing time in class can
yield better results than only assigning as
homework.
Conclusion and Recommendations
This study was sought to determine major
barriers of Web 2.0 tools in education and offer
constructive feedback and alternative solutions to
remove these barriers for the sake of having a
world-renowned education system by receiving
30 teachers’ opinions with their international
working experience as an EFL or ESL teacher.
The analyzed data revealed that some problems
were prevalent such as lack of support, time,
infrastructure or competence. However, the
promising point was that all problems could be
solved if parents, teachers, administrators and
policy makers have some common grounds to
gather, discuss and set guidelines to remove the
barriers gradually. In addition, most teachers
highlight that the advantages of Web 2.0 tools are
far more than the disadvantages.
Some recommendations can be made for future
studies. This study encompassed 30 teachers
from 4 countries who have been working abroad.
Further studies can be carried out to increase the
sample with higher participants from many
different countries so that the population can be
represented more accurately. Additionally,
primary means of data collection was online
sources which can be extended with face-to face
data collection tools. In addition, only qualitative
data collection tools were used in this study.
Further studies can be conducted to measure the
effects of teachers’ attitudes on students’
learning rate. Furthermore, most of the teachers
have been working in primary school level which
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can be equalized with other stages of education
to have a clearer image about various institutions.
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