Modeling the determinants of Internet use

The purpose of the study is to build a model that predicts the level of Internet use by teachers of English as a foreign language in the northern Taiwanese higher education institutions. It examines interactional relationships among variables associated with barriers and issues of technology application as a means of analyzing the extent and the nature of Internet-integration instruction. A multivariate hypothesized model was tested using structural equation modeling to analyze statistically the variables examined in the study. The resulting model is found to have a good statistical fit. Teacher training, classroom pedagogy, and perceived capability have direct effect on Internet use, whereas institutional support, constructivist thinking, beliefs, and attitudes affect Internet use indirectly. These seven variables account for approximately 58.6% of the variance of Internet use. Teacher training appears to be the most dominant determinant of Internet use. More opportunities for professional development focused on technology applications in language instruction are crucial.