BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY INTO ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN RURAL AREA
Keywords:
English language education, rural schools, digital divide, teacher resilience, student digital literacyAbstract
This study explores the use of digital technology in English language education in three rural regions of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The research addresses the persistent digital divide and investigates how infrastructure, teacher practices, student digital literacy, and community support interact to affect learning outcomes. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three English teachers, focus group discussions with 75 students, classroom observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key patterns. Results indicate that inadequate infrastructure, including limited internet connectivity and device availability, significantly impedes digital instruction. Nonetheless, teachers showed strong agency and resilience, employing low-tech solutions such as mobile messaging, offline resources, and community-supported learning hubs. Students exhibited varying levels of digital literacy, with those more competent in digital tools showing higher motivation and engagement. Community involvement and institutional leadership played critical roles in enabling or constraining technology adoption. The study also found that professional development enhanced teachers' capacity to implement digital tools effectively. These findings suggest that bridging the digital divide requires holistic, context-sensitive strategies that incorporate infrastructure development, teacher training, and local stakeholder collaboration. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on educational technology in under-resourced settings and offers practical implications for policy and practice aimed at enhancing equitable access to English language education in rural areas.
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