FACTORS INFLUENCING PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARD THE USE OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS IN LEARNING ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS

Abstrak

This study aimed to identify the factors influencing pre-service teachers’ perceptions toward the use of mobile applications in learning English speaking skills. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, the study involved 20 students from an English education program who had experience using mobile apps such as ELSA Speak during their teaching practicum. Data were collected through a closed-ended Likert-scale questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with five selected participants. The findings revealed that participants held positive perceptions of mobile applications, with key influencing factors including perceived usefulness, ease of use, feedback quality, motivation, prior experience, flexibility, and increased speaking confidence. Most participants also expressed intentions to integrate such applications into their future teaching practices. The conclusion of the study confirms that mobile apps like ELSA Speak support autonomous learning and have potential as supplementary resources in language instruction. The findings imply a need for digital technology training in teacher education programs and further development of pedagogically responsive and contextualized mobile applications.