Evaluating the effectiveness of CALL technology in teaching Irish grammar at primary level: a case study approach.

Considerable investment has been made in the area of information and communication technology (ICT) in the Irish education sector over the past two decades. The Department of Education and Skills (DES) and the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) has encouraged and supported the integration of ICT with the Primary School Curriculum (1999) by providing funding, professional development and ongoing support for schools and teachers. This study investigates the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) technologies for teaching Irish grammar to sixth class students in primary school. Following teacher-only and computer-only teaching sessions, quantitative data was obtained by examining the participants collectively. The participants‟ attitudes towards ICT in education were also explored by means of focus group interviews and open-ended questions in the questionnaire, providing qualitative data. The findings of this case study reveal that students can learn equally well from computer-only tuition as teacher-only tuition. However, the students prefer lessons that include human interaction and are better motivated to learn when a teacher takes part in lessons. The participants in this study state that greater use can be made of ICT in lessons.