The Role of Technophobia in Growth Mindset and Grit Among Iranian EFL Teachers[پايان نامه لاتين]

Hamideh Pourhanifeh

Positive psychology has gained unprecedented popularity in ELT; however, insufficient attention has so far been given to the role of technophobia in grit and growth mindset, as two positive psychological traits. While there is existing research on grit, growth mindset, and technophobia separately, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the interplay of these factors examining whether technophobia acts as a barrier to developing grit and embracing a growth mindset. To fill this research lacuna, this mixed methods research study, which employed a sequential explanatory design, examined the role of technophobia in grit and growth mindset among Iranian EFL teachers. To this end, the study examined whether there was a significant relationship between technophobia and growth mindset as well as technophobia and grit. This was followed by investigating the extent to which technophobia could predict growth mindset and grit. Moreover, the study explored Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions regarding the role of technophobia in their growth mindset and grit. Lastly, this study explored the challenges encountered and the strategies suggested by Iranian EFL teachers to reduce technophobia and enhance their own growth mindset and grit. With these objectives in mind, 219 Iranian EFL teachers completed a web-based closed-ended questionnaire, and some of the questionnaire respondents were interviewed (N = 23). Ten participated in an online oral semi-structured interview and 13 provided written answers. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The questionnaire was composed of four sections; first, respondents’ demographic information; second, Khasawneh’s (2018) technophobia questionnaire; third, the Mindset Quiz developed by Dweck (2006); and finally, the Grit Scale developed by Duckworth (2007). To examine the relationship between technophobia and grit as well as technophobia and growth mindset, correlational analyses were performed. Further, a multiple regression technique was employed to examine whether technophobia was predicted by grit and growth mindset. The quantitative findings indicated a significant negative correlation between technophobia and growth mindset as well as technophobia and grit. Furthermore, 50% of the variations in Iranian EFL teachers’ grit could be accounted for by their perceptions of technophobia, while 41% of the shifts in their growth mindset could be attributed to their technophobia perceptions. The qualitative findings, using content and thematic analyses, indicated that a great number of the interviewees regarded technophobia as a factor hindering growth mindset and grit. Additionally, some of the salient comments regarding impediments to reducing technophobia were associated with limited access to new technologies, internet connection problems, inadequate technological literacy, and resistance to new technologies. To reduce the foregoing challenges and enhance growth mindset and grit, some of the prominent strategies that the interviewees suggested were connected with the provision of assistance, recognition of the sources of fear, using online platforms while teaching, and engaging in collaborative activities. This mixed-methods study demonstrated a significant negative correlation between technophobia, growth mindset, and grit among Iranian EFL teachers, underscoring the need for targeted interventions. Overall, the examined relationships and obtained findings could be of paramount importance in the Iranian EFL community. When the members of this community are aware of such relationships, the context-specific challenges Iranian EFL teachers encounter, and the context-specific strategies for addressing such challenges, the community will be in a stronger position to improve growth mindset and grit in the presence of technophobia. Further, the study has broader implications for educational researchers as they can take the ideas presented in this research study and extend them into their own specific contexts.