p–ISSN: 2723 - 6609 e-ISSN: 2745-5254

Vol. 5, No. 8 August 2024 http://jist.publikasiindonesia.id/

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3667

The Immense of Digital Divide: A Literature Review of

Rural and Urban Schools’s Classroom Technologies in

English Language Learning

Safira

, I G A Lokita Purnamika Utami

*Correspondence

ABSTRACT

assistance and accessibility in learning and teaching. However, it is proven that all

countries have applied technologies for most of the learning process, which makes

effective learning (supports teachers’ learning process and increases students’ knowledge

and motivation (Khodabandelou et al., 2016). People believe the new technologies will

support the education system in providing more effective communication and better

The Indonesian Education Ministry government asserted that all teachers need to

have the technology used quality for teachers with the PembaTIK course for all teachers

in Indonesia, which has been successfully applied in most schools in Indonesia, including

the English language process. In teaching English, most teachers depend on technology

to use a better perspective of teaching methods other than the traditional method (Lukas

the school. It can help them to increase their skills in the English language. In other words,

many people have seen how technology can benefit teachers and students in learning.

However, there are many people said the use of technology can have a positive impact on

the process of learning. It is not accessible to students in rural areas. We know that

Indonesia needs help with the quality of education and the health gap between urban and

rural areas. (Hossain, 2016) stated that students in rural areas perform poorly in English

skills than students from urban areas for some reasons. One of the reasons is the

unreachable technology used because of the limited internet and access from the

metropolitan cities.

technologies in urban and rural school’s English language context,” the following

research questions are formed:

1. What are the conditions of ICT implementation in English language learning in urban

and rural schools?

2. What is reported about the (1) digital divide between urban and rural schools, (2)

External and internal factors, and (3) Teachers' challenges?

The capability characteristics involved in published journals/articles/editorials/official

websites are in the following search terms:

1. ICT Implementation (Technology implementation in EFL contexts in urban and rural

schools in Indonesia, Benefits and Challenges)

3. With a focus only on Language learning, specifically English language learning

4. With a focus on the digital divide in urban and rural areas

Not included:

1. Not written in other than the English language

2. Studies with a focus on other theories of language learning except the role of

technology

3. Studies with a focus on other contexts in urban and rural schools.

4. Studies with a focus on high school and higher education settings and subjects.

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3669

Adapted from the PRISMA method with search progress in Google Scholar and

education websites, the search term found along with characteristics are (n=357). It

should have been included in the second search. Some of the studies with the same

relevance decreased in the second step, which was found (n=201). The list of articles kept

and rejected from the third step after being assessed in more detail by screening the title

and abstract content was found (n=97). Thus, after skimming and scanning through

The teaching and learning process involves two active participations to achieve the

classroom learning goals — teacher and learner. Other than the teacher-learner active

participation, some critical points include teaching strategies and material, technology

integration, learner motivations, and classroom/school facilities (Nur et al., 2021). One

of the most important points discussed above is technology integration. The use of

technology has been applied for years, but during the COVID-19 outbreak moment where

the ICT implied most of the learning and teaching process with online teaching has

become a new trend in achieving classroom goals online ways (Kusuma, 2022);(Sabiri,

2020).

(Jerry & Yunus, 2021) mentioned that The Emergence of the Fourth Industrial

studies identified

Studies to be

assessed in more

detailed after abstract

screening (n=97)

Studies to be

(Azıonya & Nhedzı, 2021) mentioned that teachers have used computers and the internet

as their primary media to teach language in the classroom in the last decade. This is

because most governments and schools demand teachers to always be up to date, follow,

and use technology fluently to adapt to the changes of the decades. Since 1997,

Indonesian government education has informed us how ICT can be the concentration and

potential for future experiences.

ICT in language and teaching can be divided into two types: non-web-based

learning and web-based learning. This type of ICT can be used depending on the teaching

material used in the classroom. ICT has been proven to deliver language learning in a fun

way, but it is also possible for skill development (Alkamel & Chouthaiwale, 2018). Non-

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3671

process to make such complexity easier and more well-applied for students. The

noticeable impact on the quality of teaching material also increased when teachers used

technology and the internet as references. He also mentioned how the modern classroom

environment in English language learning has changed many students' and teachers'

perspectives on the learning process.

Some barriers affect both teachers and students. A study from Moshood et al.,

(2020) explains that some complexities are based on social contexts. Technology plays a

significant role in achieving learning goals and improving individual learning, but not

everyone can afford access. Therefore, it is called social contexts. Further, a study from

Maru et al., (2021) also states that ICT/Technology integration can motivate learners to

in rural areas had difficulties applying technology because of the limited facilities.

Unfortunately, ICT and the internet can deliver change for students during the

teaching process. Studies showed that implementing ICTs in rural areas gives students

and teachers new resources and improves the effectiveness of learning outcomes (Hasin

& M Nasir, 2021; Zul et al., 2020). On the other hand, the government still struggles to

implement ICT. We can see from the rural situation, which did not have technology in

the class. The result is less satisfying and unresponsive compared to the schools in urban

areas (Aruleba & Jere, 2022). Other than the lack of technology, the main problem is that

rural teachers most likely need to receive adequate training and teaching skills. The

increase of ICT has the excellent potential for rural communities to exchange past points

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3673

region often surrounded by cities, capturing towns and even suburbs. The urban education

system is described as more organised because the updated system and technology are

applied continuously.

Rural transformation has been constantly discussed and has become Indonesia’s top

development government priority (SUDARYANTO et al., 2023; Zul et al., 2020). For

two decades, Indonesia has been working on the progress of rural transformation to an

urbanisation system. Most factors indicated the change from rural to urban

transformation, such as economic shift, education development, and health priorities. One

of the essential things in rural transformation is how digital globalisation can adapt

maximally since the biggest problem facing rural areas is technology (Maji & Laha,

(Wang et al., 2019). It is related to Zul Fahmi and Destila Sari’s (2020) study, which

mentioned the digital divide he found in one of the cities with a low average and

agricultural, rural areas located a short distance from the public cities, called Kaliabu. The

close distance between the location and public cities does not allow the government to

change and improve the reality of digital divide access. He also mentioned how the poor

infrastructure can affect their education system. In line with what Wilantika et al. (2018)

discussed, 20 provinces with low and medium digital divide rates cannot decide only on

the distance locations.

From general perspectives and opinions, learning and teaching English in Indonesia

is challenging for teachers and schools. We need more strategies for learning a language

Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi, Vol. 5, No. 8, August 2024 3675

MALL (Mobile Assisted Language Learning) method in one of the rural schools in

Indonesia to research and apply it. The challenges happened when most of the learning

was done in traditional ways, and they wanted to change into a mobile system. At first,

the teachers still needed more training, and the students were shocked and confused about

learning it, but as time passed, both students and teacher had a great understanding,

although they might still need extra time to develop the methods. The result showed that

students significantly changed English language learning, especially vocabulary terms.

In line with (Godwin-Jones, 2017; Puspitasari & Ishii, 2016), smartphones and the

digital divide. The reflection of the digital divide in Indonesia is developing. Every person

of all ages, old and young, needs a smartphone. On the other hand, the feature phone also

This current study reviewed some of the previous studies that discussed the

implementation of ICT in EFL Contexts between rural and urban schools and the digital

divide access that happens between rural and urban schools. Since 1997, Indonesian

government education has informed us about how ICT can be concentrated and the

potential for future experiences. It demonstrated how important ICT is for students.

Unfortunately, ICT and the internet can deliver change for students during the teaching

process. Indonesians have been facing issues with the area, making it difficult to conduct

conducted on the gap between urban and rural schools.