Teacher professional development in education technology globally reveals significant gaps: over 40% teachers feel inadequately trained, with only 30% frequently utilizing digital tools in teaching (Amemasor et al., 2025). In Indonesia, this challenge is amplified by TPD models that emphasize technical literacy in isolation through short-term training lacking pedagogical integration and ongoing support (World Bank, 2023). This study examined a more responsive alternative: a seven-month TPD program that offers non-hierarchical technology choices embedded within language teaching frameworks. Using design-based research, sixteen English teachers participated in six iterative workshop cycles. Rather than prescribing specific tools, the program offered a spectrum of technologies (low-to-high complexity) integrated within language teaching objectives. Teachers selected tools based on students' needs and applied the culturally situated Adapt–Tiru–Modifikasi (Adapt–Imitate–Modify) framework to contextualize strategies. Analysis of focus groups and reflections (173 coded excerpts; 28 classroom implementations) revealed three key themes. Teachers prioritized contextually relevant materials and learning outcomes over technical features. They sustained engagement with diverse technology options across iterations, suggesting that autonomy in technology selection, rather than prescription, supported continued adoption. Twenty-eight documented implementations demonstrated that teacher-selected adaptations worked in actual classroom applications. When technology options are adaptable, pedagogically grounded, and supported through ongoing iterations, teachers are more likely to incorporate them into their classrooms. These findings suggest that allowing teachers’ choices and agency within clear pedagogical frameworks can encourage sustainable technology use. While context-specific, these principles can inform TPD design supporting equitable digital pedagogy across similar settings in the Global South.

Authors:
Sarah Fitri, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Sarah Fitri is a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK, working on a research project focusing on an iterative Design-Based Research (DBR) teacher professional development aimed at enhancing teachers' digital pedagogy

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