Chromebooks in the Norwegian lower secondary EFL classroom

Chromebooks have become integral tools in the educational systems of many developed countries. The present study explores the use of Chromebooks in English classrooms at lower secondary level in Norway and investigates the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding their use. Employing a mixed methods approach, the study utilized interviews with three teachers and a questionnaire completed by 131 students. All participants were involved in a one-to-one Chromebook initiative in lower secondary English. The findings highlight the efficiency and versatility offered by Chromebooks, along with the challenges posed by students’ distraction and over reliance on the device. The findings also revealed a trend where teachers mostly believed Chromebooks’ potential was close to limitless, but as of now, there were too many drawbacks to fully extract said potential. Students mostly held the same beliefs as the teachers that Chromebooks would increase their efficiency and learning output, but they also acknowledged that it caused many distractions. The study revealed potential gaps in the educational framework of which digital education is built upon, specifically the seemingly hasty integration of technology, not just limited to Chromebooks, which is seen in the lack of digital training procedures for teachers and the lack of solutions to long various downsides related to Chromebook. The study underscores the need for further research on the long-term effects of the use of Chromebooks in education generally and specifically in teaching English.