Saudi EFL Teachers Research Articles

The perception of blackboard collaborate-based instruction by EFL majors/teachers amid COVID-19: A case study of Saudi universities

This paper investigates the perception of using Blackboard Collaborate-based Instruction (BCI) by Saudi EFL majors and teachers during the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic. The paper’s main objective is to explore the extent to which modern technologies contribute to the process of teaching and learning English at Saudi universities. This is conducted by probing the benefits and challenges of using Blackboard Collaborate as a digital platform through which the different university courses are taught. The study, therefore, seeks to highlight the role of a computer-based instruction, by shedding light on the opportunities and challenges of incorporating latest technologies into the pedagogy of learning and teaching English as a foreign language in the Saudi universities. Two methodological instruments are used to collect data: the first is electronic questionnaires to test both students’ and teachers’ attitudinal perception towards the use of Blackboard in the learning/teaching process; and the second is an interview conducted with 29 staff members affiliated to 5 different Saudi universities concerning the use of Blackboard as a digital platform of teaching various university courses. Results reveal that despite the challenges that encounter both students and teachers in managing the process of learning and teaching via Blackboard Collaborate amid COVID-19, which are ascribed to some technical and academic reasons, this digital platform proves useful and conductive to better learning outcomes as it offers a bendable learning environment through which participants can flexibly manage their learning, both synchronously and asynchronously, by attending their classes, accessing their courses materials, participating in discussions, and sitting for examinations.

Adoption of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in Saudi Arabian EFL Classrooms

This study aimed to examine EFL teachers' concerns about the adoption of Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in Saudi Arabia. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) was used to analyze the participants' stages of concern (SoC) about MALL. The study also investigated whether some specific demographic and technographic variables (gender, age, teaching experience, and professional development) had any statistically significant effect on EFL teachers’ stages of concern about MALL. The participants in this study were (130) Saudi EFL public school teachers. The results revealed that the participants had high concerns at the Informational, Personal, and Management stages and minimal concerns at the Awareness, Refocusing, Collaboration, and Consequence stages. The MANOVA analysis revealed no significant difference among EFL teachers in terms of their MALL stages of concerns in relation to their gender, age, and teaching experience. Such findings indicate that Saudi EFL teachers' gender, age, and teaching experience have no effect on their concerns about using and implementing MALL. However, The MANOVA analysis yielded a significant difference among EFL teachers in terms of their MALL stages of concerns in relation to their professional development. These results entail that Saudi EFL teachers' professional development has a significant effect on their concerns about MALL. The study concluded that technology-related professional development could help decrease teachers’ self-concerns and increase their impact-concerns. The study recommended providing EFL teachers with technology-related professional development to ensure successful MALL adoption.

English Language Cultural Schema and Its Relationship to Saudi Secondary School Students’ Local Cultural Schema and to Their Attitudes towards Reading and Comprehension in English: A Case Study of Al-Ahsa Educational Zone, Saudi Arabia

Of all language skills (reading, writing listening and speaking), the reading skill needs to be put into consideration and given a special care. No doubt that the students’ future academic success in majors that adopt English as medium of instruction, mainly depends on a good reading and comprehension. Although reading is described by many as a receptive skill which requires knowledge of the language system of the target language as well as knowledge of the cultural schema of that language. This study aimed at discussing the relationship between the target language cultural background and the native language cultural background of the Saudi secondary school students. A total of thirty-two secondary school students studying at Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq Secondary School in Al-Ahas Educational Zone participated in that study. Participants were homogeneous in terms of age (16 - 19 years), gender (male), cultural background (the Saudi culture), and the native language (Arabic). Data were collected using a questionnaire. The results of the study show that the value of the (t) test is 2.909 with the value of freedom od (df) 31 and sig (2-tailed) of 0.007 less than 0.05. This indicates that there is statistically significant difference between the target language cultural background and the native language cultural background of the Saudi secondary school students which affect their target language reading and comprehension. The study findings confirm the previous studies. It recommends some strategies and activities for the Saudi EFL teachers.

Saudi EFL Teachers’ Attitudes towards Professional Development

The study reported in this paper aimed to investigate the Professional Development (PD, henceforth) needs of English language teachers in Saudi Arabia. Its primary objectives were to assess the needs of PD and training of Saudi English language teachers and to explore the teachers’ attitudes towards the amount and quality of English teaching preparation received prior to their teaching career. The study adopted a mixed-method approach in order to gain a deep understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The participants of the study included 109 Saudi teachers of English language who teach in public schools. The study involved quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Whilst the quantitative data of the study was gathered via a survey questionnaire, the qualitative data was obtained via interviews with 10 of EFL teachers. The findings indicated the teachers’ dissatisfaction with the amount and quality of pre-service training they received. This was due to poor information, a lack of qualified trainers and limited selection of topics which does not serve their teaching needs.

Self-directed Teacher Professional Development in Saudi Arabia: EFL Teachers’ Perceptions

This study explores Saudi EFL teachers’ perspectives, attitudes and experiences with regards to their teacher professional development (TPD) with special emphasis on workplace learning and self-directed initiatives. Using semi-structured interviews and reflective essays, the study managed to highlight a thriving workplace learning context in which teachers are involved in many forms of self-directed learning, including experiences stemming from the dailiness of the everyday realities of their schools. Data showed that Saudi EFL teachers are committed professionals who are well aware of a variety of TPD resources and opportunities; some of them are institutionalised while the majority are self-directed by teachers themselves beyond any institutional requirement. The study revealed that many participants had high preferences for self-directed learning over institutional provisions for its embeddedness in their context, the nature of their specialisation, and for the changing nature of their profession. Networking, collaboration, reflection and collegiality are some of the main features of self-directed learning as reflected in teachers’ current practices.

The Degree of Teaching Knowledge for Saudi EFL Teachers: An Investigation for Madinah EFL Teachers' Perceptions Regarding TPACK Framework

The selection of a previous framework or model as a basis for measuring the degree of teachers' knowledge in teaching has been carried out by some studies in different places to improve teacher preparation programs and, thus, to improve educational outcomes. This descriptive study aimed at exploring the degree of EFL teaching knowledge for Saudi teachers in Madinah city, according to the TPACK framework. Hundred and ninety-one male and female EFL schoolteachers participated in the study. A questionnaire was hired to collect the data. The findings of the study showed that the degree of teaching knowledge for Saudi EFL teachers in Madinah city, in general, was high, according to the TPACK framework. The results also indicated a significant difference among EFL teachers in the degree of teaching knowledge attributable to their gender in favor of female teachers, and to their stage in favor of secondary stage. Finally, the study presented many recommendations based on its results to elevate EFL teachers' knowledge in teaching.

Integration of Technology among Saudi EFL Teachers

In the field of education, technology is currently considered a new trend. This study aims to examine the factors that affect the integration of new technologies in EFL classrooms. Factors considered include teacher’s age, teacher’s level of technological proficiency, and teacher’s perception of technology. To achieve this, the study involved a questionnaire consisting of 21 items and a total of 38 Saudi EFL teachers participated in it.
 The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between teacher age and technology integration. However, both teachers’ level of proficiency in technology and teacher’s perception of technology were significantly related to technology integration in Saudi EFL classrooms.
 It is recommended to provide teachers with professional development and support in technology integration and to supply classrooms with resources such as computers and smart boards. 

The Qualities of Effective Teachers as Perceived by Saudi EFL Students and Teachers

The aim of this study was to investigate the dominant types of qualities of effective teachers. The study further aimed at exploring the extent to which the students' and teachers' perceptions are different. The sample of the current study consisted of 150 students and 40 teachers in (16) female public intermediate schools in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah to participate in the study. To achieve the purpose of the study, data were collected via a four point Likert-scale questionnaire designed by the researcher. The results of the descriptive statistics indicated that the mean and rank of the two types of the qualities of effective EFL teachers revealed that the dominant type among the participants was the instructional skills. Meanwhile, the personal traits of effective EFL teachers were ranked first by teachers and second by students. Additionally, the results of the Independent Sample T-Test showed no statically significant differences in the perceptions of Saudi EFL students and teachers with respect to the qualities of effective teachers.

Challenges and Solutions of Teaching English as a Foreign Language Online During a Global Pandemic Like COVID-19: Saudi EFL Teachers’ Perspectives

COVID-19, the most catastrophic global pandemic of the 21st century, has caused unbelievable disruption in various sectors, such as education, business and commerce, and tourism. According to UNESCO, education has been so severely affected by the pandemic that over 60% of the world’s student population were deprived of it. As a result, the growth of online teaching has accelerated. The present study aims to explore the challenges of teaching English as a foreign language online during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia and to assess whether the teachers are satisfied with online English language learning classes. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used with the help of a self-administered online questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed among English as a foreign language faculty members of various universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using different online tools, such as email, WhatsApp groups, and Facebook. Fifty faculty members voluntarily participated. Analysis was carried out using SPSS 26. The findings revealed promising results that indicate that teaching English as a foreign language online can be very useful if proper training and orientation programs for teachers and students are implemented and online language learning platforms and tools are up to date.

Saudi Efl Teachers’ Identity Formation in Saudi Schools: A Case Study

This study aims to explore the influence of contextual factors on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ professional identity formation in the context of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, it aims to examine how the participants’ educational background, life experiences and professional setting influence their professional identities as EFL teachers in Saudi secondary schools. This study involved three EFL teachers who are based in Riyadh. Employing a case study method, the data collection techniques of this qualitative study included in-depth interviews and observations. Drawing upon Wenger’s (1998) concept of communities of practice, the data analysis reveals several factors affecting the EFL Saudi teachers’ professional identity. This study found that the Saudi teachers’ educational background and life experiences act as formative elements which influence their EFL professional identity formation. Moreover, the participating teachers agree that practical experience and teaching community played a more significant role than their educational background in terms of shaping their teacher’s identity construction and their classroom practices. The results have many implications for Saudi Arabia's development of current teacher education programme. If teacher education curriculum is aimed at improving the professional identity building of EFL teachers, then the policymakers might need to review the curricula of English language teacher education and incorporate some improvements within the programme.

Using mobile applications to teach vocabulary: Saudi EFL teachers’ perceptions

This paper aimed at investigating the potential effectiveness of using mobile applications to teach vocabulary in public schools in Saudi Arabia. It was carried out in Sabia, Jazan, Saudi Arabia in the academic year 2018. It is a descriptive survey paper done to survey EFL teachers' perspectives about using vocabulary m-applications. The sample consisted of 113 teachers. This paper depended on one instrument to collect data which is a 25-item, 5-category and closed-answer questionnaire. It addressed five questions concerning usability, motivation, collaboration, vocabulary learning and mobilebased vocabulary instruction (MBVI) versus traditional vocabulary instruction (TVI). The findings revealed that vocabulary m-applications is of great usefulness to vocabulary instruction and learning in general. The teachers considered m-applications simple and usable and preferred MBVI to TVI because of its capabilities and acceptance among students. To effectively use vocabulary m-applications, students should be well trained and classrooms should be more mobile-oriented. Also, teachers must be technically and pedagogically competent. Keywords: Mobile applications, MALL, vocabulary learning, motivation, collaboration, mobile-based vocabulary instruction

Saudi EFL Teaching Training Programmes: Teachers’ Perceptions and Needs

This study explores Saudi EFL teachers’ needs and perceptions towards training programmes in Saudi Arabia. The data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire from a total of 215 EFL teachers; 10 of these teachers were also interviewed. The main findings revealed that Saudi EFL teachers have a positive attitude and view that training programmes meet their various needs, such as a need for programmes on English teaching aids; assessment and grading strategies concerning learners’ language proficiency; and programmes concerning classroom practices that implement activities to support language acquisition and development. On the other hand, the teachers showed a need for training programmes on teaching English at the primary school level, plus for training programmes with qualified and professional trainers and educators. The study concludes with some implications and recommendations based on the findings.

A Critical Review of Grammar Teaching Methodologies in the Saudi Context

‘Grammar is the business of taking a language to pieces, to see how it works’ (Crystal, 1996, p. 6). The study of grammar has fascinated people for many years, especially in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). However, in recent years people became uncertain about its value. Consequently, some educational institutions ceased to teach it, others teach it very selectively (Crystal, 1996; Ellis, 2002). To know grammar means to know more about how to manipulate the parts of a sentence in order to provide a meaningful expression. Teaching grammar has been subjected to a tremendous change, particularly throughout the twentieth century. There has always been a development in thinking about the nature of language which has enabled people to see the point of the study and teaching of grammar. Also, there have been quite a number of adaptations of various methodologies of teaching grammar. This language component (grammar) has been always the centre of pedagogical attention. The aim of this project is to discuss the changing role of teaching grammar from a Saudi teacher’s perspective, and to explore why some Saudi EFL teachers might wish to change their approach to teaching grammar and how they might do so. In addition, the following section will try to shed light on some of the salient grammar methods throughout the field of English language teaching (ELT) and provide some implications for EFL teachers and learners.

Cognitive Levels in Saudi EFL Teachers’ and Textbook Questions

This study aimed to investigate the thinking levels of questions asked by EFL instructors for first year English Department students at Al-Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU).The study also aimed to analyze the cognitive levels of the comprehension questions demonstrated by the reading and writing textbook (Unlock, Reading and Writing 1) taught for first year English Department students at IMSIU. In addition, the study examined the extent to which the instructors’ questions and the book they taught differ in the proportions of lower- and higher- thinking level questions. The sample of the study consisted of 15 reading and writing classes taught by EFL instructors. Furthermore, all of the questions in the textbook (Unlock, Reading and Writing 1) were classified according to the Revised Bloom’s taxonomy (Anderson et al., 2001). Descriptive and inferential analysis was used to analyze the data. Furthermore, Chi χ2 cross tabulation was used to show the differences among the levels of thinking in the two textbooks. The findings showed that the majority of the first year teachers' questions are lower-cognitive levels (knowledge, comprehension and application). Furthermore, the results of the textbook analysis also showed that there was a tendency towards lower-level cognitive skills in the two textbooks under the study.

Investigating Saudi University EFL Teachers’ Assessment Literacy: Theory and Practice

Teacher assessment literacy (TAL) is believed to have positive impact on student learning outcomes. Therefore, attempts are made, especially, in advanced educational contexts to increase TAL. In the context of Saudi higher education, available empirical evidence indicates that EFL teacher assessment literacy is replete with loopholes. This mixed-method research investigated Saudi EFL teachers’ construction of assessment tasks, the influence the tasks had on students’ learning and the extent to which teachers’ assessment practices were in alignment with recommended assessment practices. The data were collected through analyzing teachers’ summative assessment tasks and a student survey with both close and open-ended questions. Apart from the participants’ responses to the open-ended questions of the survey, the data went through quantitative data analysis for frequencies and percentages. The findings revealed a serious incongruity between teachers’ assessment tasks and course learning outcomes. For instance, higher order learning outcomes were not assessed at all. Most of the tasks were selected-response questions (SRQs). As confirmed by the survey data, the assessment tasks mainly triggered memorization as a learning strategy. Therefore, suggestions are made that university teachers’ professional development with particular focus on their assessment literacy is placed at the center of higher education policies. Without valid assessment in place, the edifice of Saudi (higher) education system may lose its efficacy.

Conceptualizing Language Learning Metaphors in the Saudi EFL Context: Practicality, Applicability & Appropriacy

This paper tries to investigate the trends about the use of metaphors in the Saudi EFL classrooms. The proper implementation of metaphors (i.e. instruction, acquisition, and socialization metaphors) by teachers can be a reason for boosting source in the interactional and instructional patterns of the Saudi EFL classrooms, and the significance of these metaphors at aforementioned settings was investigated in the present study. Focusing upon the perceptive design of the study, a survey was conducted to know the significance of the three metaphors in the interactional settings of the Saudi EFL classrooms. This study targeted Saudi EFL teachers’ attitudes towards the three delimited metaphors.. The respondents consisted of 200 Saudi EFL teachers drawn from the English Language Centers of the Saudi Universities. A 22-item Likert-scale questionnaire was designed to know the opinions of Saudi EFL teachers about the dynamic use of metaphors in the context of the Saudi EFL classroom. The findings of the study reflected that the Saudi EFL teachers represented by the cohort of this study presented a mixed attitudes towards the utilization of the three delimited metaphors. The findings show that a limited exposure of instructional metaphor may be one of the reasons of the poor performance of the Saudi EFL teachers. A limited exposure of acquisition metaphor may also be damaging the dynamics of teacher student interactional and instructional patterns inside the Saudi EFL classrooms. The findings further show that the teachers’ imbalanced use of class time and hardly any reliance on the coordinated interaction might be due to the limited exposure to the latest techniques embedded in the socialization metaphor. Although policy makers do not acknowledge the fundamental role of metaphors into classroom pedagogies, the participant-teachers recommended professional use of all the metaphors to achieve prerequisite dynamics of the EFL classrooms by fully acknowledging the applicability, appropriateness, and practicality of all the variables of acquisition metaphor.

A Contrastive Study of the Use of Apology Strategies by Saudi EFL Teachers and British Native Speakers of English: A Pragmatic Approach

This study examines the apology strategies used by 30 British native speakers of English and compares them with those employed by 30 Saudi EFL teachers, using a Discourse Completion Task (DCT). The study considers expressions of regret based on gender, cultural differences and severity of the offence. It is a quantitative, descriptive research study; it relies in its data collection process on a DCT whose reliability and internal and external validity are verified. It investigates three categories of variables types: binary, nominal and ordinal. The binary variables refer to gender, i.e., male and female, the nominal category is concerned with Arabic and English languages, and ordinal variables refer to the most frequent apology strategies employed by the respondents. The present study uses a quantitative method of data analysis which employs descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency analysis and percentages) in order to address the research questions and indicate the types of apology strategies that are frequently used by the speakers of the two investigated groups. The findings show different ways of using apology strategies by the two investigated groups based on the variables considered. Finally, the study concludes with some pedagogical implications for EFL teachers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Apology Strategies Employed by Saudi EFL Teachers

This study examines the apology strategies used by 30 Saudi EFL teachers in Najran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), paying special attention to variables such as social distance and power and offence severity. The study also delineates gender differences in the respondents’ speech as opposed to studies that only examined speech act output by native and non-native speakers of English. To this end, the study employs a Discourse Completion Task (DCT) that consists of 10 situations designed to test how the respondents would react if they imagine that they belong to different types of social status whether higher, lower or equal. In addition, social distance and power have been taken into consideration in designing the ten situations included in the test used in this study. The results reveal that Illocutionary Force Indicating Device (IFID) is the most used apology strategy by the Saudi respondents followed by downgrading responsibility (DR), upgrader, offer of repair, taking on responsibility and then verbal redress. The results also reveal that gender has a great impact on the use of apology strategies in various ways. For instance, the IFID strategy and the upgrader strategy are used by males more than their female counterparts, whereas females use the DR strategy more than their male counterparts. It has been argued that some of the respondents’ answers to the test were influenced by their mother tongue, as reported in previous studies conducted on apology strategies. The study discusses the results elicited via the DCT and compares them with those of previous studies on apology strategies and other speech acts. Finally, the study concludes with recommendations for further research. Keywords: pragmatics, apology strategies, Saudi EFL teachers, interlanguage pragmatics, target culture

Dialogic investigations of teacher–supervisor relations in the TESOL landscape

AbstractThe study referred to in this article adopted a dialogic approach, putting the voices of experienced teachers and supervisors into the form of a dialogue in order to examine how both parties perceive, enact and justify their pedagogical practices in actual school settings. Various sets of data were utilised, including interviews, classroom observations and a post-observation conference with Saudi EFL teachers and supervisors. The findings demonstrate that teachers and supervisors all occupy different positions in the school hierarchy in the TESOL landscape, depending on the “type” as well as “amount of capital” they possess. Specifically, although some supervisors continue to believe that their accumulated experience, including teaching credentials, supervision and administrative experience, outweighs the academic and scientific capital of teachers, teachers also claim that their accumulated experience of several years of teaching, their EFL qualifications and training, their knowledge of ground r...

Do Saudi EFL Teachers Promote Creativity in Their Classrooms?

<p>Despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, there is still much to be done in order to nourish creativity in schools. According to a number of studies, there is an urgent need to reconsider the role of creativity in the current educational programmes because there is an increasing gap between the reality of the classrooms and the expectations that students and others, such as parents, might have. Studies have shown that Saudi public school students lack the necessary creative thinking skills, especially in language classrooms. In fact, as claimed by some researchers, Saudi students’ low level of achievement in English is mainly a result of the approaches and methods practiced in schools that do not promote creativity. The current study explores whether or not EFL teachers promote creativity in their classrooms in Saudi Arabia, while also taking into consideration their own perceptions and attitudes towards this important concept.</p><p>The sample in this study included 45 Saudi EFL teachers and six EFL supervisors. After teachers responded to a creativity questionnaire that explored their attitudes and the extent to which they promote creativity in language classrooms, eight of the teachers and the six EFL supervisors were interviewed. The results revealed that most Saudi EFL teachers put little effort into fostering creativity in their teaching practices. Also, their attitudes towards creativity seem to be divided. The study identified a number of factors as being responsible for these results. They highlight the need to familiarize textbook designers, EFL supervisors, and teachers with the importance of creativity and its various applications. The study concludes with important practical recommendations and suggestions for future research.</p>