Curricula and methods of teaching

This exploratory paper investigated female gifted secondary school students' needs for English Learning in Saudi Arabia. It has addressed a gap in the literature regarding English Learning needs analysis of gifted secondary school students in Saudi Arabia. It tries to answer the question: What are the needs of those students? The professional needs for English learning were collected through a need analysis questionnaire addressed to gifted secondary school students in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Baha in Saudi Arabia. The data analysis techniques for the descriptive statistics were frequency count, percentage, means, and standard deviations. The results revealed that gifted students need to learn English primarily to access the vast body of international scientific knowledge and research, to get international certificates in English, and to deal with the media, technology, and the Internet. In addition, this study specified students' perceptions about the characteristics that should be included in English class, the difficulties they faced while studying language, and their suggestions for better English learning strategies. Furthermore, gifted students preferred to learn English from activities that resemble daily life situations and to learn at their own pace. The research results indicated that gifted students face difficulties in class, such as making mistakes and feeling bored because they already know the information. They have demonstrated a need to insert virtual learning environments into the curriculum. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education enable gifted students to study a tailored gifted curriculum in English and activate enrichment in and out of activities.

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.

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...

This exploratory paper investigated female gifted secondary school students’ needs for English Learning in Saudi Arabia. It has addressed a gap in the literature regarding English Learning needs analysis of gifted secondary school students in Saudi Arabia. It tries to answer the question: What are the needs of those students? The professional needs for English learning were collected through a need analysis questionnaire addressed to gifted secondary school students in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Baha in Saudi Arabia. The data analysis techniques for the descriptive statistics were frequency count, percentage, means, and standard deviations. The results revealed that gifted students need to learn English primarily to access the vast body of international scientific knowledge and research, to get international certificates in English, and to deal with the media, technology, and the Internet. In addition, this study specified students’ perceptions about the characteristics that should be i...

This study aimed to determine Mobile Learning adoption among language instructors at English language center (ELC) in Taibah University, Saudi Arabia. It also examined the effect of gender, age, qualification and experience variables on adoption.  A questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was administered to a sample of (69) language instructors. The results of statistical analysis indicated that although language instructors found Mobile Learning useful and easy to use, they rarely adopted it in teaching language skills. They mainly used mobile devices to keep in contact with their students. They used applications like What'sapp, email, web browsers and text messaging feature to inform students about course alerts and share course files and documents. Adoption challenges like classroom inaccessibility, high cost of mobile fees and lack of technical support were more serious obstacles for female instructors than males. The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in all domains of the questionnaire between male and female instructors in the adoption of Mobile Learning at ELC regarding to gender, age, qualification and experience variables. The study recommended language instructors to make use of the many advantages, features, and applications of mobile devices to facilitate language learning.

This study aims to identify the contemporary view of the term "authentic materials" from an Islamic perspective. An effort was made to determine how the current use of "authentic materials" in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) differs in the light of the Islamic perspective. To achieve this goal, the documentation research method was used as a means of collecting data. This method was found to be unique and reliable because it is based on a qualitative rather than quantitative approach. Authentic Materials are defined and their advantages for TEFL discussed. The dilemma posed by authentic materials for Muslim teachers and learners is explained. Following a discussion of considerations in materials selection, sample materials and tasks related to Employment, Technology, and Consumer Goods are presented, in order to show how these can presented in a way that retains the original communication content, without compromising Islamic values.

—Vocabulary is a key element of students' understanding and communicative ability in any language. However Saudi students of English are observed to face many difficulties with vocabulary, which have been attributed to the widespread use of traditional methods focusing on memorization and rote learning. Role-play potentially offers an enjoyable way to encourage students to use vocabulary appropriately in simulated authentic situations. In a quasi-experimental study in a girls' secondary school in Al-Madinah, pre and post-test comparisons were made of vocabulary test achievement between two first year classes. One (experimented) taught two units of their English course book through role play, the other (control) taught by traditional methods. T –test revealed no significant difference in vocabulary proficiency in the pre-test; however, in the post-test, the mean score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control. The evidence supports the beneficial effect of incorporating role-play in EFL teaching.

With developments in technology, interest in e-learning language teaching is increasing. In Saudi Arabia, educationalists are interested in exploiting technology as part of a programme of curriculum reform and enrichment, intended to address perceived shortcomings in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). This paper reports an investigation of teachers' and learners' perceptions of the feasibility of using education applications with iPad to facilitate TEFL. Online questionnaires were answered by English language teachers (n = 107) and students (n = 120) spanning all education stages from primary to university. Findings show widespread iPad ownership and use, but rarely for education purposes. The main value in TEFL was thought to be in supporting listening and translation. Obstacles include lack of infrastructure in schools and curriculum- specific applications. Suggestions are made for exploiting iPads apps in the classroom.

This article aims to explore the effect of using KWL strategy (what I Know, what I Want to learn, and what I did Learn) during the observation of a practical programme to acquire teaching experience. A descriptive study approach was designed to investigate how 50 pre-service teachers use the KWL strategy to develop teaching performance. Fifty pre-service teachers were interviewed to create a concept map that brings all teaching experiences under four categories: planning, instruction concerns, learner, and evaluation. The results reveal that the use of the KWL strategy enriches pre-service teachers' experience and develops performance, as it increases deeper thinking about the profession and a positive attitude towards teaching. It is recommended that the practical teaching programme use KWL as an effective strategy for improving candidates' teaching, as it leads to activating their prior knowledge about teaching and to enhancing their behaviours towards teaching for further...

Parental involvement is a key predictor of students’ success in academic and general life. Moreover, the integration of technology has had a massive influence on the learning process and in facilitating parents’ involvement. The current study aims to explore the role of parents in the achievements of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners via Edmodo, which is a platform consisting of three important main components. A descriptive method is used to conduct the research with a sample of 50 parents of female students at the intermediate stage of King Abdul Aziz private school, and using a questionnaire as an instrument. The results indicated a high level of parental involvement in supporting their daughters’ progress. Moreover, parents were pleased when the teachers kept them informed about their daughters’ progress in English. Communication with the school and supervision of homework had a positive effect on the quality of learning. The results revealed that parental involvement...

Vocabulary is a key element of students' understanding and communicative ability in any language. However Saudi students of English are observed to face many difficulties with vocabulary, which have been attributed to the widespread use of traditional methods focusing on memorization and rote learning. Role-play potentially offers an enjoyable way to encourage students to use vocabulary appropriately in simulated authentic situations. In a quasi-experimental study in a girls' secondary school in Al-Madinah, pre and posttest comparisons were made of vocabulary test achievement between two first year classes. One (experimented) taught two units of their English course book through role play, the other (control) taught by traditional methods. T -test revealed no significant difference in vocabulary proficiency in the pre-test; however, in the post-test, the mean score of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control. The evidence supports the beneficial effect of incorporating role-play in EFL teaching.

It is unclear if using videos and education apps in learning adds additional value to students’ listening comprehension. This study assesses the impact of adding text to videos on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ listening comprehension. The participants were 76 prep college EFL students from Taibah University, divided into two groups. The semi-experimental measure was employed to compare the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group watched an English learning video and then wrote text subtitles relating to the video using apps, and later took a listening test to evaluate their ability in acquiring information through the videos. The control group watched videos during live lectures but did not add subtitles on the content they viewed. A paired samples t-test was used to assess the extent of listening comprehension achievement and posttest results were compared. Results revealed statistically significant increases in posttest listening comprehens...

تلعب الكتب المدرسية دورًا هاما في تعليم وتعلم اللغة.  تهدف الدراسة إلى تقييم سلسلة الكتب المدرسية في منهج اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية FullBlast   المستخدمة في المدارس المتوسطة في السعودية من وجهة نظر المعلمات بالمدينة المنورة. استخدمت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي وجمعت البيانات باستخدام الاستبانة للكشف عن تصورات 71 معلمة حول الكتاب المدرسي معتمدة في التقييم على معايير المحتوى العالمية التالية: التخطيط والتصميم، الأهداف، الموضوعات والمفردات ، القواعد، مهارات اللغة ، الأنشطة والتمارين ، المواد التكميلية ، والثقافة. اوضحت نتائج الدراسة إلى رضا المعلمين بشكل عام عن الكتاب المدرسي من حيث جميع المعايير التسعة.  كما أسفرت النتائج أن معيار التصميم حصل على أعلى متوسط ​​حسابي، بينما حصلت الأنشطة والتمارين على أدنى متوسط حسابي. كما كشفت الدراسة نتائج أخرى عن مزايا وعيوب الكتاب المدرسي. أخيرًا اقترحت الدراسة  بعض التوصيات التي تساعد مصممي المناهج لمعالجة العيوب في الكتب المدرسية للغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية. Textbooks play a significant role in language teaching and learning. This study aimed to evalu...

تهدف هذه الدراسة الى استقصاء مدى استخدام معلمي اللغة الإنجليزية کلغة أجنبية (EFL) في المدارس المتوسطة السعودية للإنترنت لتسهيل تدريسهم للمفردات ، وتصوراتهم عن الفوائد والعوائق التي تحول دون هذا الاستخدام. کما بحثت فيما إذا کان المعلمون والمعلمات يختلفون في استخدامهم وتصوراتهم. المشارکون في البحث 83 معلما (ذکور = 34 ، إناث = 49) تم اختيارهم عشوائيا من مجتمع معلمي اللغة الإنجليزية کلغة أجنبية في المرحلة المتوسطة في المدينة المنورة. تم جمع البيانات من خلال استبيان مصمم ذاتيا عبر الإنترنت. أثارت الأداة المستجيبين الذين أخبروا عن استخدامات الإنترنت (9 عبارات) ، وتصورات عن الفوائد (9 عبارات) والعوائق (9 عبارات) ، باستخدام مقاييس ليکرت المکونة من 5 نقاط. کما تم جمع البيانات الديموغرافية. کشفت النتائج أن المدرسين أفادوا عن استخدام عال للإنترنت لجميع الأغراض المقترحة، مع توافق معظم الدرجات المتوسطة مع "عادة". ومع ذلک، استخدم المدرسون الإنترنت "في بعض الأحيان" فقط لتبادل الخبرات مع المعلمين الآخرين. أدرک الغالبية فوائد الإنترنت على اهتمام الطلاب ومشارکتهم وثقتهم وتعلمهم ال...