Department of Curricula and Instruction

English continues to develop as the global language of knowledge, business, commerce, and the gateway to drive the economy of the countries worldwide. The desire to participate in the knowledge society, in which English is the dominant language, and help to prompt the economy of the country towards globalization has meant that there is a strong emphasis on learning English as a foreign language by all university students in Saudi Arabia. Mobile technologies have created new prospects and opportunities for learning English. Bringing personal handheld devices by students and faculty in higher education institutions is emerging as individual practices and personal attempts to enhance learning and teaching of English within the comfort zone of both students and faculty. Higher education institutions can make a pragmatic transition from these individual practices and personal attempts of integrating mobile technologies into learning and teaching, to institutional implementation as a cost cutting strategy by calling for a Bring Your Own Personal Handheld Device (BYOPHD) institution-wide strategy. High level of acceptance of BYOPHD strategy is reported, therefore, there is a need to have a stated institutional policy to regulate and govern the implementation process. This paper reports on challenges and issues related to BYOPHD from EFL students' perspective at higher education. Students have reported several challenges and issues that can be addressed in formulating the institutional policy.

This paper explored postgraduate TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students' perspectives on academic writing challenges and their practices to overcome them. The study is triggered by identified needs in literature and the empirical needs of postgraduate TESOL students in the study context. In-depth semi-structured focus group interviews were used to collect the data. The data analysis revealed that the difficulties they encounter are mainly filled into one of the following categories: language skills, academic writing skills, and source managing skills. At the same time, the study probed an intervention trial of using Google Classroom. Having explored students' perceptions regarding the use of Google Classroom and its effect on their academic writing revealed the growing understanding of digital tools' impact on encouraging independent learning and critical awareness that contribute to the enhancement of academic writing. However, with the advancements in technology, students seek support from online resources, but they still think that feedback from lecturers and supervisors is a crucial source of support; therefore, scaffolded feedback is recommended.

The use and integration of mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) in learning and teaching, as well as the creation of new knowledge can determine whether a country is able to successfully compete in the emerging global knowledge economy. Technology acceptance theories and models have been widely developed, used and extended to determine the factors related to the acceptance of such technologies in specific national and subject contexts. This study set out to explore the key factors that determine students' and instructors' use behaviour and behavioural intentions to use mobile technologies in learning and teaching EFL, in an effort to determine the readiness and acceptance of mobile learning and teaching among students and instructors at a higher education institution in Saudi Arabia. The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), was used as the framework for this study. This model takes into account several perspectives; and was designed to assess technology acceptance beyond the organisational context by embedding consumer context dimensions. The results indicated that the research model was partially confirmed and highlighted key variables as the driving forces of use behaviour and behavioural intention to use mobile technologies in learning and teaching EFL.

Mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs), with advanced capabilities, have created new prospects and opportunities, for both students and faculty who are learning and teaching English as a foreign language, in higher education in Saudi Arabia. Technology acceptance theories and models have been widely developed, used and extended to determine the factors related to the acceptance of such technologies in specific national and subject contexts. However, there have been very few studies of the acceptance of new ICTs in teaching and learning in the higher education context of Saudi Arabia, in general; and none that relate to the teaching of English as a foreign language. To examine the readiness for, and acceptance of, mobile learning and teaching among students and faculty at Taibah University in Saudi Arabia, a theory of technology acceptance, developed for a consumer context, was used as the framework for this study; considering the participants as consumers of mobile...

Higher education institutions across the globe are investing much into developing and applying ICT to improve teaching and learning to cope with students' needs in the newly emerging knowledge economy and information society. In Saudi Arabia, global economic competition has had a major impact on the development of large scale ICT educational projects. The Ministry of Higher Education launched a national project, "AAFAQ", to develop a comprehensive long-term plan for university education, to address the current and the future challenges. This project has encouraged the implementation of e-learning and distance education. Therefore, there is no doubt that e-learning with its all forms can promote the learning process in a way that encourages a pedagogic shift from a teacher-centric model to a learner-centric model. English is both a global language, and the language of academic discourse. Consequently, EFL teaching and learning is becoming more and more necessary and pop...

This paper explored postgraduate TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) students' perspectives on academic writing challenges and their practices to overcome them. The study is triggered by identified needs in literature and the empirical needs of postgraduate TESOL students in the study context. In-depth semi-structured focus group interviews were used to collect the data. The data analysis revealed that the difficulties they encounter are mainly filled into one of the following categories: language skills, academic writing skills, and source managing skills. At the same time, the study probed an intervention trial of using Google Classroom. Having explored students' perceptions regarding the use of Google Classroom and its effect on their academic writing revealed the growing understanding of digital tools' impact on encouraging independent learning and critical awareness that contribute to the enhancement of academic writing. However, with the advancements in technology, students seek support from online resources, but they still think that feedback from lecturers and supervisors is a crucial source of support; therefore, scaffolded feedback is recommended.

The use and integration of mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) in learning and teaching, as well as the creation of new knowledge can determine whether a country is able to successfully compete in the emerging global knowledge economy. Technology acceptance theories and models have been widely developed, used and extended to determine the factors related to the acceptance of such technologies in specific national and subject contexts. This study set out to explore the key factors that determine students’ and instructors’ use behaviour and behavioural intentions to use mobile technologies in learning and teaching EFL, in an effort to determine the readiness and acceptance of mobile learning and teaching among students and instructors at a higher education institution in Saudi Arabia. The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), was used as the framework for this study. This model takes into account several perspectives; and was design...