EFL Learners’ Pedagogical Views on the Online Social Networks in EFL Classrooms

This present study aims to explore EFL learners’ pedagogical views towards the utilization of online social networks in EFL classrooms. It specifically elaborates the EFL learners’ preferences of online social networks for learning English. Moreover, the EFL learners’ English skills enhanced by utilizing online social networks were also investigated. Ten EFL learners participated in the qualitative study which employed observations and interviews in collecting qualitative data. The results show that the learners’ preferences include Facebook, blogs, WhatsApp, Twitter, podcasts and Instagram. The learners’ English skills improved include listening, writing, reading, and speaking. In conclusion, online social networks are not only designed for general communication among EFL learners, but also for engaging EFL learners to work collaboratively in learning English via online environments.

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Opposition to Early Dental Visit by Dentists: A Qualitative Study on Mothers’ Social Networks

JDR Clinical & Translational Research ◽

10.1177/23800844211059072 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 238008442110590

Author(s):

J.M. Burgette ◽

Z.T. Dahl ◽

R.J. Weyant ◽

D.W. McNeil ◽

B. Foxman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Social Network ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Comparative Method ◽

Dental Visit ◽

Professional Relationship ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dental Visits ◽

The Impact

Objectives: To examine whether information that mothers received from dentists in their social network was consistent with professional recommendations for the first dental visit at age 1 y. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional qualitative study on mothers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia from 2018 to 2020 to explore how their social networks influence their children’s dental service utilization. In-person, semistructured interviews were conducted with 126 mothers of children ages 3 to 5 y. Qualitative data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using NVivo 12. Two investigators analyzed data using grounded theory and the constant comparative method. Results: Over half of mothers reported a professional relationship with a dentist as part of their social network on children’s oral health. Mothers described the following themes: 1) mothers contacted dentists in their social network for child dental information and to schedule their child’s first dental visit, 2) mothers described dentists’ justifications for the timing of the first dental visit older than age 1 y, 3) mothers described the impact of the dentist declining to see her child, and 4) after the dentist declined to see her child, some mothers did not comply with the dentist’s recommendation of delayed child dental visits because they were given alternative information that encouraged early dental visits. Conclusions: Our findings indicate a need for dentists to reinforce mothers’ dental-seeking behavior for young children and adhere to recommendations on the age 1 dental visit. Knowledge Transfer Statement: Qualitative data on mothers’ social networks show that dentists play a key role in access to early dental visits, particularly when dentists decline to see the mother’s child for visits.

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Major Causes of Saudi Learners' Speaking Anxiety in EFL Classrooms

International Journal of English Language Education ◽

10.5296/ijele.v5i1.10645 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 54 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Suzan Hammad Rafada ◽

Abeer Ahmad Madini

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Data ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Clear Understanding ◽

Speaking Anxiety ◽

Efl Learners ◽

Language Classes ◽

Oral Participation ◽

Language Classrooms ◽

Efl Classrooms

Since oral participation is one of the most observable phenomena in language classes, it has been noticed that students often suffer from a considerable level of anxiety in EFL classrooms. Although numerous studies have tackled this issue, particular attention to Saudi learners' perspectives of the main causes of speaking anxiety is needed. Therefore, this research aims to explore the main causes of speaking anxiety that Saudi EFL learners encounter in their language classrooms. The sample of this study involved 126 ELI Saudi female students studying their foundation year at King Abdul Aziz University and whose ages range between 18 to 20 years old. To reach a better and clear understanding of the research phenomenon, a mixed- method approach was used. For gathering data, two instruments were utilized; a semi-structured interview with ten students from level 102, 103, and 104 and an online based questionnaire with 116 students from level 102 and 103. The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and the qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The qualitative data found that the main causes of speaking anxiety were: Teachers' role in raising or reducing anxiety, lack of vocabulary, the weak educational system at schools, test anxiety, and peer anxiety. On the other hand, the quantitative data categorized speaking anxiety into three main domains: causes related to the classroom atmosphere, causes related to the EFL teachers, and others related to the test.

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An Exploratory Qualitative Study on People’s Attitudes towards Offline and Online Social Networks: A Case Study at a Brazilian University

Journal of Interactive Systems ◽

10.5753/jis.2015.651 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maria Lucia B. Villela ◽

Simone I. R. Xavier ◽

Raquel Oliveira Prates ◽

Marcos O. Prates ◽

Antonio A. P. Prates ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Online Social Networks ◽

Physical World ◽

Significant Discrepancy ◽

Design Decisions ◽

Online Networks ◽

People’S Attitudes ◽

Privacy Issues

Social networks have emerged as a new medium for sharing and exchanging information. As such, it brings new possibilities and challenges to people’s interaction. In this work, we have investigated through a qualitative study one of these challenges: how people perceive and deal with privacy in online networks, as opposed to the physical world. Our findings from interviewing Facebook users show that although they perceive the online and offline worlds as connected, there is a significant discrepancy between their attitudes towards privacy in online and offline social networks, as well as strategies developed to deal with some of the experienced issues. Based on these findings, we discuss how design decisions are related to privacy issues identified through the interviews and considerations for the design and evaluation of online social networks.

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