scholarly journals Turkish EFL Teachers’ Perspectives on WEB 2.0 Applications: Benefits and Potential Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S2-Sep) ◽  
pp. 132-138
Author(s):  
Metin Özcan ◽  
Yasemin Kırkgöz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Volunteer Teachers ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Education Association ◽  
Collaboration And Communication ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

Web 2.0 applications such as Wikis, Blogs, Podcasts, and social networking including Myspace, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are important sources for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). in foreign language classrooms. This study investigates Web 2.0 tools used by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, and the teachers’ perspectives of such tools in terms of their benefits and potential challenges. A mixed-method research design was adopted, and data was collected using The Web 2.0 Application Questionnaire and written interviews. English teachers (n:56) working in TED (Turkish Education Association, Türk Eğitim Derneği) colleges completed the questionnaire, and interviews were held with 12 volunteer teachers. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data from the demographic information of the participants, as well as the mean and standard deviation scores of the Likert-scale questionnaire items. Qualitative data from the interview questions were analyzed through content analysis. The findings suggest that teachers are aware of the potential uses of ICT technology, and they use various Web 2.0 applications for instructional purposes. In addition, teachers consider using Web 2.0 tools beneficial in enhancing student motivation, collaboration, and communication skills, keeping students engaged with classroom tasks, and enabling teachers to adjust their instructional practices to students’ varied needs, hence creating an effective learning environment. Not much challenge is reported in using Web 2.0 tools, except technology-related difficulties.

scholarly journals An Investigation into the Teachers’ Use of L1 in EFL Classes

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S2-Sep) ◽  
pp. 125-131
Author(s):  
Ufuk Tanrıseven ◽  
Yasemin Kırkgöz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Volunteer Teachers ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

In many countries where English is used as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL), the classroom is the main context for students’ exposure to the target language (L2); however, English teachers have a tendency to use the mother tongue (L1) excessively. As a result, the appropriate use of L1 in language classrooms remains as a major problem. This study investigates Turkish EFL teachers’ perspectives on the use of L1, and functions that the teachers’ use of L1 serves in foreign language classrooms. Mixed method research design was adopted using a questionnaire and semistructured interviews. English teachers (n=43) responded to the Use of L1 Questionnaire and semistructured interviews were held with eight volunteer teachers working in Beyza private schools in a province in Turkey. Quantitative data from the Likert scale questionnaire items was analysed using descriptive statistics to reveal frequency, mean and standard deviation scores, and inductive content analysis was applied for the analysis of qualitative data. The findings have demonstrated that most teachers avoid or limit the use of L1 systematically and give priority to using L2 in EFL classrooms. Findings also suggest that L1 can be used as a facilitating tool for explaining difficult grammar and vocabulary items, managing classrooms, giving instructions, checking for comprehension and establishing a friendly classroom environment.

scholarly journals An Exploration of Teachers' Perspectives towards Cognitive, Affective and Linguistic Teaching Principles while Teaching English as a Foreign Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-40
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
The Third ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Cognitive Principles ◽  
Utmost Care ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

The study aimed at exploring EFL teachers' perspectives towards cognitive, affective and linguistic teaching principles while teaching English as a foreign language. To conduct the study, the researchers prepared a questionnaire of 30 items that was distributed into three group domains. The first group was the cognitive principles. The second one was the affective principles, and the third group was the linguistic principles. Forty-six male and female EFL teachers responded to the questionnaire's items. Suitable statistical analyses were used to analyze the data. The results of the study pointed out that EFL teachers had positive perspectives towards these teaching principles, as the analysis showed that they looked at these principles positively and they gave them their utmost care and concern. Besides, the analysis showed that the cognitive principles came in the first rank compared with the other two groups (affective and linguistic) as they got the highest mean. Moreover, the results revealed that there were no statistical significant differences, regarding gender, in the participants' perspectives towards the importance of these teaching principles while teaching English as a foreign language as the means of males and females were closer to each other. Keywords: Cognitive Principles, Affective Principles, Linguistic Principles, Foreign language.

scholarly journals Web 2.0 Applications in the Teaching Process: A Swot Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-479
Author(s):  
Kevser Arslan ◽  
Fatma Coştu
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Volunteer Teachers ◽  
Teaching Process ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools ◽  
Access Problems ◽  
The Web

This study, it is aimed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the web 2.0 applications used in the teaching process through SWOT analysis and to reveal the opportunities and threats. For this purpose, the study group consists of 20 volunteer teachers working in public and private schools. The teachers benefited from web 2.0 tools in their lessons and could actively use web tools. Online interviews were conducted with the teachers. The data obtained from the interviews were evaluated by using descriptive content analysis. The themes and codes were created by analysing the interview data considering the SWOT analysis and its sub-themes. As a result of the research, it was determined that the strengths of the web 2.0 applications used in the teaching process are making the students active, providing permanence in learning, increasing success and creating a positive effect on the development of many skills. Weaknesses of web 2.0 tools; difficulties in creating the materials, time-consuming use in the course, not allowing everyone’s access, lack of technology and access. Features such as being independent of space and time, creating the desired content, sharing information, using it as a measurement tool, getting quick feedback, and providing a flexible classroom environment are included among the opportunities of web 2.0 tools. It is under the threat of reducing the influence of the teacher, disrupting the dominance of the lesson, removing the subjects from the centre, causing distraction, experiencing internet and access problems, creating technology addiction in students and creating security problems.

Saudi EFL Teachers’ Perspectives on Learner Autonomy

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakieh Alrabai
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perspectives ◽  
Frequency Counts ◽  
Method Approach

This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the perceptions on learner autonomy of 136 English teachers in Saudi Arabia. Using a mixed-method approach that utilized a survey and an interview, teachers’ beliefs were explored considering their interpretations of the concept of learner autonomy and its role in foreign language learning, the sense of responsibility that those teachers have in helping their learners become autonomous, the extent to which they feel that their learners are autonomous, and the challenges that they face in promoting their learners’ autonomy. Descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency counts and percentages) were calculated to determine the study findings. These findings revealed that the teachers in this study conceptualized the construct of learner autonomy according to four main orientations: technical, psychological, social, and political; the teachers’ notions of learner autonomy were most strongly associated with the psychological orientation. These teachers also emphasized that they were responsible for their students’ learning, and they perceived their students as passive, dependent and lacking initiative. They further identified several factors related to the learner, the institution, and the teacher as barriers that challenge them in their facilitation of learner autonomy, with some Saudi learner-related factors being the teachers’ main challenges in this regard.

Designing for Enquiry

2010 ◽  
pp. 141-154
Author(s):  
Tarsem Singh Cooner
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Service User ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Community Of Inquiry ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Collaboration And Communication

This chapter sets the imperative for service user and carer involvement in the processes of educating mental health professionals. It begins by outlining some of the traditional barriers higher education institutions have faced in encouraging service user and carer involvement in teaching and learning. It then outlines the properties that Web 2.0 tools and processes can offer to overcome some of these obstacles. In developing effective interdisciplinary blended learning opportunities it is argued that the use of Web 2.0 alone will not ensure effective learning outcomes. The Community of Inquiry model is introduced to explore how the processes of enquiry, collaboration and communication can be embedded into the heart of interdisciplinary blended learning designs.

Mobile Web 2.0 Integration

2014 ◽  
pp. 581-598
Author(s):  
Thomas Cochrane ◽  
Isaac Flitta
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Software ◽  
First Year ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools ◽  
Google Docs ◽  
Mobile Web ◽  
Collaboration And Communication ◽  
Social Constructivist Learning ◽  
The Impact

Web 2.0 tools provide a wide variety of collaboration and communication tools that can be appropriated within education to facilitate student-generated learning contexts and sharing student-generated content as key elements of social constructivist learning environments or Pedagogy 2.0. “Social software allows students to participate in distributed research communities that extend spatially beyond their classroom and school, temporally beyond a particular class session or term, and technologically beyond the tools and resources that the school makes available to the students.” (Mejias, 2006, p1). This paper illustrates this by describing and evaluating the impact of the introduction of web 2.0 and mlearning to facilitate student eportfolios within the context of a first year Bachelor of Design and Visual Arts course in New Zealand (Unitec). Core web 2.0 (social software) tools used in establishing students' web 2.0 eportfolios included: Vox, Qik, Picasaweb, Prezi, Google Docs, and YouTube. The participating lecturers and the technology steward also used these web 2.0 tools to collaborate on the design of the project. The paper reflects upon the impact of the participants' previous web 2.0 experience and the use of these tools to facilitate student-generated content and at the same time to act as catalysts for pedagogical change. The project is evaluated as an action research cycle within a framework of longitudinal action research investigating the impact of mobile web 2.0 on higher education from 2006 to the present.

Practising Language Interaction via Social Networking Sites

2013 ◽  
pp. 40-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Orsini-Jones ◽  
Billy Brick ◽  
Laura Pibworth
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools

This chapter reports on the evaluation of language learning SNSs carried out by “expert students” who are training to become Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. While stressing the positive features available on these sites and novel ways in which they can enable personalised language learning, this study also focuses on some troublesome aspects that occur when learners engage with Web 2.0 tools. It discusses how initial motivation towards these tools can turn into frustration, mirroring the results of a previous autoethnographic study carried out on SNSs. It also illustrates how these global ubiquitous platforms pose a dilemma for language practitioners who work within institutional teaching settings. Teachers recognize the language learning potential of these tools, but are also worried by the ethical threat they can pose, which can normally be avoided, or at least moderated, within institutional proprietary and “less exciting” platforms.

scholarly journals English as a foreign language—teachers’ perspectives on implementing online instruction in the Iranian EFL context

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Dashtestani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Online Instruction ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Blended Instruction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

This study set out to explore Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions on the implementation of online EFL instruction. A mixed-methods design, including semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, was employed for the specific purposes of this study. A total of 242 EFL teachers participated in the questionnaire phase of the study. In addition, 46 EFL teachers participated in the interview phase of the study. The teachers worked at a number of universities, schools and language-teaching institutions in Iran. Results suggest that although the Iranian EFL teachers adopted moderately positive attitudes towards the implementation of online instruction, the majority of them preferred blended instruction to online instruction. At the same time, the study revealed that the implementation of online EFL instruction in Iran is challenging due to a number of perceived impediments and obstacles. The most considerable perceived challenges to the implementation of online EFL instruction comprise lack of online facilities and resources, lack of interaction in online instruction, cultural resistances to online instruction and teachers’ limited knowledge of online instruction. The findings of this study provided crucial insights into teachers’ perspectives on a number of measures that can be adopted to facilitate the integration of online instruction in the EFL context of Iran. The findings would provide valuable insights for educational authorities and course designers to integrate online instruction into the EFL curriculum.Keywords: online instruction; blended instruction; teachers' attitudes; challenges; English as a foreign language(Published: 14 March 2014)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2014, 22: 20142 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v22.20142

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