scholarly journals Major Causes of Saudi Learners' Speaking Anxiety in EFL Classrooms

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Investigating Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety among the Kurdish EFL Students: A Case Study at a Public University

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-92
Author(s):  
Rawezh Mohammed Ibrahim ◽  
Latif Yahya Hamad
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Efl Students

In the English as a Foreign Language EFL contexts from different settings, the issue of language learning anxiety has been extensively studies and investigated. However, in the Kurdish settings a few studies carried out about this issue, specially about speaking anxiety in English classes. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the level, major factor of foreign language speaking anxiety among the Kurdish EFL students and the students’ perspectives about foreign language speaking anxiety in the context of a university in Kurdistan. For achieving the study purpose, first year students (N=91) from English Department at a state university participated. The data regarding the level of EFL speaking anxiety gathered through administering a questionnaire (Foreign Language Anxiety Classroom Scale FLCAS) by (Horwitz et al. 1986), as well as through a semi-structured interview with the participants (N=18). The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics by using the SPSS software program (version 25), and the qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The results of the quantitative data illustrated that the students experienced a moderate level of EFL speaking anxiety, and the qualitative data confirmed the results whilst the participants perceived speaking as the most anxiety provoking factor. It was also found that fear of making mistakes, fear of negative evaluation, fear of speaking in front of others and immediate questions were as the major causes of the students’ speaking anxiety. This research contributes to the literature as it is the first to target FL speaking anxiety among Kurdish freshmen EFL learners.

scholarly journals What supports Females in Higher Education Progression? A Pakistani Public University Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-106
Author(s):  
Muhammad Amin ◽  
Muhammad Islam ◽  
Humera Amin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Islamic Perspective ◽  
Global Trend ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Pragmatic Paradigm ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The paper is focused on exploring the factors that support females’ progression in higher education. The mixed methods approach is taken to conduct the research, consequently the study falls in pragmatic paradigm. The structured questionnaire is used to collect quantitative data from 200 university female students, and semi-structured interview protocol is used to generate qualitative data from 15 female students of the same university. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) has been used to analyse quantitative data, whereas content analysis has been used to analyse qualitative data. The data highlight that literate parents, global trend of females’ acquisition of higher education, media, availability of jobs and scholarships are supportive factors in females’ progression in higher education. An interesting finding revealed from the data is that ‘Islamic Perspective’ of education is also considered as encouraging factor; generally in Pakistani societal context, especially in remote areas, people use ‘Islamic Perspective’ in a distorted way to restrict their girls from getting higher education.

The effect of the activity-based environmental education course on the attitudes and behavior levels of the students of child development program concerning environmental problems

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 762-773
Author(s):  
Serkan Pullu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Child Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Attitudes And Behavior

This study aimed to determine the effect of the activity-based environmental education course on the attitudes and behavior levels of the students of the child development program concerning environmental problems. The study was prepared by using the explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed method patterns in which qualitative and quantitative data are used together. While one-group pretest-posttest experimental design was used in the quantitative dimension of the study, phenomenology was employed in its qualitative dimension. The sample group of the study was composed of 60 first-year students attending Kayseri University Hüseyin Şahin Vocational High School Child Development Program in the 2019-2020 academic year (spring semester). Within the scope of the environmental education course, activity-based practices were performed with the students for 6 weeks. The students were divided into groups and one group applied the related activities they prepared with their friends in the classroom each week. Before and after the application, 'The Environmental Problems AttitudeScale' developed by Güven (2013) and 'The Environmental Problems Behavior Scale' developed by Güven and Aydoğdu (2012) were applied for the students. After collecting the quantitative data, 10 students were interviewed via a semi-structured interview form and their opinions on the activities were collected. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the qualitative data of the study. The qualitative data of the study were analyzed based on descriptive analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that after the activity-based practices performed in the environmental education course, the scores of the attitude and behavior of the students concerning environmental problems increased. As a result of the interviews made with the students, it was found that the students had both positive and negative opinions on the activities conducted in the course. By these activities, the students emphasized that they had cognitive and affective acquisitions in the environmental education course. Finally, the students stated that they acquired awareness, consciousness, and responsibility about the environmental problems along with these activities.

scholarly journals The Effect of Formative Assessment on the Academic Achievement Levels of Prospective Teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Davut Hotaman
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Achievement Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Achievement Levels

This study aims to examine the effect of “Formative Assessment (FA)” practices in “Assessment and Evaluation in Education” class on the academic achievement levels of prospective teachers. It uses a mixed research design. Quantitative data were collected by using double pretest-posttest design, which is one of the complete experimental design structures; while a semi-structured Interview Form was used to collect the qualitative data. The study group consists of a total of 220 prospective teachers who participated in a “Teacher Training Course” in Faculty of Education in Yildiz Technical University, Turkey during the 2017-2018 academic year. The data collection instruments included a 40-item multiple-choice achievement test (AT) chosen from a question bank in accordance with the course objectives and a semi-structured interview form. For the achievement test, reliability was achieved by the test-retest method (r=.95), and validity was secured by the “analytical” method based on expert opinion. Following the nine-week FA practices using the complete experimental double pretest-posttest research design, it was found that these practices (what do I recall? and what have I learned?) resulted in a significant difference in favor of the experiment groups. The responses of prospective teachers to the semi-structured interview form developed to collect qualitative data for the study were categorized into common themes, which demonstrate that the quantitative data are confirmed by the qualitative data regarding the FA practices. This harmony between the quantitative and qualitative data showed that FA practices (independent variable) are strong enough to affect the achievements of prospective teachers (dependent variable).

The Relationship between Reticence and Personality Types in Iranian University EFL Classrooms

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firouzeh Baktash ◽  
Azizeh Chalak
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Styles ◽  
Personality Types ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Emotional Factors ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Efl Classrooms ◽  
Neo Five Factor Inventory ◽  
The Relationship

Reticence is regarded as a problematic phenomenon among students in EFL classrooms. The present study was an attempt to explore the issue of reticence in Iranian foreign language classrooms. The study examined the relationship between students’ reticence and their personality types among university EFL learners. For this purpose, the Reticence Scale-12 (RS-12) questionnaire and the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) questionnaire were used. Moreover, interviews with the participants about reticence were employed to find the students’ ideas about reticence in the classroom. The results revealed that the five personality types affected Iranian EFL students’ reticence. In addition, educational, situational, and emotional factors contributed to the students’ reticence in EFL classrooms. It can be concluded that teachers’ awareness of learners’ reticence can help them match their teaching styles with their students’ personality types, and choose more appropriate activities that can enhance EFL learners’ participation. The study can have implications and applications for both teachers and students.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Teaching of Chemistry in Class Nine and Ten in the Schools under Chhukha District, Bhutan

2021 ◽  
pp. 13-25
Author(s):  
Ngawang Chogyel ◽  
Norbu Wangdi
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Chemistry Teachers ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Mixed Method Design ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

This study investigated the factors influencing the teaching of chemistry in class nine and ten in the schools under Chhukha District, Bhutan. Adopting convergent mixed method design, the study employed structured questionnaire to collect quantitative data and semi-structured interview and classroom observation to collect qualitative data. The sample comprised of 10 Chemistry teachers and 500 students from class nine and ten from three middle secondary schools and two higher secondary schools. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in the form of tables, mean and standard deviation whereas the qualitative data were analyzed based on content analysis technique. The findings of this study highlighted that the lack of laboratory resources, limited time allocated for chemistry theory and practical classes, and teachers’ heavy workload impacted teaching of chemistry negatively while the teacher’s sound knowledge on the chemistry subject impacted the teaching of chemistry positively.

scholarly journals University Students' Views on the Education and Teaching of Civilization History: Bayburt University Education Faculty Sample

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Mehmet Elban
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Teaching Method ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
University Education ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
School Teaching ◽  
Common Causes

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the teaching and educational activities in the civilization history lesson. The model of the research is the exploratory sequential design from mixed research patterns. The appropriate sampling method was used in the research. The qualitative data of the research were collected from 26 students through a semi-structured interview form. Content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data. The quantitative data of the research were obtained by a questionnaire developed as an analysis of the qualitative data of the research. 95 students participated in the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of quantitative data In the research, it was understood that the positive attitudes towards the civilization history lesson of the students in the primary school teaching department were caused by curiosity and interest and their negative attitudes were caused by making the students passive and lesson subjects. The civilization history study methods of students are source books, lesson teacher, note-taking, and to work by typing. Reasons of topics which are students easily learn are interest and curiosity, national history and previous information. The reason for the difficulty in learning on some subjects is that there are too many subjects. Interest and curiosity with teaching method and technique are common causes of the success and failure of the students in the civilization history lesson. In addition, students attach great importance to the use of interactive teaching methods and techniques and visual teaching materials in civilization history lesson.

scholarly journals The effects of parent-involved science activities on basic science process skills of the children in the age group of 5-6

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 879-903
Author(s):  
Gül Yılmaz ◽  
Şirin İlkörücü ◽  
Salih Çepni
Keyword(s):  
Parent Involvement ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
School Science ◽  
Process Skills ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Science Process Skills ◽  
Mixed Method Design ◽  
Science Activities

This study aims to examine the effects in science activities including parent involvement activities, concerning the science process skills of children aged 5-6, attending pre-school, and analyses the obtained information regarding the views of the parents involved in the program. The study group consisted of 30 children in the 5-6 age group, and 15 parents who were attending lessons. The embedded mixed method design was used in the study. Quantitative data was collected by a pre-school science process skills scale for children aged 60-72 months, and the qualitative data was collected through a semi-structured interview form with the parents. At the end of the study, the quantitative data showed that the experimental groups' children’s' science process skills, especially predicting-inferring-communicating sub-scale skills, were found to be more developed than what the control group's children. The qualitative data leads us to an understanding that the parents had a positive view of parent involvement activities and that communication with their children increased, was derived from the qualitative data, as well. It was noted that the parents raised their children's motivation towards science and tended to support them more in terms of science. It is suggested that pre-school education programs ought to include more science process-based activities with parent involvement.

scholarly journals Mandarin Chinese Tonal Acquisition by Thai Speakers

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apichai Rungruang ◽  
Yanhong Mu
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
The Other ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Mandarin Tones ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Thai University

The aim of the present empirical study is two-fold. The first aim is to investigate why Thai university students perceive a certain tone better than others or why a certain tone is more difficult to perceive than others. The second aim is to examine to what extent Thai university students can perceive four Chinese Mandarin tones. 14 volunteer university students (2 males; 12 females) participated in the study. Research tools were structured interview and the perception test. The findings from the interview reveal that 9 out of 14 (64%) students claimed that tone 4 was the easiest tone either to perceive or produce. In contrast, 10 out of 14 (71%) stated that tone 3 was the most difficult one to perceive. The qualitative data findings from the interview were greatly consistent with the quantitative data ones from the perception test. That is, Thai speakers performed well in tone 4 (mean scores 24.92 or 99.68%) and tone 1 (24.35 or 97.40%). On the other end of the scale, they had some difficulty identifying tone 2 (21.42 or 85.68%) and tone 3 (19.50 or 78%). It can be concluded that firstly, the hierarchy of tone accessibility from the least difficult to the most difficult one was tone 4 > tone 1 > tone 2 > tone 3. Secondly, students’ native language (Thai) or L1 plays a crucial role to their tonal acquisition when Thai speakers deal with foreign lexical tones. For one important reason, tones 1 and 4 in Chinese are very similar to the mid tone and the falling tone in Thai, respectively. 

scholarly journals SOURCES OF TURKISH EFL LEARNERS’ FOREIGN LANGUAGE READING ANXIETY

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Cemre Isler ◽  
Ozgur Yildirim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Figurative Language ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Reading ◽  
Reading Anxiety

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible sources of reading anxiety experienced by Turkish EFL learners. The participants of the study were 50 first year university students studying at the English Language Teaching program of a public university in Turkey. The study employed the explanatory sequential mixed methods design. First, the quantitative data were collected through Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS), and then the qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews for the purpose of better understanding quantitative data findings. For analyzing the quantitative data, each participant’s mean score from FLRAS was computed. As for the qualitative data, the transcribed interviews were analyzed using the constant comparison method, for which the researcher identified the recurring themes through coding, prioritizing and connecting the pieces of data. Results indicated that the participants of the study, in general, experience a moderate level of FL reading anxiety. The following three main categories of FL reading anxiety sources were identified with their ten sub-categories: (1) personal factors (inappropriate reading strategy use, lack of self-confidence, high expectations), (2) features of the reading text (topic familiarity, unknown vocabulary, complex reading structure, text length, figurative language), and (3) reading course (compulsory reading, exam). Key Words: foreign language anxiety, foreign language reading anxiety, the sources of foreign language reading anxiety

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