Saudi intermediate schools EFL teachers' perceptions of using the internet in teaching vocabulary

Abstract EN

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Saudi intermediate schools use the internet to facilitate their teaching of vocabulary, and their perceptions of the benefits and barriers to such use.

It also investigated whether male and female teachers differed in their usage and perceptions.

The research respondents were 83 teachers (M=34, F=49) randomly selected from the population of intermediate school EFL teachers in Al-Madinah.

Data were collected via a self-designed online questionnaire.

The instrument elicited respondents reported uses of the internet (9 items), perceptions of benefits (9 items) and barriers (9 items), using 5-point Likert scales.

Demographic data were also collected.

The results revealed that teachers reported high use of the internet for all the suggested purposes, with most mean scores corresponding to “usually”.

However, teachers only “sometimes” used the internet to share experiences with other teachers.

The majority perceived the benefits of the internet for students’ interest and engagement, confidence and independent learning.

However, they perceived barriers related to absence of facilities, time pressures and lack of training and support.

Male and female teachers did not differ significantly in their responses.

It is concluded that, to optimize teachers’ use of the interest to enhance vocabulary teaching, there is need for better provision of infrastructure, training, and support