Investigating EFL Students’ Perceptions about the Use of Beyond Textbook Materials for University Courses

Abstract

Proficiency in English, in today’s globalized atmosphere, needs to be prioritized. This can be achieved by incorporating diverse, dynamic, and productive strategies intended to improve language proficiency. The use of different beyond textbook materials for teaching skills courses such as reading, writing, listening and speaking can be one such strategy. This study advocates that student teacher’s reliance should not always be based on prescribed textbooks, which may not always satisfy all students’ needs in different circumstances. Instead, resources other than textbooks can be a supportive supplement. This quantitative study investigates EFL students’ perceptions about the use of beyond textbook materials while studying skills courses in Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU). The sample consisted of 68 student-participants: 30 males and 38 females studying in level three of 4-year BA program in the Department of English. Based on purposive sampling, only those student-participants were chosen who had already studied skills courses as freshmen. To collect data, a 20-item questionnaire was created, online, using Google Forms. The responses were collected using 5-point Likert scale containing agreement, frequency and quality response options. The findings reveal that students positively reacted to the use of beyond textbook materials for skills courses and acknowledged the contributions of such non-textbook resources towards learning EFL. This study is limited to a selected context. Therefore, it is recommended that future studies may focus on student-participants from different locations to, supposedly, achieve results that are more comprehensive. It is hoped, findings of this study will provide valuable insights for students, teachers, and future researchers alike in the context of EFL.