Attitudes of Tenth Grade Students Towards Speaking English as a Foreign Language in Salfeet District

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Date
2001
Authors
Fatima Omar Deeb Hassan
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of the tenth grade students towards speaking English as a foreign language in government schools in Sal feet. District. Also it aimed at determining the effect of the independent variables, students' gender, fathers educations, mother's education ,place of living and students' level of achievement in English on their attitudes towards speaking English as a foreign language. This study attempted to answer the following questions : What are the attitudes of the tenth grade students toward speaking English as a foreign language ? Are there any significant differences in students' attitudes towards speaking English as a foreign language due to the students' gender place of living ,parents' education , level of achievement variables'? A questionnaire was developed to the purpose of the study and to answer the above mentioned questions It included 67 items distributed on the five domains of the study : 30 items of the questionnaire were developed through the following questionnaires, l3ustami (1999); Young (1990) ; Hussein (1995) ;Shakhshir (1996).The remaining 37 items were designed by the researcher . The population of this study was the tenth grade students in the government schools in Salfeet District The size of the proposed population was (877) students .They were distributed among 29 government schools .The sample was chosen randomly :416 students 192 males, 224 females. Different statistical techniques were used to analyze the outcome or the results of the study .These included means, and percentages to determine the students' attitudes, One Way Analysis of Variance ANOVA and Scheffe's post hoc test to determine the effect of the study variables on the attitudes of the students, and independent T—test to determine the effect of the study variables on the attitudes of the students. Data analysis showed that the students' attitudes towards speaking English as a foreign language was positive in all the domains. Independent T-Test results showed significant differences at (α = 0.05 )on the students' perception towards speaking English as a foreign language and evaluation and feedback domains between males and females in favor of males .1 However, there were no significant differences at (α = 0.05) in the students' attitude toward speaking English as a foreign language due to place of living variable . ANOVA results showed significant differences at (α =0.05) on students' self efficacy domain due to students' father education variable .However, There were no significant differences at (α =0.05) in the students' altitudes toward speaking English due to the students' mother education variable. There were significant differences at (α =0.05) in the students' attitudes toward speaking English due to students' level of achievement variable Scheffe's Post Hoc Test results showed that there was a significant difference at (α =0.05) in the students' attitude on self efficacy domain between the students whose father's education was preparatory and less and secondary in favor of the students whose father's education was preparatory and less .The other differences among other levels were not significant. Significant differences were found due to differences in the students' level of achievement in all the domains in favor of the students whose level of achievement was 70-79 ; 80-89 and 90 and more . Repeated MANOVA results showed significant differences at (α =0.05) among the domains of attitudes . To determine among which domains the difference existed .Sidak Post Hoc Test was used . These findings were discussed and some recommendations were suggested .One recommendation is to introduce the speaking skill in the final examination .Another is to familiarize the foreign English teachers with the oral proficiency tests and supervise implementing them .Further, there is a need to conduct similar studies to investigate the effect of using language laboratories in improving the speaking skill in schools and other studies to investigate the reasons behind the weakness in the speaking skill among the ninth and the tenth graders in different districts of Palestine .
The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of the tenth grade students towards speaking English as a foreign language in government schools in Sal feet. District. Also it aimed at determining the effect of the independent variables, students' gender, fathers educations, mother's education ,place of living and students' level of achievement in English on their attitudes towards speaking English as a foreign language. This study attempted to answer the following questions : What are the attitudes of the tenth grade students toward speaking English as a foreign language ? Are there any significant differences in students' attitudes towards speaking English as a foreign language due to the students' gender place of living ,parents' education , level of achievement variables'? A questionnaire was developed to the purpose of the study and to answer the above mentioned questions It included 67 items distributed on the five domains of the study : 30 items of the questionnaire were developed through the following questionnaires, l3ustami (1999); Young (1990) ; Hussein (1995) ;Shakhshir (1996).The remaining 37 items were designed by the researcher . The population of this study was the tenth grade students in the government schools in Salfeet District The size of the proposed population was (877) students .They were distributed among 29 government schools .The sample was chosen randomly :416 students 192 males, 224 females. Different statistical techniques were used to analyze the outcome or the results of the study .These included means, and percentages to determine the students' attitudes, One Way Analysis of Variance ANOVA and Scheffe's post hoc test to determine the effect of the study variables on the attitudes of the students, and independent T—test to determine the effect of the study variables on the attitudes of the students. Data analysis showed that the students' attitudes towards speaking English as a foreign language was positive in all the domains. Independent T-Test results showed significant differences at (α = 0.05 )on the students' perception towards speaking English as a foreign language and evaluation and feedback domains between males and females in favor of males .1 However, there were no significant differences at (α = 0.05) in the students' attitude toward speaking English as a foreign language due to place of living variable . ANOVA results showed significant differences at (α =0.05) on students' self efficacy domain due to students' father education variable .However, There were no significant differences at (α =0.05) in the students' altitudes toward speaking English due to the students' mother education variable. There were significant differences at (α =0.05) in the students' attitudes toward speaking English due to students' level of achievement variable Scheffe's Post Hoc Test results showed that there was a significant difference at (α =0.05) in the students' attitude on self efficacy domain between the students whose father's education was preparatory and less and secondary in favor of the students whose father's education was preparatory and less .The other differences among other levels were not significant. Significant differences were found due to differences in the students' level of achievement in all the domains in favor of the students whose level of achievement was 70-79 ; 80-89 and 90 and more . Repeated MANOVA results showed significant differences at (α =0.05) among the domains of attitudes . To determine among which domains the difference existed .Sidak Post Hoc Test was used . These findings were discussed and some recommendations were suggested .One recommendation is to introduce the speaking skill in the final examination .Another is to familiarize the foreign English teachers with the oral proficiency tests and supervise implementing them .Further, there is a need to conduct similar studies to investigate the effect of using language laboratories in improving the speaking skill in schools and other studies to investigate the reasons behind the weakness in the speaking skill among the ninth and the tenth graders in different districts of Palestine .
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