Students’ and Teachers’ Attitudes towards the Implementation of English as a Medium of Instruction Case Study: First-Year Students in Science and Technology Department at Khenchela University
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Date
2024
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University of ‘Abbes Laghrour’ Khenchela
Abstract
Abstract
English is recognized globally as the language of international communication and scientific discourse. Numerous countries have adopted it as a medium of instruction in higher education, including Algeria. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of both students and teachers towards the implementation of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI). Employing a mixed-method research design, data were gathered quantitatively and qualitatively through questionnaires administered to students, interviews conducted with teachers, and classroom observations. The samples were selected randomly: the questionnaire was administered to 60 students, and the interview was conducted with 08 teachers. Three classroom observations were conducted with three different teachers. The findings indicated favorable perceptions and positive attitudes towards the implementation of EMI among both teachers and students within the Department of Science and Technology at Khenchela University. The study indicated that implementing EMI in the Department of Science and Technology boosts students' academic performance and provides them with wider global opportunities. However, the study had several limitations: the questionnaire distribution coincided with Ramadan, resulting in high student absenteeism; teachers did not assist with conducting interviews; some teachers opted to respond to the interviews in written form rather than face-to-face; not all the teachers returned their written responses, with some not replying to recurrent emails; classroom observations were conducted with only three teachers during the final week of the study due to time constraints and various excuses from teachers; and one teacher publicly declined to let us observe his sessions.
Key words: Attitudes; Teachers; Students; English as a Medium of instruction (EMI); Higher education; Science and Technology.