The Characteristics Of Effective EFL Teachers, part 1

About the webinar

This is first part of a two-part webinar series. The second part will take place on Saturday 11 February 2023.

In order to achieve successful learner outcomes in foreign language teaching, it is essential that teachers and teacher educators obtain a clear understanding of what learners perceive as an effective classroom instructor. However, in much of the literature, it can be noted that the attributes cited by students as characteristic of effective teachers were often at odds with the qualities that the teachers themselves found to be most important.

Thus, the researcher in this study believes that shedding light on the perceptions of both learners and teachers is important. This mixed method research is designed to investigate the characteristics of effective EFL teachers as perceived by teachers and Arab students in the UK.

The research is based on four general categories. Personal qualities, subject knowledge, pedagogical skills, and socioaffective skills. The data was collected through two main tools, questionnaires based on a 5 points Likert scale and a semi-structured interview.

The participants of the survey are 113 teachers and 151 students. Four teachers and four students were interviewed to get a deeper understanding of the data. The results showed a significant mismatch between the Arab students and the EFL teachers. This study contributes to the understanding of what students expect from their teachers. The results of this and similar studies may be useful in both the practical and the theoretical sense, as they can inform teachers about the specific teaching methods and personal qualities that are considered by students to be most important, allowing them to shape their practice in order to meet the needs of learners.

In addition, the findings may assist administrators and educational policy makers in formulating decisions concerning teacher development programs.

Part 1 of the webinar series focuses specifically on personal qualities and socio-affective skills.

Part 2 of the webinar series will take place on Saturday 11 February. Click or tap to find out more about part 2 of the webinar

Recorded on 04 February 2023

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About the speaker

Emad Abdelhamid is a Lecturer, Dissertation Supervisor and Module Leader for both postgraduate and undergraduate degrees at the University of Central Lancashire – UK. He has worked in the EFL world for around 10 years teaching mainly at universities and language institutions in the UK, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In the UK, Emad worked for several higher education institutions including (University of Central Lancashire, Durham University, Birmingham University, and Cambridge Education Group). During his time in Saudi Arabia, Emad worked for the British Council and Effat University as a Teacher of English. He worked as a Senior Teacher & Acting Academic Manager for a language school in the UK where he attained his interest in educational leadership.

Emad is a TEFL-Q educator who holds an MA TESOL & Applied Linguistics, BA English Language & Literature, CELTA, TESOL, PCELT, TOT, PGCAP, Teacher Trainer Certificate and more. He is acknowledged as an Associate Fellow and External Examiner by the UK HEA (Higher Education Academy) and former IELTS Examiner. He also holds other certificates including Project Management, Leadership & Management, and Inspiring & Motivating Individuals.

In cooperation with British Council - Teaching English, Emad and Marcus delivered a series of Instagram live sessions about the characteristics of effective EFL teachers. On a similar note, Emad was a coordinator for KSAALT TESOL (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association for English Language Teachers) and enjoyed arranging TESOL events to allow teachers to exchange knowledge and good practice. He is also an IATEFL member and regular delegate.

Emad’s aim is to make all students feel valuable and engaged in the classroom while at the same time enjoy and have fun as they learn. He has a lot of interest in equality, diversity and inclusion to give equal, fair, and personalised opportunities to all students. He believes that communication between teachers and students have a huge impact on their learning and success.