SAUDI UNDERGRADUATE EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS LERANING TOGETHER STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION IN AN EFL READING COMPREHENSION COURSE

Elsayed, Mustafa Mohammed Sadek¹ & Puteh-Behak, Fariza^2
1 PhD student, Faculty of Major languages Studies, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia, Email: mustafasadek2000@gmail.com
² Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Major Languages Studies, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Malaysia, E-mail: fariza@usim.edu.my

Abstract
The importance of reading comprehension proficiency in enhancing the academic success, development and growth of students’ logical, intellectual, critical, emotional, social aspects and linguistic competencies is well documented. However, there is poor performance by Saudi EFL learners in reading comprehension section at both TOEFL and IELTS tests. This might be attributed to the negative perceptions Saudi EFL learners have towards reading comprehension instruction. These negative perceptions held by Saudi EFL learners towards EFL reading comprehension instruction might be due to the fact that the majority of Saudi English as a foreign language of students have been taught by conventional teaching methods. Therefore, these negative perceptions may be modified positively by applying an effective teaching method like learning together strategy of cooperative learning that may be capable of improving students’ academic achievement, perceptions and liking of EFL reading comprehension. This study aimed to investigate the effects of learning together strategy of cooperative learning on Saudi EFL undergraduate students’ perceptions towards EFL reading comprehension. The pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was employed since Qassim University departmental system does not allow randomization of individual students. Forty EFL third-level students of Unaizah Science and Arts College taking EFL Reading Comprehension course took part in this study. The students took a pre- learning together strategy survey, then they received a learning together strategy instruction and finally they took a post-learning together strategy survey. Results of this study revealed higher positive perceptions for students using learning together strategy in the post- learning together strategy than those in the pre-learning together strategy survey. The study concluded that learning together strategy of cooperative learning has several pedagogical implications for EFL reading comprehension instruction.

Keywords: Learning together strategy, EFL reading comprehension instruction, Perceptions