Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions of the Qualities of Effective EFL Teachers in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Effective education systems require well-trained teachers who have a significant impact on student learning (Markley, 2004). The quality of teachers influences learning outcomes (Campbell et al., 2004;Lasley II et al., 2006;Rockoff, 2004). Teacher effectiveness involves fitting into a specific type, adhering to standards, understanding success, and implementing suitable classroom activities (Hativa et al., 2001). Effective teaching is crucial for educational systems and learning improvement. Teachers' role in students' academic performance is critical (Shishavan & Sadeghi, 2009). This study aims to discover the characteristics of an Effective English teacher in Saudi secondary schools, based on Borg's theory (2006). The study explores personal qualities, attitudes, pedagogical knowledge, subject matter expertise, and classroom practice. This research in Riyadh contributes to improving teacher quality in Saudi Arabia, addressing a limited area of study.

Research Rationale
Reforms in Saudi Arabia aimed to improve EFL education, but proficiency levels among Saudi EFL teachers remain below expectations. Factors such as attitudes, motivation, and inadequate preparation contribute to this issue (Alshumaimeri, 2019;Fareh, 2010;Wedell & Alshumaimeri, 2014). Teachers express the need for more effective practices and specific skills (Banks, 2014;Ryan et al., 2005). Furthermore, the practice of designating teachers based on demand impacts student learning. Effective teaching requires achieving desired results (Uchefuna, 2001). This study aims to highlight the importance of teacher effectiveness in promoting various aspects of student performance, such as academic achievement and competence. Lamb and Wedell (2013) stress the significance of teachers in motivating language learners and considering the longterm impact of their profession on language learning. Bell (2005) acknowledges the complexity of effective English language teaching (ELT), while Uygun (2013) emphasizes the importance of clear and enthusiastic teaching for effective communication. Shishvan and Sadeghi (2009) underscore the role of qualified English-language teachers in educational system development. Thompson (2008) highlights the importance of excellent teaching skills and positive personality traits in successful English language teachers, and Liando (2010) emphasizes the influence of teacher competency on student motivation. Bell (2005) found that effective foreign language teachers in the United States exhibited characteristics such as enthusiasm, target language competency, group work, error correction, and a focus on form and culture. Mullock (2003) surveyed pre-service English language teachers and highlighted the importance of subject knowledge, teaching skills, language proficiency, and cross-cultural knowledge and skills. Al-Maqtri and Thabet (2013) conducted a comparative study on Yemeni and Saudi college-level students, revealing that competence/ qualification and pedagogical skills were valued qualities of effective teachers, with honesty, fairness, impartiality, and willingness to help being important across both student groups. Similarly, Alzubai (2021) conducted research in Saudi Arabia to explore preuniversity students' perceptions of effective English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. The study involved 231 students enrolled in the preparatory year program at a Saudi public university. The findings revealed that 88% of Saudi preuniversity students agreed on an effective EFL teacher's essential characteristics, including personality, methodology, and language knowledge. Am. J. Educ. Technol. 2(3) [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]2023 including activities, materials, strategies, classroom management techniques, and student interaction. Humor, a key personality trait (James, 2007), plays a significant role in teaching challenging course content, increasing student enjoyment, and reducing anxiety (Downs et al., 1988;Kher et al., 1999;Garner, 2005). It promotes a positive classroom environment, enhances learning, captures attention, fosters motivation, and promotes engagement (Lorenzi, 1996). However, studies have shown mixed findings regarding gender differences in humor, with Bryant, Comisky, Crane, and Zillman (1980) suggesting that male instructors who use humor are often perceived as better teachers. Female instructors who frequently use humor may receive lower effectiveness ratings compared to those who do not employ humor, while no correlation between humor utilization and female teacher evaluations has been found (Gorham & Christophel, 1990). Enthusiasm is a key characteristic of effective teachers (Cruickshank et al., 2003), linked to motivation and improved learning outcomes (Madsen et al., 1989;Lowman, 1994). Teacher personality impacts teacher-student interaction, particularly through the establishment of rapport, which enhances cognitive and affective functioning and leads to increased achievement (Wray et al., 2000). Kindness, politeness, connection, and trustworthiness are suggested traits fostering teacherstudent rapport (Garcia, 1991;Zhang, 2004).

Attitude
Attitudes, encompassing liking, evaluation of goodness, and emotional reactions, are evaluations of an entity (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1977;Ajzen, 2001). In education, teachers' beliefs, practices, and attitudes shape the learning environment, influencing student motivation and academic achievement (OECD, 2009). Teachers' attitudes towards their profession impact their performance, commitment, and fulfillment of responsibilities (Issan et al., 2011). Attitudes are influenced by factors such as parental and peer attitudes, self-efficacy, shaping cognition and emotions (Brown, 1994;Brown, 2001;Mungasia et al., 2022). In teaching, attitudes are crucial for success or failure (Freeman, 2000). Teachers' attitudes directly affect their teaching practices, student attitudes, and achievements (Agcam & Babanoglu, 2016;Al Harthy et al., 2013;Duatepe & Akkuş-kla, 2004). Osunde and Izevbigie (2006) found Nigerian teachers dissatisfied with their finances and facing societal undermining. Oruç (2011) reported positive attitudes among Turkish trainee teachers. Kitjarooncha, Smadi and Al-Ghazo (2013) noted a moderate attitude among Jordanian foreign language teachers, negatively linked to pedagogical competencies. Shulman (1987) emphasizes teachers' knowledge in effective teaching. Grossman et al. (2005) support this, highlighting the need for subject matter understanding. The relationship between teacher knowledge and effectiveness is complex. Some argue for following curriculum materials (Lawson, 1991;Mulholland, 2014, Noh & Webb, 2015, while others find a positive correlation with student achievement (Monk, 1994;Sadler et al., 2013). Kennedy (1998) suggests reasoning from evidence, and Darling-Hammond (2000) acknowledges diminishing returns beyond a certain level. Darling-Hammond and Sykes (2003) stress the importance of pedagogical knowledge in student learning. They argue that teachers' professional knowledge, experience, and subject matter expertise significantly impact student achievement. Research supports the notion that teaching expertise is as crucial as content knowledge (Begle, 1979;Monk, 1994;Wenglinsky, 2000). Thus, pedagogical knowledge should be seen as equally essential, not inferior to content knowledge.

Classroom Practice
Classroom practices are shaped by social, political, and economic contexts (UNESCO, 2009). The relationship between teacher performance and student outcomes is complex, requiring effective management systems (Best et al., 2018). Classroom practice involves dynamic interactions influenced by internal and external factors (Li & Oliveira, 2015). Teachers play a crucial role in promoting positive discipline and attitudes through communication, active listening, and student involvement (Osher et al., 2018). Building warm relationships among teachers, students, and adults is linked to academic success and socialemotional development (Center on the Developing Child, 2016). Teachers' beliefs influence instructional practices and learning opportunities (Borg, 2011), and professional development and experience can shape teachers' beliefs and practices (Borg, 2018). Classroom practices encompass various elements such as time management, physical arrangement, and student interactions (Lampert, 2010). Limited research has focused on the qualities of effective EFL teachers from the perspective of teachers themselves in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the need for further investigation (McBer, 2000;Witcher et al., 2001;Saafin, 2005;Wang et al., 2007;McCabe et al., 2008;Minor et al., 2002). Understanding secondary EFL teachers' perceptions will enhance our knowledge of effective teaching in Saudi Arabia. This study will employ  framework, encompassing personal qualities, attitude, pedagogical knowledge, subject matter expertise, and classroom practice, to gather empirical data on teachers' perspectives.

Research Design
The study used a descriptive quantitative approach through survey research to answer research questions and achieve objectives. A Likert-scale questionnaire gathered perceptions of effective secondary-level Saudi English teachers. Data was analyzed using SPSS 26.00, calculating statistics such as Cronbach's alpha, mean scores, frequencies, sums, percentages, and standard deviations. For these objectives, the researcher set two questions for this study to answer: 1. What are the qualities of an effective English Teacher as perceived by secondary-level Saudi male English teachers?
2. Are the qualities of an effective English teacher perceived by secondary-level Saudi male English teachers different according to the teacher's experience?

Sample of the Study
The sample of the study included a group of 138 Saudi state secondary school EFL male teachers in the city of Riyadh. The teachers participating in the study had different qualifications and experience in teaching. The study is limited to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where the population is expected to represent the country. Table 1 displays variations in qualifications among the study's sample. Specifically, 44 (31.9%) have a bachelor's degree in education, 31 (22.5%) have master's degrees, 31 (22.5%) have bachelor's degrees, 29 (21%) have a bachelor's degree with a diploma in education, and 3 (2.2%) have PhD degrees. This diverse range of qualifications ensures that the sample is capable of providing valid perceptions on the qualities of an effective EFL teacher, given their academic backgrounds.

Procedures of the Study
The study used a questionnaire with 25 items in 5 domains, ensuring validity through expert review and reliability through Cronbach's alpha. Permission was obtained to distribute the questionnaire to secondary school English language teachers in Riyadh, resulting in 138 responses. Descriptive analysis using SPSS 26.0 included frequencies, percentages, mean scores, standard deviations, and ranks. The instrument's reliability was examined with Cronbach's alpha. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations for future research were discussed.

RESULTS
The findings are discussed in relation to the research questions and responses to the 25-item questionnaire based on  framework. The analysis examines significant items in five domains: personal quality, attitude, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and classroom practice. It explores the impact of teaching experience on teachers' perceptions of effective language teacher characteristics.
Findings related to the first question: What are the qualities of an effective English Teacher as perceived by secondary-level Saudi male English teachers?
To address the question about the qualities of effective language teachers perceived by Saudi secondary school male English language teachers, mean scores and standard deviations were calculated for each item on the questionnaire. The subsequent subsections present the findings for the five categories of effective language teachers examined in this study: personal qualities, attitudes, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and classroom practice. Table 3 displays the means, standard deviations, and ranks for the five items in the personal qualities category (items 1 to 5 in the questionnaire). The participants ranked "An effective EFL teacher is enthusiastic" as the highest in importance, with a mean (M) of 4.43 and a standard deviation (SD) of 0.627. This was followed closely by "An effective EFL teacher is creative" (M = 4.41, SD = 0.712) and "An effective EFL teacher is kind and friendly" (M = 4.41, SD = 0.721). The characteristics "An effective EFL teacher has a sense of humour" (M = 3.79, SD = 0.970) and "Effective EFL teacher avoids students' favoritism" (M = 3.71, SD = 0.982) received slightly lower scores. The range of means in this domain was 3.71 to 4.43, with standard deviations ranging from 0.627 to 0.982. All the means were above 3.71, and the overall mean for the personal qualities domain was 4.15, indicating the significance of these characteristics in defining effective English language teachers.   Table 4 displays the means, standard deviations, and ranks for the five items in the teachers' attitudes category (items 6 to 10 in the questionnaire). These items explore the reasons why Saudi English language teachers chose teaching as a profession and their attitudes towards it after gaining experience. The means in this category ranged from 1.46 to 4.36, with standard deviations ranging from 0.627 to 0.982. The overall mean for this category was 2.96 with a standard deviation of 0.579. Among the items, "I enjoy teaching English" (item 7) received the highest mean with M = 4.36 and SD = 0.809, followed by "I believe the English teaching profession fits me" (item 8) with M = 4.12 and SD = 0.829. "I teach English because it has a prestigious place in society" (item 6) had a mean of M = 2.99 and SD = 1.214. On the other hand, "Teaching English in Saudi Arabia is a waste of time" (item 9) had a mean of M = 1.72 and SD = 1.087, and "Teaching English in Saudi Arabia is a waste of the government budget" (item 10) had a mean of M = 1.64 and SD = 1.074, indicating lower agreement.

Teachers' Attitudes towards Teaching English
Overall, the findings suggest that teachers hold positive attitudes towards the teaching profession. The lower means of items 9 and 10 indicate that teachers do not perceive teaching as a waste of time or government resources. Additionally, a majority of teachers reported enjoying teaching and feeling that it is a good fit for them. However, less than half of the teachers agreed that the teaching profession holds a prestigious place in society. Table 5 presents the means, standard deviations, and ranks of the five items in the knowledge of pedagogy category (items 11 to 15 in the questionnaire). Among these items, "An effective EFL teacher knows classroom assessment" had the highest mean with M = 4.39 and SD = 0.677. It was followed by "An effective EFL teacher knows the individual student characteristics" with M = 4.30 and SD = 0.677, "An effective EFL teacher has knowledge of classroom management" with M = 4.25 and SD = 0.640, "An effective EFL teacher knows teaching methods" with M = 4.24 and SD = 0.720, and "An effective EFL teacher structures learning objectives, lesson planning, and evaluation" with M = 4.21 and SD = 0.768. The findings highlight the significance of a teacher's knowledge of classroom assessment as the most important characteristic within the pedagogical knowledge category for effective English language teaching. It is followed by knowledge of individual student characteristics, classroom management, teaching methods, and knowledge of learning objectives, lesson planning, and evaluation. The means in this category ranged from 4.21 to 4.39. The overall mean for the category was 4.28 with a standard deviation of 0.543, indicating the high importance that teachers attributed to these characteristics in determining the qualities of effective English language teachers.   Table 6 displays the means, standard deviations, and ranks of the five items in the knowledge of content category (items 16 to 20 in the questionnaire). The highest-ranked characteristic in this category is the teacher's ability to "explain clearly and ask good questions" with M = 4.33 and SD = 0.728. It is followed by "understanding the purpose and values of educational ends as well as their philosophical and historical grounds" with M = 4.30 and SD = 0.688, "having a good command of English accuracy and fluency" with M = 4.29 and SD = 0.727, "reinforcing reading in the classroom and outside the classroom" with M = 3.95 and SD = 0.899, and "applying explicit instructions in a content area learning" with M = 3.52 and SD = 1.082.

Teachers' Knowledge of Content
These findings indicate the importance of several key characteristics within the knowledge of content category for effective English language teachers. Clear explanations, effective questioning techniques, understanding educational objectives and values, proficiency in English accuracy and fluency, and promoting extensive reading are highlighted. The means of the characteristics in this category range from 3.52 to 4.33. The overall mean for the category is 4.08 with a standard deviation of 0.592, demonstrating the significance that teachers attribute to these characteristics in determining the qualities of effective English language teachers. Table 7 displays means, standard deviations, and ranks of 5 items in the teachers' characteristics in classroom practice category (items 21 to 25). "Space for team-based/collaborative learning" ranked highest (M=4.22, SD=0.681), followed by "promoting learning in the classroom" (M=4.21, SD=0.656), "providing visual and verbal supports" (M=4.21, SD=0.719), "using technology" (M=4.07, SD=0.877), and "using gamification" (M=4.00, SD=0.846). These characteristics are essential for effective English language teachers, as reported by teachers themselves. Teachers recognize the significance of unconventional practices, such as gamebased learning, using visuals and audio, and technology, to enhance teaching and make the learning environment more engaging. The mean of the category as a whole was 4.14 with SD = .542, which indicated that the characteristics included in this category were reported by teachers to be significant for determining the qualities of effective English language teachers. It is worth noting that these statements required teachers to disagree to indicate positive attitudes towards teaching English as a foreign language. Overall, effective language teachers should possess pedagogical knowledge, classroom practice, content knowledge, personal traits, and a positive attitude to effectively engage and guide students.  Table 9 showed that the correlation between teachers' experience and their perceptions of any of the five categories of characteristics is of no significance.

DISCUSSION
This study aimed to investigate the qualities of an effective EFL teacher as perceived by Saudi secondary school male teachers and explore the relationship between teachers' experience and their perceptions of these qualities. Two research questions were proposed: 1) What are the qualities of an effective English teacher as perceived by Saudi male English teachers at the secondary level? and 2) Do the perceived qualities of an effective English teacher differ based on teachers' experience? A questionnaire comprising 25 items was used to assess Saudi secondary school EFL male teachers' perceptions of effective language teachers across five domains: personal qualities, attitudes, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and classroom practice. The findings highlighted the importance of these domains, with teachers considering knowledge of pedagogy as the most crucial, followed by personal qualities, classroom practice, content knowledge, and attitudes. Effective EFL teachers demonstrate pedagogical knowledge in various areas such as classroom management, teaching methods, assessment, and understanding individual student characteristics. This is supported by studies conducted by , Thompson (2008) (2015), and Kuzborska (2011). Additionally, they incorporate technology, gamification, cooperative learning, and provide visual and verbal support to enhance classroom learning. Engaging activities like games, jokes, stories, and songs foster student interaction, communication, motivation, and engagement. Effective EFL teachers demonstrate personal qualities such as enthusiasm, creativity, kindness, friendliness, a sense of humor, and fairness towards all students. This aligns with previous research by Uygun (2013), , Thompson (2008), Al-Maqtri and Thabet (2013), Alzobiani (2020), and Alzubai (2021), emphasizing the importance of teachers' personal traits in students' language learning. These personal qualities significantly influence student behavior, interactions, and classroom performance. Enthusiastic teachers inspire students to excel, while a sense of humor reduces tension, enhances enjoyment, and facilitates the teaching of challenging content. This study concurs with Uygun (2013), Liando (2010), Bell (2005), Al-Maqtri and Thabet (2013), Sadler et al. (2013), Kennedy (1998), and Alzubai (2021) (2001) in emphasizing the influence of teachers' attitudes towards teaching on their performance, teaching practices, and overall effectiveness. Additionally, this study found no association between teachers' experience and their perceptions of effective EFL teacher characteristics.

CONCLUSION
Based on this study, the researcher concludes that Saudi secondary school male teachers perceive the top five characteristics of an effective EFL teacher to be knowledge of pedagogy, personal qualities, classroom practice, knowledge of content, and teachers' attitudes. Developing these qualities is crucial for the successful teaching and learning of English as a foreign language.
Being an effective EFL teacher requires a combination of professional and personal skills. Therefore, studentteachers, novice teachers, and future teachers need to adapt to these characteristics. Effective EFL teachers possess positive traits, employ effective teaching behaviors, and motivate students to reach their full potential. Teachers' rich knowledge of content and language proficiency plays a vital role in helping students overcome language learning difficulties and improve their language skills. Teacher education programs should prioritize enhancing pedagogical knowledge and language proficiency. Continuous professional development, such as reading, training courses, conferences, and seminars, can keep teachers updated on current pedagogical knowledge, teaching practices, and English proficiency, thereby enhancing student learning. It is important to note that the findings of this study are specific to secondary school teachers in Riyadh, so caution should be exercised in generalizing and interpreting the results.

RECOMMENDATIONS
In the light of the findings of this study, the researcher recommends the following: 1. There should be more research done to include more teachers (male and female) teaching English at different levels and students (male and female) reflecting on their perceptions of the characteristics of an effective EFL teacher. In order to investigate the differences between teachers' and learners' perceptions of the same thing.
2. Research should expand to include more qualities, and participants should be allowed to report their preferences of the qualities of an effective EFL teacher.
3. There should be a study investigating the effects of teacher characteristics on their students' language performances.
4. There should be a study to explore the qualities and classroom practices that could negatively influence an EFL teacher's efficacy.