Students’ Perceptions Towards the Use of Podcasts in EFL Classroom: A Case Study at a University of Uzbekistan

Abstract

Integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has emerged as a significant factor in the realm of language education, yielding notable impacts. To shed light on this phenomenon, a case study was conducted to delve into the perceptions of students and attitudes of teachers regarding the utilization of podcasts in the teaching-learning process. The research problem addressed in this study aimed to explore students' perceptions toward the incorporation of podcasts in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom, as well as their understanding of the limitations and impact of podcasts on their language skill development. The study recruited 40 students and 2 teachers from the National University of Uzbekistan as participants. Data collection involved the distribution of questionnaires to students and conducting interviews with teachers. The questionnaires comprised 17 statements to gauge the participants' viewpoints. The findings revealed that a majority of respondents expressed their fondness for podcasts (80.2%), strongly agreeing that the use of podcasts is enjoyable (69.9%). Moreover, the researcher observed positive attitudes from both students and teachers toward the integration of podcasts in the EFL classroom. Students believed that podcasts had the potential to enhance their listening and speaking skills. Teachers, on the other hand, perceived podcasts as an effective tool for fostering students' collaborative and cooperative work skills, as well as their creative thinking strategies. However, challenges associated with the effective utilization of podcasts in the classroom also surfaced, prompting further exploration into optimal implementation strategies.

New Concept of Teaching English to Students from Non-English Speaking Countries

“…The choice of only 95 students from Serbia and 60 from Spain does not account for the generalizability of students' needs and preferences for audio books. In addition, the statistical methods only determined the means of participants' responses, whereas these methods can also look at the comparative mean evaluation between responses of students from different non-English speaking countries [38][39][40][41].…”

Factors Influencing Indonesian EFL Students’ Decisions and Time Spent For Utilizing Podcasts in Extensive Listening Classes

“…Podcasts as media educational technology can be used for EFL students (Al-Harbi, 2019). Furthermore, it is plausible that podcasts can enhance students' listening abilities by facilitating skill development and fostering knowledge acquisition through engagement with podcast content (Sotlikova & Haerazi, 2023). In sum, using podcasts as media in educational technology and some ideas for EFL teachers to use in their classrooms could improve students' listening skills and teach them about topics of interest.…”

The uses of podcast "Easy Stories in English" to improve the listening skills in students from “Centro Tecnologico Naval”

“…The study determined that Taiwanese learners who had never encountered authentic English could improve their speaking and listening skills in an EFL context by listening to podcasts in both British and American English. Teachers and students perceived podcasts as authentic tools to improve listening, critical thinking, and collaborative and cooperative work skills (Sotlikova, 2023).…”