Mohamed Elfatihi | Ibn Zohr University, Agadir, Morocco (original) (raw)

Papers by Mohamed Elfatihi

International Arab Journal of English for Specific Purposes, Aug 17, 2021

International Journal of Language and Literary Studies

Developing Creative Thinking Skills in EFL Classes in Morocco, 2022

The present paper reports on an evaluation study investigating the extent to which Moroccan EFL h... more The present paper reports on an evaluation study investigating the extent to which Moroccan EFL high school classrooms encourage the development of creative thinking skills. Our objectives were: to explore the extent to which educational policy documents, namely the National Charter for Education and Training (1999), the White Paper (2002) and the Guidelines for teaching English (2007) promote the development of creative thinking; to find out whether Ticket to English 2 textbook has the potential to support students to think creatively; to investigate teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards developing creative thinking and to discover insights into the nature of classroom environment with regard to the development of the skill. The study used a mixed methods design which involves a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The purpose behind this choice is to investigate the match between the aims and objectives outlined in educational policy documents and their implementation through the textbook and teaching practices. The study employed five research instruments namely documents analysis, textbook evaluation, questionnaires, classroom observation, and a semi-structured interview. The results revealed that the importance of creative thinking has been emphasized in policy documents, yet the textbook and teaching practices focus on lower-order thinking skills, such as remembering and understanding. The study concludes with practical recommendations for policy makers, textbook designers, teachers, and teacher development programs.

The aim of this study is to evaluate critical thinking skills (CTS) in a Moroccan textbook of Eng... more The aim of this study is to evaluate critical thinking skills (CTS) in a Moroccan textbook of English as a foreign language entitled Gateway to English 2 (GTE2 henceforth) according to Bloom’s taxonomy. Alongside with this, a survey is conducted to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of a sample of Moroccan high school teachers towards CTS and their inclusion in the aforementioned textbook. The research design adopted in this study is the mixed methods research approach and three instruments are used to collect data: document analysis, a content analysis card and a questionnaire. The participants’ sample consists of 75 Moroccan high school teachers of English who use GTE2 textbook. The three instruments were intended to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that the current educational policy aims to foster the CTS of Moroccan students, but the textbooks used, namely GTE2, targets only lower order thinking skills, especially comprehe...

Critical thinking has become a high priority in almost every institution and educational system a... more Critical thinking has become a high priority in almost every institution and educational system around the world, particularly since the second half of the 20th century. Developing the learners’ critical thinking skills has become an educational ideal that schools strive to achieve. There is a tacit consensus about the importance of incorporating critical thinking in education and ample literature has been written about it although there are different approaches to how this should be done. Integrating critical thinking skills in language instruction, however is a less explored area, especially when it comes to justifying this process. The main purpose of this paper is to present a rational for the inclusion of critical thinking skills in language teaching with reference to EFL and ESL. Five categories of reasons are suggested to support the implementation of critical thinking skills in the language classroom. The first is philosophical reasons related to the connection between langu...

Journal of Education and Practice, 2021

There is a broad consensus in the literature that the use of Information and Communication Techno... more There is a broad consensus in the literature that the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an effective tool that can be used for educational purposes. The use of ICT in the classroom creates better learning opportunities and enhances the quality of teaching. However, barriers to ICT integration hinder this process. The aim of this paper is to explore the perceived barriers to ICT integration that Moroccan secondary school teachers encounter in EFL classrooms. This study adopted a mixed-methods design, and data were collected through two instruments: a survey questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Secondary school EFL teachers in the area of Agadir, Morocco, participated in this study and of the 80 informants who completed and returned the questionnaire, 8 of them were interviewed. The findings indicate that the major barriers that teachers encounter in integrating ICT into the classrooms were lack of adequate ICT facilities in the schools, lack of time, lack of continuous and effective ICT training, technical problems, and lack of technical support. Further, various solutions and recommendations are offered to minimize these barriers and maximize the beneficial use of ICT in the teaching and learning process in Moroccan EFL secondary school settings.

International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 2019

The present study attempts to examine the English language needs of the engineering students majo... more The present study attempts to examine the English language needs of the engineering students majored in agricultural studies in IAV – Complexe Horticole d’Agadir (CHA) in Morocco. The study was conducted in the third semester in the academic year 2018-2019. The use a mixed-method research design allowed us to collect data from various stakeholders including 39 students, 30 alumni, 13 specialty-subject teachers and the ESP teacher. Three data collection instruments were used, namely questionnaires, interviews and a placement test. The SPSS software was used to code and analyse the quantitative data of the questionnaires, whereas the qualitative data collected from the interview was described, interpreted and summarized. The findings of the study emphasized the importance of English for agricultural engineering students. Besides, the study determined the students’ English language needs and depicted their learning preferences with regard to the ESP course. In the end, a number of implications and recommendations are drawn for the stakeholders.

Developing learners' critical thinking skills (CTS) has become the goal of education in gener... more Developing learners' critical thinking skills (CTS) has become the goal of education in general and higher education in particular. This is mainly due to the spread of technology, the change in job market requirements and the belief that CTS improve the civic, personal and professional life of individuals. Multiple definitions were given to the term 'critical thinking', but Ennis (1985) is adopted here, and Facione's (1994) classification of CTS is used as a basis. It comprises six major skills, specifically interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation and self-regulation, each of which includes sub-skills. There are three approaches to teaching of CTS: Process, content and mixed approach, and a number of classroom techniques are used, three examples of which are described, especially questioning, argument analysis and problem solving. When CTS are taught in large classes many challenges arise. These are classified under three categories: Pedagogical,...

This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among ... more This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among Moroccan 2nd year baccalaureate students and the strategies that can help reduce it. It aims at examining students’ and teachers’ beliefs regarding the use of information communication technology (ICT henceforth) enhanced speaking activities as a possible strategy that can alleviate foreign language speaking anxiety. To achieve this aim, the study employed a convergent mixed method design in which two questionnaire surveys, focus-group interviews and direct classroom observations were used to collect data from a sample of 212 students and 34 teachers. The results obtained reveal that second year baccalaureate students demonstrate moderate levels of foreign language classroom anxiety (N: 218, Mean: 97.67, S D = 21.519), as measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and a high level of speaking anxiety (N=218, Mean= 47.55). Moreover, the study yielded thorough lists ...

For over fifty years, English has been taught as a foreign language in Moroccan education, and th... more For over fifty years, English has been taught as a foreign language in Moroccan education, and this process has gone through a number of distinct stages. In its beginning, ELT in Morocco was a mere copy of the ELT in France in terms of teaching methods, pedagogical materials, and teachers, but gradually ELT in Morocco broke free from this dependence. However, there are still a number of issues which needs to be addressed in order to professionalise ELT in Morocco. This article is an evaluative reflection on Morocco’s experience in teaching English as a foreign language. The purpose is to trace back the developments of this experience, pinpoint the main characteristics which distinguishes it from ELT elsewhere, and propose courses of action to improve it.

The sheer growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has reshaped teaching and le... more The sheer growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has reshaped teaching and learning practices tremendously in the learning environments all over the globe. Research reveals that teachers are the key agents in the integration of ICT in particular in language teaching and learning. However, some of the many factors, this ICT integration are associated with teachers’ personal characteristics such as gender. Therefore, the current study investigates the Moroccan male and female teachers’ level of ICT integration in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the public secondary school EFL classrooms. This study aims to explore whether gender influences the way EFL teachers’ ICT use in the classroom. It is a survey which adopts a mixed-method approach of investigation, and two instruments are used to collect data: a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Eighty full-time teachers (45 male and 35 female teachers) belonging to different public secondary schools in the area of Agadir Idaoutanane and Inzegane Ait-Meloul participated in the study by answering a questionnaire, and eight teachers out of this sample (4 male and 4 female teachers) are interviewed. The results of data analysis reveal that although female teachers employed ICT in their teaching less than their male counterparts, there is no significant difference in using ICT in language teaching between the two groups. A number of propositions are presented as to how to incorporate ICT in language learning in the Moroccan secondary schools EFL contexts.

The aim of this study is to evaluate critical thinking skills (CTS) in a Moroccan textbook of Eng... more The aim of this study is to evaluate critical thinking skills (CTS) in a Moroccan textbook of English as a foreign language entitled Gateway to English 2 (GTE2 henceforth) according to Bloom's taxonomy. Alongside with this, a survey is conducted to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of a sample of Moroccan high school teachers towards CTS and their inclusion in the aforementioned textbook. The research design adopted in this study is the mixed methods research approach and three instruments are used to collect data: document analysis, a content analysis card and a questionnaire. The participants' sample consists of 75 Moroccan high school teachers of English who use GTE2 textbook. The three instruments were intended to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that the current educational policy aims to foster the CTS of Moroccan students, but the textbooks used, namely GTE2, targets only lower order thinking skills, especially comprehension, and application at the expense of higher order thinking skills which will benefit students both academically and professionally. For this reason, the study suggests activities and materials to enrich the textbook in terms of thinking skills.

For over fifty years, English has been taught as a foreign language in Moroccan education, and th... more For over fifty years, English has been taught as a foreign language in Moroccan education, and this process has gone through a number of distinct stages. In its beginning, ELT in Morocco was a mere copy of the ELT in France in terms of teaching methods, pedagogical materials, and teachers, but gradually ELT in Morocco broke free from this dependence. However, there are still a number of issues which needs to be addressed in order to professionalise ELT in Morocco. This article is an evaluative reflection on Morocco's experience in teaching English as a foreign language. The purpose is to trace back the developments of this experience, pinpoint the main characteristics which distinguishes it from ELT elsewhere, and propose courses of action to improve it.

This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among ... more This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among Moroccan 2nd year baccalaureate students and the strategies that can help reduce it. It aims at examining students' and teachers' beliefs regarding the use of information communication technology (ICT henceforth) enhanced speaking activities as a possible strategy that can alleviate foreign language speaking anxiety. To achieve this aim, the study employed a convergent mixed method design in which two questionnaire surveys, focus-group interviews and direct classroom observations were used to collect data from a sample of 212 students and 34 teachers. The results obtained reveal that second year baccalaureate students demonstrate moderate levels of foreign language classroom anxiety (N: 218, Mean: 97.67, S D = 21.519), as measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and a high level of speaking anxiety (N=218, Mean= 47.55). Moreover, the study yielded thorough lists of perceived causes of foreign language speaking anxiety and strategies which can help alleviate it. Different speaking anxiety manifestations were also identified. Additionally, this study revealed that teachers and students hold opposite beliefs regarding the use of ICT enhanced activities to reduce FL speaking anxiety. Keywords: English as a foreign language, EFL speaking anxiety, Moroccan students

Critical thinking has become a high priority in almost every institution and educational system a... more Critical thinking has become a high priority in almost every institution and educational system around the world, particularly since the second half of the 20 th century. Developing the learners' critical thinking skills has become an educational ideal that schools strive to achieve. There is a tacit consensus about the importance of incorporating critical thinking in education and ample literature has been written about it although there are different approaches to how this should be done. Integrating critical thinking skills in language instruction, however is a less explored area, especially when it comes to justifying this process. The main purpose of this paper is to present a rational for the inclusion of critical thinking skills in language teaching with reference to EFL and ESL. Five categories of reasons are suggested to support the implementation of critical thinking skills in the language classroom. The first is philosophical reasons related to the connection between language and thought. The second is cognitive and metacognitive reasons dealing with how critical thinking skills influence and are influenced by processes such as memory, comprehension and metacognition. The third is pedagogical reasons related the fact that many modern language teaching methods and techniques today require the learner to engage in problem solving, evaluation and decision making. The last are socioeconomic reasons linked to the requirements of the job market.

Developing learners' critical thinking skills (CTS) has become the goal of education in general a... more Developing learners' critical thinking skills (CTS) has become the goal of education in general and higher education in particular. This is mainly due to the spread of technology, the change in job market requirements and the belief that CTS improve the civic, personal and professional life of individuals. Multiple definitions were given to the term 'critical thinking', but Ennis (1985) is adopted here, and Facione's (1994) classification of CTS is used as a basis. It comprises six major skills, specifically interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, explanation and self-regulation, each of which includes sub-skills. There are three approaches to teaching of CTS: Process, content and mixed approach, and a number of classroom techniques are used, three examples of which are described, especially questioning, argument analysis and problem solving. When CTS are taught in large classes many challenges arise. These are classified under three categories: Pedagogical, organizational and affective, and finally three solutions are suggested, namely changing the teaching method, using Information communication technology (ICT) and working with teaching assistants (TAs).

International Arab Journal of English for Specific Purposes, Aug 17, 2021

International Journal of Language and Literary Studies

Developing Creative Thinking Skills in EFL Classes in Morocco, 2022

Journal of Education and Practice, 2021

International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 2019

The aim of this study is to evaluate critical thinking skills (CTS) in a Moroccan textbook of Eng... more The aim of this study is to evaluate critical thinking skills (CTS) in a Moroccan textbook of English as a foreign language entitled Gateway to English 2 (GTE2 henceforth) according to Bloom's taxonomy. Alongside with this, a survey is conducted to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of a sample of Moroccan high school teachers towards CTS and their inclusion in the aforementioned textbook. The research design adopted in this study is the mixed methods research approach and three instruments are used to collect data: document analysis, a content analysis card and a questionnaire. The participants' sample consists of 75 Moroccan high school teachers of English who use GTE2 textbook. The three instruments were intended to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings of the study revealed that the current educational policy aims to foster the CTS of Moroccan students, but the textbooks used, namely GTE2, targets only lower order thinking skills, especially comprehension, and application at the expense of higher order thinking skills which will benefit students both academically and professionally. For this reason, the study suggests activities and materials to enrich the textbook in terms of thinking skills.

For over fifty years, English has been taught as a foreign language in Moroccan education, and th... more For over fifty years, English has been taught as a foreign language in Moroccan education, and this process has gone through a number of distinct stages. In its beginning, ELT in Morocco was a mere copy of the ELT in France in terms of teaching methods, pedagogical materials, and teachers, but gradually ELT in Morocco broke free from this dependence. However, there are still a number of issues which needs to be addressed in order to professionalise ELT in Morocco. This article is an evaluative reflection on Morocco's experience in teaching English as a foreign language. The purpose is to trace back the developments of this experience, pinpoint the main characteristics which distinguishes it from ELT elsewhere, and propose courses of action to improve it.

This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among ... more This study investigates the causes and manifestations of foreign language speaking anxiety among Moroccan 2nd year baccalaureate students and the strategies that can help reduce it. It aims at examining students' and teachers' beliefs regarding the use of information communication technology (ICT henceforth) enhanced speaking activities as a possible strategy that can alleviate foreign language speaking anxiety. To achieve this aim, the study employed a convergent mixed method design in which two questionnaire surveys, focus-group interviews and direct classroom observations were used to collect data from a sample of 212 students and 34 teachers. The results obtained reveal that second year baccalaureate students demonstrate moderate levels of foreign language classroom anxiety (N: 218, Mean: 97.67, S D = 21.519), as measured by the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and a high level of speaking anxiety (N=218, Mean= 47.55). Moreover, the study yielded thorough lists of perceived causes of foreign language speaking anxiety and strategies which can help alleviate it. Different speaking anxiety manifestations were also identified. Additionally, this study revealed that teachers and students hold opposite beliefs regarding the use of ICT enhanced activities to reduce FL speaking anxiety. Keywords: English as a foreign language, EFL speaking anxiety, Moroccan students

Critical thinking has become a high priority in almost every institution and educational system a... more Critical thinking has become a high priority in almost every institution and educational system around the world, particularly since the second half of the 20 th century. Developing the learners' critical thinking skills has become an educational ideal that schools strive to achieve. There is a tacit consensus about the importance of incorporating critical thinking in education and ample literature has been written about it although there are different approaches to how this should be done. Integrating critical thinking skills in language instruction, however is a less explored area, especially when it comes to justifying this process. The main purpose of this paper is to present a rational for the inclusion of critical thinking skills in language teaching with reference to EFL and ESL. Five categories of reasons are suggested to support the implementation of critical thinking skills in the language classroom. The first is philosophical reasons related to the connection between language and thought. The second is cognitive and metacognitive reasons dealing with how critical thinking skills influence and are influenced by processes such as memory, comprehension and metacognition. The third is pedagogical reasons related the fact that many modern language teaching methods and techniques today require the learner to engage in problem solving, evaluation and decision making. The last are socioeconomic reasons linked to the requirements of the job market.