A Survey of Qualities of a Good Teacher: The Case of Arab EFL Teachers and Learners’ Viewpoints

Abstract

This study was intended to scrutinize the EFL teachers’ qualities that students appreciate and those that the EFL teachers highlighted. This questionnaire-based survey study was both qualitative and quantitative and employed a correlational method to answer the addressed questions. The participants were selected among EFL teachers and students whose native language was Arabic with different ages, academic statuses, and periods of English teaching/learning experience. The findings showed that characteristics related to the Classical Aspect were the most important for the students. For teachers, the Social-Cultural and Technology Aspects were equally important, but the teacher characteristics related to the Classical Aspect were more important than the other aspects. However, no particular pattern of similarity or difference existed between teachers’ and students’ perceptions. Moreover, the teachers’ job experiences and the students’ academic year were proved to have no significant role in their perceptions.

Keywords

• education
• efl teachers
• efl learners
• teacher education
• teacher qualities