Republic of Sudan

Nile Valley University

College of Graduate Studies
English Department

University Students’ Perception of E-Learning

(A Case Study of King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia 2018)

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements of Master’s Degree in

Applied Linguistics

Submitted By:
Ahmed Dahy Ahmed Mohammed

Supervised By:
Prof. Ibrahim Al-Fiky

August 2018
 Dedication

This is dedicated with love to my mother and my brothers, Tarik and Ayman, who

have always encouraged me to work hard for the things that I pursue to achieve.

This work is also dedicated to my wife, Heba. I am truly thankful for having you in

my life. This is also to my lovely kids; Rokaya, Al-Moayad, Fatima and Al-Baraa.

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 Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank Prof. Ibrahim Alfeky, the supervisor of this study, for his patience,
support and cooperation. Many Thanks! I am grateful to my mother, who have provided me
through moral and emotional support in my life. I am also grateful to my other family members
and friends who have supported me along the way. A very special gratitude goes out to all my
colleagues at the English Language Institute, King Abdulaziz University for helping and
providing the data for the study. With a special mention to Dr. Ezzelddin Mohammed, Maher
Dawoud, Mohammed Abu Ouf, Mahmoud Farraj, Hussam Rajab for their unfailing support and
assistance. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to work the whole of my research in the
English Language Institute. What a cracking place to work!

And finally, last but by no means least, also to everyone in the College of Graduate Studies at
Nile Valley University.

Thanks for all your encouragement!

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 English Abstract

The present study investigates university students’ perception of E-learning in

Saudi Arabia. The researcher used the descriptive analytic method to incorporate
quantitative instruments to accomplish the objectives of the study, employing
questionnaires. The participants were 84 male Saudi university students in the PYP
program. A t-test analysis was used to analyze the results and a Pearson’s
correlation as well. The results assured that students had a very high positive
attitude towards E-learning and provided advantages and disadvantages to it. The
participating students assured a very high attitude of incorporating e-learning in
their future studies. The conclusion of the study is that the PYP language programs
should consider using e-learning as a tool to improve the current learning
environment. The study recommends that authorities and decision makers afford
universities with capabilities that help university professors and ease their task to
use e-learning strategies in their classes.

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 ‫ﻣﺴﺘﺨﻠﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ‬

‫ﺗﮭﺪف ھﺬه اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﻟﻤﻌﺮﻓﺔ اﺗﺠﺎھﺎت اﻟﻄﻼب اﻟﺴﻨﺔ اﻟﺘﺤﻀﯿﺮﯾﺔ ﺑﺠﺎﻣﻌﺔ اﻟﻤﻠﻚ ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﻌﺰﯾﺰ ازاء‬
‫اﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻢ اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺴﻌﻮدﯾﺔ ‪ .‬اﺳﺘﺨﺪم اﻟﺒﺎﺣﺚ اﻟﻤﻨﮭﺞ اﻟﻮﺻﻔﻲ‬
‫اﻟﺘﺤﻠﯿﻠﻲ ﻟﺪﻣﺞ اﻷدوات اﻟﻜﻤﯿﺔ ﻹﻧﺠﺎز أھﺪاف اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ‪ ،‬ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻻﺳﺘﺒﯿﺎﻧﺎت‪ .‬ﻛﺎن اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﻮن‬
‫‪ 84‬طﺎﻟﺐ ﺟﺎﻣﻌﻲ ﺳﻌﻮدي ﻓﻲ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ اﻟﺘﺤﻀﯿﺮﯾﺔ‪ .‬ﺗﻢ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ اﺧﺘﺒﺎر ‪ t‬ﻟﺘﺤﻠﯿﻞ‬
‫اﻟﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ وﻋﻼﻗﺔ ﺑﯿﺮﺳﻮن ﻛﺬﻟﻚ‪ .‬وأﻛﺪت اﻟﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ أن اﻟﻄﻼب ﻟﺪﯾﮭﻢ ﻣﻮﻗﻒ إﯾﺠﺎﺑﻲ ﻟﻠﻐﺎﯾﺔ ﺗﺠﺎه اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻢ‬
‫اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ‪ ،‬وﺳﺎﻗﻮا ﻣﺰاﯾﺎ وﻋﯿﻮب ﻟﺬﻟﻚ‪ .‬أﻛﺪ اﻟﻄﻼب اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﻮن ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﻮﻗﻒ ﻋﺎل ﺟﺪا ﻣﻦ دﻣﺞ‬
‫اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻢ اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ دراﺳﺎﺗﮭﻢ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﯿﺔ‪ .‬ﺗﻮﺻﻠﺖ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ إﻟﻲ أن ﺑﺮاﻣﺞ اﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺴﻨﺔ‬
‫اﻟﺘﺤﻀﯿﺮﯾﺔ ﯾﻨﺒﻐﻲ أن ﺗﻨﻈﺮ ﻓﻲ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻢ اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ﻛﺄداة ﻟﺘﺤﺴﯿﻦ ﺑﯿﺌﺔ اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻢ اﻟﺤﺎﻟﯿﺔ ‪.‬‬
‫وﺗﻮﺻﻲ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ اﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎت وﺻﻨﺎع اﻟﻘﺮار ﺑﺘﺰوﯾﺪ اﻟﺠﺎﻣﻌﺎت ﺑﺎﻟﻘﺪرات اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﺴﺎﻋﺪ اﻷﺳﺎﺗﺬة‬
‫اﻟﺠﺎﻣﻌﯿﯿﻦ وﺗﺴﮭﻞ ﻣﮭﻤﺘﮭﻢ ﻓﻲ اﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﺳﺘﺮاﺗﯿﺠﯿﺎت اﻟﺘﻌﻠﻢ اﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ ﺗﺪرﯾﺲ طﻼﺑﮭﻢ ‪.‬‬

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 Table of Contents
Items
Dedication …………………………………………………………….………. ii
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………. iii
Abstract (English) ……………………………………………………………. iv
Abstract (Arabic) ……………………………………………………….……. v
Table of Contents ……………………………………………………….……. vi
List of Tables ………………………………………………………………… ix
List of Abbreviations ……………………………………………………….… x

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Background……………………………………………………………. 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem…………………………………………….… 2
1.3 The aim of the Study…………………...………………………….…… 3
1.4 Significance of the Study…………...………………...……………….. 3
1.5 Research Questions...………………...………………………………... 3
1.6 Research Hypotheses …......…………………………………………… 4
1.7 Limits of the Study……………………..………………………………. 4
1.8 Research Methodology………………………………………………… 5
1.9 Definition of Key Concepts………………………………………….… 5

Chapter Two: Literature Review

2.1 Introduction……...…………………………………………………...... 6
2.2 Definition of E-learning…………………….…………………….…… 6
2.3 Types of E-learning ………………………..……………………….… 7
2.4 Forms of E-learning ………………………..……………………….… 8

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2.5 Related Studies ………………….………..……………………….… 8
2.6 Theoretical Framework ………………….………..………………… 10

Chapter Three: Research Methodology

3.1 Introduction……………..…………………………………………..…. 19
3.2 The Research Design and Approach 19
3.3 Population of the Study 20
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 20
3.5 Data Collection Sources 21
3.5.1 Secondary Sources of Data Collection 21
3.5.2 Primary Sources of Data Collection 22
3.6 Method of Data Collection 22
3.7 The Questionnaire Reliability and Validity 23
3.7.1 The Questionnaire Validity 23
3.7.2 The Questionnaire Reliability 24
3.8 Statistical Techniques For Data Analysis 25

Chapter Four: Results and Discussion

4.1 Introduction……………. ……………………………………………... 27
4.2 Section One: Analysis of Information Related to Students Sample 27
4.3 Results and Analysis of Research Questions….. …………………… 30
4.3.1 Results of Research Question One 31
4.3.2 Results of Research Question Two 36
4.3.3 Results of Research Question Three 40
4.4 Results of Testing Research Hypotheses ………...………….. 42
4.4.1 Results of Testing Hypothesis One …………………………. 42

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 4.4.2 Results of Testing Hypothesis Two …………………………. 43
4.4.3 Results of Testing Hypothesis Three …………………………. 44
4.4.4 Results of Testing Hypothesis Four …………………………. 44
4.4.5 Results of Testing Hypothesis Five …………………………. 45
4.4.6 Results of Testing Hypothesis Six …………………………. 46

Chapter Five: Conclusion and Findings

5.1 Introduction ……………………………………………..…………….. 47
5.2 Main Findings ………………………………………..………………... 47
5.3 Recommendations and Suggestions …………………..……………….. 49
5.4 Suggestions for Further Research …………………..…………………. 50
References ………………………………………….……………………….. 51
Appendices ………………………………………….………………………. 55

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 List of Tables
Pg.
Table 3.1 the questionnaire validity 23
Table 3.2 survey method reliability 24
Table 3.3 Likert Scale 26
Table 4.1 participants distribution according to age 27
Table 4.2 participants distribution according to academic level 28
Table 4.3 students perceptions regarding having a personal computer 28
Table 4.4 perceptions regarding having access to internet at home 29
Table 4.5 students’ perceptions regarding their experience in using computer 29
Table 4.6 Present the participants perceptions regarding the students 31
attitudes towards e-learning in King Abdulaziz University in
Jeddah.
Table 4.7 Present the perceived advantages and disadvantages of e-learning 36
from KAU students perspectives
Table 4.8 The results of multiple regression analysis to examine the effects 40
of specific student-related factors on their attitudes towards e-
learning
Table 4.9 The correlation relationship between students attitudes towards E- 42
learning and the students perceived of the advantages of E-
learning
Table 4.10 The correlation relationship between students attitudes towards E- 43
learning and the students age.
Table 4.11 The correlation relationship between students attitudes towards E- 44
learning and the students level
Table 4.12 The correlation relationship between students attitudes towards E- 45
learning and having a personal computer
Table 4.13 The correlation relationship between students attitudes towards E- 45
learning and having an internet access at home
Table 4.14 The correlation relationship between students attitudes towards E- 46
learning and previous experience in using computer

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List of Abbreviations:

KAU King Abdulaziz University

ELI English Language Institute

PYP Preparatory Year Program

e-Learning Electronic Learning