Students’ perceptions on non-native English speaking teachers (Non-NESTs) and native English speaking teachers (NESTs): A scale development study

Abstract

The goal of this study is to develop a reliable and valid scale to reveal the perceptions of university preparatory class students towards non-NESTs and NESTs with regard to speaking, listening, culture, content, interaction with learners, and classroom language. It is intended to present a comprehensive picture of the strengths and differences of NESTs and non-NESTs through a scale developed by the researchers using the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL) self-assessment descriptors as a framework. For research validity, a pilot study was carried out with 309 preparatory class students studying at Süleyman Demirel University. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) techniques have been used to establish the structural and construct validity of the scale. Perceptions towards NESTs and non-NESTs Scale (PNNS), which comprise 18 items collected under 2 factors, was developed. The main study has been conducted with 284 students studying in English preparatory classes of 6 different faculties at Dokuz Eylül University. The reliability of the PNNS has been found as 0.94; thus, it would be justified to argue that the PNNS is a reliable and valid data collection tool.