Perceptions of primary, secondary, and high school students regarding native and nonnative English speaking teachers in an EFL context

Changes and developments in fields such as economics, education, finance, and history have influenced the status of English worldwide and given it global importance. The abovementioned fields have contributed to the popularization of English in various aspects and led to the acceptance of English as a lingua franca. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of primary, secondary, and high school students at a school where English is taught as a foreign language by native and non-native English-speaking teachers. Additionally, the approaches and methods used by native and non-native English-speaking teachers, and the behaviors and attitudes of students toward their teachers were observed in the classroom context. In this research study, data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. A total of 103 students (17 primary, 49 secondary, and 37 high school students) receiving education at a private school responded to the questionnaire. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 students chosen via convenience sampling, and a total of six classroom observations were conducted. Students evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of native and non-native English-speaking teachers on specific topics in detail, and the results revealed that students learn more about different cultures and acquire skills in English with their native English-speaking teachers, while their non-native English-speaking teachers empathize with the language learning process of students. Students also evaluated several criteria to distinguish native speakers from non-native speakers of English and concluded that skin color or being born in a country where English is spoken as a mother tongue does not determine whether a person's mother tongue is English or not. Additionally, the results of the classroom observation were consistent with the results of the questionnaire and interviews. This study aims to make important contributions to the field of English language teaching and has implications for native and non-native English instructors and teachers, material developers, and curriculum designers. Keywords: English language teaching (ELT), English as a foreign language (EFL), native English-speaking teachers (NESTs), non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), classroom practices.