Students' and instructors' perceptions of powerPoint use in ELT classrooms

The current study aimed to identify both the students’ ( graduate and undergraduate ) and the instructors’ perceptions of PowerPoint Presentation (PPP) use in ELT Classrooms. The study was conducted in the Department of Foreign Language Education ( FLE) at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). It also attempted to find out the differences in perceptions between the graduate and the undergraduate students as well as between the students and the instructors. This case study used mixed method approach to research. The participants of the study were 108 students ( graduate and undergraduate ) and 10 instructors of FLE Department at EMU. The data were collected using student and instructor questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that both the students and the instructors had positive perceptions regarding the use of PPP in ELT classes. They believed that PPP is an easy and interesting tool to use in the classrooms. However, they varied in their preferences concerning PPP. The data showed that the students preferred decorative and light colored backgrounds while the instructors had some uncertainties regarding these preferences. In addition, although the undergraduate and graduate students showed similarities in their perceptions regarding PPP use, they differed in their preferences. For instance, the graduate students believed that the slides should work as discussion points in the classrooms while the undergraduate students believed that slides should include interesting multimedia features. The findings of this study may have some practical implications for instructors and students. More specifically, they may help the instructors and the students to gain awareness about the important role of PPP in learning and teaching. Also, the findings may provide feedback for the instructors as regards their students’ preferences, so that they can integrate more effective PPPs into their classrooms. Moreover, the study has some suggestions for future studies such as focusing on the topics of motivation and learning styles in relation to PPP. Keywords: PowerPoint Presentation (PPP), PPP in ELT, Perceptions, Preferences.