Students’ Perceptions towards Using Google Classroom Application in EFL Classroom during the COVID-19 Pandemic at Thai – Nichi Institute of Technology

Abstract

The purposes of this research were 1) to investigate the students’ perceptions towards using the Google Classroom Application in the EFL classroom at Thai – Nichi Institute of Technology (TNI) and 2) to find out the benefits of using the Google Classroom Application in the EFL classroom at TNI. The sample of one hundred was taken from first-year students taking the English Foundation Course at TNI during the first semester of the 2021 academic year. The method of sample selection was purposive sampling based on the classes assigned by the registrar office of TNI to the researcher. The research instrument used to collect the data was a questionnaire with the overall value index of item objective congruence (IOC) at the rate of 1.00. The methodology of data collection was conducted through a survey questionnaire and an interview. Frequency, percentage, and content analysis were used for data analysis. The result of this research showed a positive perception of learners towards the Google Classroom Application when learning English. Most of the interviewed participants reported that the Google Classroom Application was easy to use and that it also provided real-time feedback from the teacher because Google Classroom allowed the teacher to send announcements and start class discussions right away. Therefore, the participants had positive attitudes toward using the Google Classroom Application during the COVID-19 pandemic.