Investigating Female Students’ Perspectives towards Learning Speaking Skills, their Level of Participation and the Challenges they face: Grade Nine Female Students at Agaro Secondary School in focus

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the female students’ perspectives, their level of participation in EFL speaking class and challenges they face. The study was conducted on a sample of 105female students selected through simple random sampling technique. Descriptive research design was applied in the study. To collect the required data for the study, questionnaire, in-depth interview and classroom observation were used as an instrument. The data gathered using these instruments were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings of the study indicated that Agaro secondary school female students have a good perspective towards English language classrooms. Moreover, female students have a low level of participation in speaking skill in EFL class which very few numbers students participate frequently in English language classrooms in speaking lesson. Besides, they face personal level, teacher level, and family level problems that hinder them very well in English language class. Conclusively, grade nine female students of Agaro secondary school have good perspectives towards and low level of participation speaking skill EFL classroom. Thus, pertinent bodies specifically teachers and the school community should design female student's active participation methods. The school should also create a welcoming and networked school environment that accelerates female school language skill resilience.