Study Habits Practiced by Twelfth Graders Learning English in Tulkarm District

The main purpose of this study was to assess study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District. The study tried also to investigate the effect of respondents' gender, stream, average and place of residence on study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District to this end, this study attempted to answer the following question: 1- What are the most common and the least common study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District ? The study attempted also to test the following null hypotheses: 2- There is no significant difference at(α=0.05) in study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District due to gender variable. 2-There is no significant difference at (α =0.05) in study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District due to stream variable. 3-There is no significant difference at (α =0.05) in study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District due to average. 4- There is no significant difference at (α =0.05) in study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm District due to place of residence. The sample of the study represented 23.5% of the population and the number of students who responded to the questionnaire was 305 out of the whole population of students (1299). The researcher developed a questionnaire based on Al-Busaidi (1996) for the purpose of this study .The questionnaire consisted of 62 items distributed on eleven domains. The Arabic version of questionnaire targeted twelfth graders so as to make sure that all the items of the questionnaire are comprehended by the whole sample of the study. The validity of the instrument was established for each of the eleven domains by referring it to six experts. The reliability of the instrument for the five domains and the total domain was 0.94 This was considered to be high reliability and sufficient for the purpose of the study. Finding of the study: 1- The most common study habits practiced by twelfth graders learning English in Tulkarm district were motivation and attitudes towards studying,"test preparation and test taking, and taking and studying lesson notes. The leastcommon study habits were listening and viewing practice, speaking practice and vocabulary and word skills. 2- Study habits practiced by twelfth graders, learning English in Tulkarm District, were affected by gender variable. The differences in study habits were on time management and concentration, basic skills, memory training, listening and viewing practise, speaking practise and total score in favor of male. 3- Study habits practiced by twelfth graders, learning English in Tulkarm District were affected little by stream variable. The differences in study habits were on time management and concentration in favor of literary stream and on listening and viewing practise in favor of scientific stream. 4- Study habits practised by twelfth graders, learning English in Tulkarm District, were affected by average variable. The differences in study habits on motivation and attitudes towards study, vocabulary and words skills, taking and studying lesson notes, time management and concentration, environment, basic skills, memory training, test preparation and taking and total score of study habits in favor of 90% and more. 5- Study habits practised by twelfth graders, learning English in Tulkarm District, were affected little by Place of residence variable. There was a significant difference in study habits on speaking practice. In the light of the results of this study, the researcher would like to recommend the following :- 1- The Palestinian Ministry of Education is invited introduce a subject called Learn how to learn in secondary schools. "Through this subject, students' study skills and habits. 2- If study habits are as important as the Palestinian Ministry of Education believes they are, they should receive attention among teachers, parents, Directorate of Education and the curriculum designers. 3- The directorates of education are invited to establish centers and clubs for learning English so as to give English learners opportunities to obtain study habits and skills which could assist all students with their learning weakness and to provide necessary materials, English cassettes, films and program for learning English. Moreover, students can practice the English language inside the clubs and centers from time to time or at any time he or she wants. 4- The Palestinian Ministry of Education has to emphasis with motivation and change attitudes towards studying English. It was the most important variable which affected directly student's achievement. By giving more importance to motivation and attitudes towards studying and learning English language in general, it will be useful for the Directorate of Education and the Ministry of Education concerned to make serious attempts emphasis this trend among the students. 5- The Directorate of Education is advised to hold regular meetings and workshops for English language teachers to try to improve students motivation and positive attitudes towards studying English language; furthermore, it has to meet students, need and work with students and their parents in improving good study habits and skills. 6- The Directorate of Education is invited to produce a journal once at least every semester that deals with how to learn and study English language, how to organize time, and choose suitable place and time for studying, how to improve good study habits and skills of English language and English learners' and teachers' problems. 7- Asking the director of educational television to show programs about the following: English learning programs, the importance of learning English, how to organize students' time, describing suitable environment for learning English and teaching English learners' problems, and English learning programs, songs and films. 8- English language supervisors are invited to give special attention to English tests especially midterm exams and final exams. English tests should include subjective questions and essay questions, and cover all the stream text book, and material. Moreover, English test, should take care of the four skills: Listening, speaking, reading and writing. This will give students opportunities to develop their abilities to answer different kinds of questions.