Bridging the digital divide: a comparative study of EFL students’ perceptions towards using open educational resources in writing graduation research

Introduction As the pioneering study in the Iraqi context, this research addresses a critical scholarly gap by investigating university EFL students' perceptions towards the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and their accessibility during the vital process of writing graduation research. Methods Utilizing a comparative descriptive framework, the study evaluates potential disparities between public and private institutional contexts in Iraq. A psychometrically validated 25-item scale (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.918) was administered to a random sample of 140 fourth-year students from the University of Baghdad, College of Education Ibn Rushd for Humanities (Public) and Al-Mansour University College (Private). Results Data analysis via a one-sample t-test revealed a significantly high positive perception (Mean = 92.44) towards OER integration compared to the hypothetical mean (75). Furthermore, independent samples t-tests indicated no statistically significant differences based on college type (t = 0.136, p > 0.05) or gender (t = 0.846, p > 0.05). Discussion The findings suggest a standardized digital infrastructure and synchronized resource accessibility across the Iraqi higher education sector. The study concludes that OER serve as a transformative tool for fostering self-regulated learning and academic integrity, recommending further institutional support to sustain digital inclusion for EFL researchers in developing academic settings like Iraq.