EVALUATION OF PREPARATION PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS SPECIALIZING IN LEARNING DISABILITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA

The purpose of this study was to provide an evaluation of the undergraduate special education teacher preparation program at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A final sample of 160 LD teachers provided the data used for analysis. Data for the study were collected by a survey consisting of five subscales: coursework, internship quality, classroom applications, professors teaching skills, and personal learning experience. Descriptive statistics were run to describe the personal characteristics of participants. ANOVA was used to determine whether the independent variables—gender, teaching experience, and/or LD as first choice of specialization—predicted the teachers\u27 perceptions of their preparation program. There was no statistically significant difference in perceptions by predicted independent variables. In general, results indicated that most LD teachers agreed their preparation program was effective. However, LD teachers rated coursework and professors\u27 teaching skills subscales as not effective. Althabet (2002) found a significant difference between male and female MR teachers while the current study did not find this significant difference. This is might be due to the improvement in the department since 2002 which now offers scholarships for females to get advanced degrees. This has equalized the differences in the teaching and training of female and male students. LD teachers offered their own suggestions for the improvement of their preparation program. Recommendations for teacher preparation programs and for future research are also provided.\u2

Using Concept MappingPattern Matching to Develop a Conceptual Framework for Successful Transition of First Year Saudi Students into Postsecondary Education

This study identified the future ideal functions of PYP and developed a conceptual framework for the program at King Saud University. Four research questions were answered in this study including: 1) Using the Concept Mapping/Pattern Matching methodology, how do Saudi male and female postsecondary stakeholders conceptualize the future ideal functions of Preparatory Year Deanship to help students successfully transition into their first year of college/university?; 2) Does this Concept Mapping/Pattern Matching conceptualization compare and contrast with the current working model of the Preparatory Year Program at King Saud University?; 3) Does this Concept Mapping/Pattern Matching conceptualization compare and contrast with King Saud University\u27s explicit strategic plan?; and 4) When conducting a Concept Mapping/Pattern Matching conceptualization, how do the results for males compare and contrast with the results for females?;The Concept Mapping/Pattern Matching methodology advanced by (Trochim 1989a, 1989b; Kane & Trochim, 2007) utilized for data collection and analyzing. Fourteen male including 2-PYP students, 1-Medicine College Faculty, 1-Business Administration College Faculty, 1-Engineering College Faculty, 4-PYP Faculty, 1-Academic Advising Faculty at PYP, 1-Students Affairs Faculty at KSU, 1- Students Affairs at PYP, and 2-Educational Company and nine female including 3-PYP\u27 students, 1- Pharmacy College Faculty, 2-PYP Faculty, 2-Parents, and 1-Educational Company participated in two separate brainstorming sessions. The male participants generated 48 statements and the female group generated 36 statements. The participants in each group sorted the generating statements individually into groups and rated them based on a five-point scale for relative importance and institutional efficacy.;For each group male/female the Multidimensional Scaling and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis were conducted to create various concept maps, the final one being a seven-cluster and six-cluster concept map for male and female, respectively, representing the stakeholders\u27 conceptualization of the field being studied. Following the creation of the concept maps for each group, the resulting priorities and their conceptualization schema were both compared and contrasted to the current working model of PYP and the explicit strategic plan of KSU (KSU2030) for similarities and differences in a qualitative document analysis. The male and female perceptions were also compared and contrasted.;The study revealed three main dimensions for developing PYP at KSU including Organizational design and structure, Pedagogical functionality, and Student services. Further, seven foundational principles may be embraced to develop the three dimensions previously mentioned including: 1) adopting a talent philosophy to first meet student\u27s needs and then the institution\u27s mission; 2) a flexible PYP model to meet individual student\u27s needs; (3) applying a pedagogical on theory-based; (4) reorganizing PYP\u27s tasks and centralizing student\u27s services; (5) involving KSU\u27s colleges; (6) supporting non- filtering program; and (7) adopting self-operation. The significance of this study for the educational policymaker, planner, and developer, is that the findings can be used as a model to make student\u27s transition into postsecondary education successful

Understanding the change processes resulting from accreditation of colleges in Saudi Arabia

Change is inevitable in the life of any organisation, including higher education institutions, in order for it to survive and compete. In Saudi Arabia, the process of accreditation has involved many higher education institutions in order to improve the quality of education provided to students. However, accreditation has been problematic for many Saudi colleges and the change processes resulting from it is not well understood, nor reported on in any depth, from the perspective of those actively involved. Therefore, the present study aims to develop an understanding of the change processes resulting from accreditation by investigating the perceptions of faculty members in the College of Education and College of Arts at King Saud University which have undertaken the accreditation process and been successfully accredited by international accreditation bodies. Three research questions were developed to guide this study: 1) What are the perceptions of faculty members about the process of accreditation?; 2) How have education faculty policies and procedures changed as a result of accreditation?; and 3) What are the challenges and benefits for a faculty seeking accreditation? A case study methodology was used to gain an in-depth understanding of the accreditation process as experienced by the participants in the two colleges. This study employed various methods to collect data from multiple sources, including a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The participants were purposively chosen from among the faculty members who had been actively involved in the accreditation process in the two colleges. The major finding of this study was consistent with the existing literature that claims that change is a complex and multidimensional process. A nuanced understanding of the change processes in Saudi Arabia requires a combination of models of change based primarily on the teleological model with additional influences from the political, social cognitive and cultural models of change. The accreditation process was perceived by respondents as an opportunity to critically examine their programs and policies and identify their strengths and weaknesses. It also enabled the development of the conceptual framework of the CoE, strategic plan of the CoA, and the core proficiencies that each student in both colleges is expected to demonstrate upon graduation. Moreover, the process helped in the development of a systematic assessment approach for data gathering and analysis to assess program performance. It also increased collaboration among male and female faculty members, increased female members’ participation in the decision-making process, and improved cooperation between the colleges and their relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, the accreditation process in both colleges was facilitated by a number of factors, such as the strong level of commitment from senior leaders, the creation of a new organisational structure and the establishment of the position of Vice Dean of Development and Quality, and greater communication. However, the process in both colleges was also inhibited by a number of factors including faculty members’ resistance to change and identification of insufficient resources. The main implication of this study is that leaders in Saudi higher education context should be aware of the complexity of change and not focus solely on one model for change, but instead give great considerations to multiple models of change. Learning and applying more than one model may provide change leaders a larger set of tools to effectively work with the process of accreditation

Volume 16, Number 01

Full text of Volume 16, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/rtt/1036/thumbnail.jp

The experience of transition from high school to university : a qualitative exploration of perceptions of first year female students at King Saud University

Student retention has been one of the critical areas affecting university staff and students. Efforts to understand and remedy this problem have drawn research attention to the issue of transition. This study explored the problems faced by first year female students during transition to King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative research was conducted, using an interpretive case study framework, over a longitudinal time-scale. The viewpoints of 21 participants from three faculties were captured through three phases of semi-structured interviews: one within the third week of the first semester, one at the end of the first semester, and one in the middle of the second semester. The purpose of doing so was to obtain insight into how students’ perceptions of the academic, social, and institutional (for example, support) aspects of the university changed over time as they acquired new experiences in the university setting.The findings indicate that first-year students often did not sufficiently understand the differences between high school and university in term of their responsibilities as independent learners. They were therefore unprepared for the academic and social changes they faced. Students often struggled to cope with the university’s academic demands, as they lacked a prior realistic comprehension of the learning and teaching mode in university. Socially, students were somewhat isolated at university, as a result of not participating in extra-curriculum activities and having limited relationships with lecturers. Their university participation was mainly confined to academic work. Over time, many of the students recognized the limitations of the academic skills and strategies they brought to university. First semester examinations prompted a crisis, which encouraged students in the second semester, to devote more time to their studies, to enhance their skills and competence, and to seek help from inside and outside sources. The findings challenge some aspects of existing theory. For example, students did not show a clear linear progression through the transition stages, with a marked separation from their former life. They also adopted support strategies that potentially expand the notion of communities of practice

Design research on systems thinking approach in veterinary education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of a newly designed systems approach to the problem of students\u27 lack of big-picture experience in the College of Veterinary Medicine. To determine whether students\u27 performance on problem-solving for various scenarios improved after intervention , a design research methodology was adopted to develop a systems-approach teaching and learning environment. Three iterations were conducted, with improvements to the instructional approach following each of the first two iterations. The results supported the hypothesis that instructional intervention led to modest but statistically significant increases in students\u27 use of system thinking across the three experimental studies. However, the instructor indicated the need for faculty systems-approach training, whereas students tended to request hands-on practice to understand and retain systems thinking skills. Furthermore, there was a significant improvement from pretest to posttest for the beef scenario, demonstrating transfer of systems thinking to a topic for which systems-approach instruction was not provided. The qualitative data suggested that most students found systems thinking was beneficial for macro systems, such as food production, but not for micro systems such, as individual small-animal biological systems

Female Faculty Perspectives On Blended Learning At Universities In Saudi Arabia

Adopting technology is one of the priorities in the Saudi education system. The reform of Saudi education leads to the need to focus on BL as a tool for adopting technology into any college classroom. This study focuses specifically on technology usage for teaching among female faculty. In 2018, women’s education in Saudi Arabia has undergone an incredible social transition, and women’s education is different and more advanced than before. This study looks to learn about female faculty members’ views and experiences as they relate to the adoption of BL in their classrooms. It seeks to provide in-depth knowledge essential to adopt BL according to a Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theoretical framework. DOI explains adoption in the social setting with all the possible social culture factors. The TAM explains faculty level acceptance, specifically explaining external factors’ effects on faculty members’ beliefs and influencing them toward the BL. Because this study gathers information on female faculty members’ experiences with BL, a qualitative theme analysis was the appropriate research design to use. In particular, I used a qualitative research method to study female faculty members’ perspectives, collecting data via individual interviews. It is included interviews with female faculty members from four public, 4-year institutions in Saudi Arabia. Faculty members’ flexibility and their relationship to the adoption of BL depended on their benefits and challenges. According to this study’s participants, the challenges of the BL approach in Saudi Arabia necessitate urgent strategic plans at all levels. Faculty members’ knowledge and understanding regarding the definitions of BL showed their acceptance. Faculty support should be a priority for these institutions, which should adopt policies to help achieve Vision 2030—a natural, well-organized way to reform higher education. The gender aspect of the teaching culture considerably impacts the female faculty’s use of BL in Saudi Arabia. This study’s results—that the women faculty believe there is a need for evaluation, and official leadership rules for the adoption of BL. To summarize, the results indicated that women adopted BL when circumstances permitted. The obstacles, in their eyes, were a lack of faculty support, poor strategic evaluation plans, and insufficient empowerment at the institutional level

Educational Considerations, vol. 38(2) Full Issue

Educational Considerations, vol. 38(2)-Spring-2011-Full issu

Volume 11, Number 02

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What is revealed about disability services and how they are communicated to autistic students in higher education institutions in the UK and Saudi Arabia through the medium of the university website: A documentary analysis

Disability services in higher education (HE) settings broadly focus on removing barriers to learning and enhancing students’ learning and development. This research focuses on understanding how disability services are presented to students with autism in the websites of Saudi and UK HE institutions. University websites are especially important for students with disabilities, including students with autism, as these are likely to be the first medium they encounter regarding how a university views them and responds to their needs. However, little, if any, research seems to have previously been conducted in this area. A clear need therefore exists to understand how the disability services presented to this population are mediated via such websites. The research project reported in this thesis was conducted in three stages. The first stage involved identifying the types of services that seem to be offered to university students with autism in the websites of 153 UK and 58 Saudi Arabian universities, as well as manually evaluating the visibility and navigability of these websites using a set of criteria. Identifying the types of services that seem to be offered in HE institutions’ websites helped develop a better understanding of these services and facilitated the second stage of this research. The second stage involved a sample of 15 Saudi and UK HE institutions’ websites that seemed to offer autism-specific services rather than just generic services, which were examined through in-depth discourse analysis and thematic analysis. This stage closely evaluated how HE institutions communicated their autism-specific provisions to the visitors of their websites. The third stage involved content analysis and thematic analysis of the websites of four universities—two from Saudi Arabia and two from the UK—as well as a comparison of these universities in terms of the influences that seemed to shape the organisation of their disability services. This stage aimed to understand the differences between the UK and Saudi contexts in the disability services offered to autistic students. The findings of this research show the nature of the provision offered according to the websites of Saudi and UK universities and the way this provision is communicated. The results of this study may benefit students on the autism spectrum, as well as professionals in the field, by revealing how disability service centres seem to understand the needs of university students with autism, as portrayed through their websites