Saudi Mothers’ Attitudes Towards Their Children’s Bilingual Language Practices in the United States

abstract: The largest scholarship program of its kind worldwide, the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which began in 2005, allowed any Saudi Arabian citizen admitted into an approved higher education institution worldwide to receive a full scholarship, allowing more than 200,000 students to study abroad. A large portion of the Saudi scholarship students commonly study abroad with their families; either they have young children or are newly married and have children while they are in the United States. Since these children are primarily exposed to English environments in their communities, daycare centers and schools during their time in the United States, they often face challenges to learn Arabic other than at home with their parents. This dynamic can pose many challenges for the children and their families when returning to and adapting back to life in Saudi Arabia, linguistically, educationally and culturally. This research aims at: 1) investigating the language context of the Saudi mothers and children abroad, 2) understanding Saudi mothers' attitudes towards their children’s bilingualism in the United States and, 3) highlighting Saudi mothers’ roles in supporting language skill and the development of their children while living outside of Saudi Arabia. To achieve this, data was collected using three qualitative methods: interviews and brief surveys with Saudi mothers, and observation of their children in their playrooms. The findings suggest that educators in Saudi Arabia should be aware that those returning may sometimes need assistance to be able to fit linguistically in the community.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Linguistics and Applied Linguistics 201

Saudi Parents’ Perceptions About Their Role In Their Children’s Education In American Elementary Schools

This mixed-methods research study examines the influence of cultural mismatches on minority parents’ involvement in their children\u27s education. Particularly, how Saudi families in the United States perceive their role in their children’s education in American elementary schools. Data were collected from 212 completed self-administered surveys and 20 Saudi mothers’ participation in four focus group interviews. Exploratory statistical analysis for the numerical data and qualitative template analysis for the raw data were utilized. Triangulation of the findings reveals great agreements with few areas of conflicts between the two data sets indicating that Saudi parents understanding of the way of being in the school culture is impacted by their home cultural practices. The survey data indicated a sufficient level of Saudi parents’ involvement. However, the focus group interviews revealed that Saudi parents have different beliefs and role expectations than mainstream schools; such conflict prevents parents from being effectively involved in their children’s learning. Implications of the research findings are discussed and future research topics are recommended

Male and female emirati medical clerks’ perceptions of the impact of gender and mobility on their professional careers

Background: Medicine has undergone profound changes in terms of the number of women entering the profession with postulated implications of this ‘feminization’ for the profession. The present phenomenological study sought to gain insight into the experiences of final year male and female Emirati medical students (clerks) in terms of the impact of gender on their careers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 of the 27 clerks. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Findings: There was consensus that the gender profile of medicine in the United Arab Emirates was changing as opportunities emerged for Emirati women to branch into different medical specialties. These opportunities were, however, local or regional due largely to travel restrictions on women. Females would thus receive a less highly regarded board certification than males who were encouraged to specialize abroad. On their return, males would be appointed as consultants or as high-ranking administrators. Participants also acknowledged that like their roles in their society, some medical specialties were ‘gendered’, e.g., surgery (male) and pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology (female). Conclusion: Although religious and cultural traditions around gender and mobility will influence the professional careers of male and female Emirati medical graduates, the situation is, however, changing

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SAUDI WOMEN’S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN GRADUATE ENGLISH PROGRAMS IN TWO INTERNATIONAL CONTEXTS: SAUDI ARABIA AND THE UNITED STATES

Although there are a significant number of Saudi females pursuing graduate degrees in Saudi Arabia and abroad, few studies have examined their educational experiences. This qualitative multi-case study examines the educational experiences of ten Saudi females who graduated with a master’s degree in an English language related field in two international contexts: American universities and Saudi universities. By conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews and document analysis, this study explored the challenges these two groups faced and the strategies they used to succeed in higher education institutions in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. This study discusses the roles that culture, religion, gender, and the English language play in these Saudi women’s academic experiences. In addition, this research sheds light on how these two groups’ educational experiences in two dissimilar international contexts influenced their views, values, and concepts of education and their personal identities as Saudi women. v In each case, Saudi female participants faced different challenges and opportunities. The five Saudi female participants in the first case, those who graduated from American universities, were supported academically more than culturally, socially, and religiously. In contrast, the five Saudi female participants in the second case, those who graduated from Saudi universities, were supported culturally, socially, and religiously more than academically. To overcome their challenges, in both cases the participants were resilient. In addition, the Saudi female students who graduated from American universities experienced the racial/ethnic diversity and gender integration of U.S. classrooms and society and developed intercultural competence. In both cases, pursuing a graduate degree (and facing different challenges along the way) was a transformational journey that helped all the participants grow personally and academically. Based on this study’s findings, recommendations are presented for empowering Saudi female graduate students and enhancing their academic success in higher education both in Saudi Arabia and in the United States

Saudi Parents’ Needs in Deaf Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This dissertation was conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to investigate the needs and perceptions of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in regard to the support and services provided in Saudi Arabia. Fiftyeight parents of children who are DHH were surveyed. Participants were asked to complete the survey considering the support and services provided to their children who are DHH in KSA. The survey questions were related to parent perception in five areas of services: early identification services, hearing technology services, communication services, educational services, and social support services. In the course of the investigation, five main research questions guided the study: Q1 What types of services are being received and would like to receive by Saudi parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Q2 How satisfied are the Saudi parents of children who are DHH regarding the services received? Q3 What are the most needed services perceived by parents with children who are DHH in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Q4 Is there any relationship between the child’s characteristics and parents’ level of satisfaction in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Q5 Is there any relationship between the child’s characteristics and the importance of services to parents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? The results indicated that all types of services are available and being received by some Saudi parents of children who are DHH in KSA. The results also demonstrated that parents showed an average level of satisfaction towards services and support regarding the services received for their children who are DHH. The majority of parents recognized all aspects of services listed as the most needed services for children who are DHH and their parents in KSA. The results also indicated that children’s gender and hearing status were not significantly related with parents’ satisfaction and the importance of services to parents in the KSA. Additionally, parents in the open-ended question section expressed some problems and offered some solutions in order to improve the services and support for children who are DHH. Conclusions of this dissertation study are that more research regarding the support and services provided for children who are DHH in KSA is needed in order to obtain a better understanding of parents’ needs and perceptions. Finally, the survey designed for this study needs further development because it does not include all aspects of services and support for parents and children who are DHH

SAUDI PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE INFLUENCE OF ACCULTURATION ON THEIR CHILDREARING BELIEFS

There are a considerable number of Saudi Arabian students who attend U.S. schools. To date, no published studies exist that relate to Saudi Arabian students, their families, and how they acculturate to American society. Acculturation affects parents and children in different ways, and it can affect the way parents raise their children. Using semi-structured interviews, this study examined Saudi mothers’ perspectives on acculturation to American society and how those perspectives affect their childrearing beliefs s. The descriptive qualitative study acknowledges mothers’ perceptions about the adaptation of Saudi children to American society. The results showed there are some changes that occurred regarding parental beliefs of parents due to acculturation.  Article visualizations

Education Research Gender, Education and Development - A Partially Annotated and Selective Bibliography

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

FEMALE SAUDI DEPENDENT STUDENTS AND LANGUAGE LEARNING INVESTMENT AND RESISTANCE: A CASE STUDY OF FOUR FEMALE MUSLIM SAUDI STUDENTS IN THE US

Driven by Nortons (2012) concept of investment and the role of agency and identity in second language acquisition, this study investigated the relationship between religion, cultural identity, and language learning investment among four female Saudi dependent students in an intensive English institute (IEI) in the US. The study examined how students invested their agency as mothers and wives to learn English and how such factors as their Islamic garb, co-educational classes, family, friends, teachers, and class activities increased or decreased their learning opportunities.Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with each participant. Two had dropped out of the IEI, and two were still enrolled at the time of data collection. Data were also collected by observing the enrolled participants once a week in a language class for two months. Short follow-up interviews were conducted after each observation to learn more about their weekly performance and any challenges they encountered. The findings revealed that aspects of participants religious and cultural identity influenced their investment in learning English. Experiencing a co-educational class for the first time increased the feeling of anxiety toward participating in class for some students, and negative attitudes toward their Islamic garb could also influence their language learning investment in class. As a result, they showed two types of resistance: 1) disengagement from classroom activities as indicated by not attending class, not engaging in activities, skipping exams, and failing courses and 2) resistance against Islamophobia and discrimination, which worked as a facilitator for one student to learn English. Furthermore, these dependent students were expected to meet responsibilities at home, which could constrain their language learning investment. Some resisted their positioning as students and failed to learn English in class because they could not compromise between their roles as wives/mothers and students. In contrast, participants who negotiated their cultural identity found ways to invest in learning English that did not contradict their values, such as practicing with Americans outside class, not sitting next to male classmates, using websites to practice rather than attending social events, reading books, and watching television and movies in English

The Experiences of Saudi Third Culture Kids Following Repatriation: A Phenomenological Approach

This study investigated the collective experience of repatriation, as reported by preadolescent, Saudi Arabian boys between the ages of nine and 13, who had lived for a minimum of one year in a country outside of the Arab world, and had subsequently returned to Saudi Arabia. While the study was open to students between the ages of nine and 13, the actual sample consisted of boys who were between the ages of 10 and 12. Eleven Saudi Arabian boys were interviewed to gather their accounts of their lives before, during, and after their time abroad. They discussed their experiences surrounding repatriation and their readjustment to living in Saudi Arabia. Students were also asked to provide advice relating to how schools can adjust their programs to facilitate the readjustment process. Findings concluded that students of this age group are relatively resilient. The consensus of the participants was that remedial Arabic-language classes and a buddy system would provide the greatest benefit to newly repatriated students