The Reality of Distance Learning Skills among General Education Teachers from the Point of View of Supervisors and School Principals

This study examined the reality of distance learning skills among public education teachers from the point of view of supervisors and principals. The study aimed at identifying statistically significant differences in the average responses of the participants about the reality of distance learning skills among public education teachers in Asir region due to the study variables (job title, years of experience, gender, educational qualification, job rank, number of educational programs). The study used the descriptive approach to achieve the objectives of the study, and a questionnaire was designed for data collection and analysis. The study sample consisted of (245) supervisors and principals. The results of the study showed that the degree to which general education teachers possessed distance learning skills came to a large degree. The findings showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the average responses of respondents about distance learning skills due to the job title variable, and the presence of statistically significant differences in the average responses of the respondents about distance learning skills. The findings also revealed statistically significant differences in the averages of respondents’ responses about distance learning skills due to the variable of gender, with the exception of the field of “skills of using applied programs for information technology”, as well. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the averages of the respondents’ responses about the areas of distance learning skills due to the educational qualification variable. There were statistically significant differences in the averages of the respondents’ responses in the areas of “educational software design skills, skills of using applied programs for information technology” due to the variable of occupational rank. There was a presence of statistically significant differences in the average responses of the respondents in the areas of skills of using application programs for information technology, due to the variable number of training programs

Case Study on the Dissemination of Radicalism on Social Media

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there is a close connection between exposure to radicalism and the quantity of terrorism-related discourse on social media. For this study, responses from local high school students were gathered using a technique called as simple random sampling. The number of samples was determined using the method for proportional stratified random sampling, with a precision value of 10 percent and a confidence level of 90 percent. After applying these settings, a total sample of 93 respondents was generated. The data collection process comprised survey research and literature studies, while the data analysis methodology included single table analysis, cross tables, and hypothesis testing. Due to the fact that the majority of respondents visited social media for less than one hour in total, the results suggested that the impact of social media discourse on broadcast of terrorist actions was minimal. There is a connection between the degree of exposure to radicalism and the impact that terrorist rhetoric has on social media. This connection is weak yet indisputable

An Intercultural Study of Refusal Strategies Used in Jordanian Arabic and American English

The present study compares and contrasts the refusal speech act in Jordanian Arabic and American English. The refusal speech act is among the most dominant issues in disciplines such as educational environment and social work. Researchers become more interested in such topics as it helps them to compare and contrast between native and non-native speakers of English. Therefore, the topic is quite common regarding identifying the strategies among non- native speakers. However, very little research discovered the similarities and differences between native and non-native speakers of English. Thus, the researchers of this study tried to fill the gap by presenting an intercultural study of Refusal Strategies Used in Jordanian Arabic and American English. Refusing to take part in an action is a negative response that may result in a disagreement and harm the relationship between the listener and the provider. To prevent conflict when a presenter must deny a request, the presenter must deliver an appropriate denial and adapt to the interlocutors perspective as well as the nature of the issue. The researchers used a modified Discourse Completion Test (DCT) as the research instrument. The findings reveal that both participant groups mainly preferred indirect strategies, followed by adjunct and direct strategies. In comparison, Jordanians tended to use more subversive strategies, unlike American participants who used a direct rejection strategy. The paper ends with an argument of significant future research areas

Метод интервальных повторений при изучении лексики иностранного языка

Introduction. Research that investigated effective strategies for learning foreign language vocabulary revealed that long spacing facilitates learning more than short or no spacing. This phenomenon is known as distributed practice effect. Aim. The present study aimed to examine the effect of spaced instruction on vocabulary learning and retention among Saudi EFL learners. Methodology and research methods. The sample of this study includes 30 English major students at King Khalid University. The students were divided into two groups (15 students for the massed instruction group and 15 students for the spaced instruction group). Both groups were taught 20 new words which were selected based on the results of the Vocabulary Size Test by Nation P., Beglar D. In the condition of massed class, the target words were taught in 45-minute weekly session (lasted for two weeks). In the condition of spaced class, 45 minutes were distributed into three 15-minutes session presented throughout the week at intervals with two intervening days between each session (lasted for two weeks). Both groups received a post-test after eight weeks of training, while the delayed post-test was administered three weeks later (week 11). Results. The results of the study revealed that there was statistically significant difference between the massed and spaced instruction groups on both post-test and delayed post-test in favor to the spaced instruction group. Scientific novelty. The present study makes several contributions to the body of literature. First, it adds to the relatively small amount of research on the spacing effect on the acquisition of foreign language vocabulary. Second, it is one of the very few studies that have been conducted in the Arab world, more specifically in the Saudi context. Finally, the study provides better understanding of the importance of spacing in learning foreign language vocabulary among Arab learners. Practical significance. In the light of the obtained results, several recommendations have been provided for EFL practitioners and curriculum designers. This study suggests that EFL practitioners should consider spaced learning as beneficial teaching strategy, and to synthesise it in the educational materials.Введение. Работы, в которых исследовались эффективные стратегии изучения лексики на иностранном языке, показали, что длительный интервал повторения освоенной ранее лексики облегчает обучение больше, чем короткий интервал повторения или его отсутствие. Данное явление известно как метод интервального повторения. Цель настоящей работы состояла в исследовании влияния интервального повторения на обучение лексике и способности запоминания лексических единиц среди студентов, изучающих английский как иностранный (EFL) в Саудовской Аравии. Методология и методы исследования. Выборка этого исследования включает 30 студентов, изучающих английский язык в Университете короля Халида. Учащиеся были разделены на две группы по 15 студентов: группа массового обучения и интервального обучения. Обе группы обучили 20 новым словам, которые были выбраны по результатам теста на уровень лексики (Nation P., Beglar D). В условиях традиционного занятия целевая лексика изучались в течение 45 минут еженедельно в течение двух недель. В группе с интервальным обучением 45 минут распределялись на три 15-минутных занятия в течение недели с двумя промежуточными днями между каждым занятием в течение двух недель. Обе группы получали пост-тест после восьми недель тренировок, в то время как отложенный пост-тест проводился после 11 недель. Результаты. Результаты исследования показали, что было статистически значимое различие между массовой и интервальной группами обучения как после пост-теста, так и после отложенного пост-теста в пользу группы с интервальным обучением. Научная новизна. Во-первых, это исследование дополняет относительно небольшой объем исследований, которые изучают влияние интервалов на освоение лексики иностранного языка. Во-вторых, это одно из немногих исследований, проведенных в арабском мире, в частности, в саудовском контексте. Наконец, исследование позволяет лучше понять важность интервалов в изучении лексики на иностранном языке среди арабских учащихся. Практическая значимость. С учетом полученных результатов для специалистов-практиков и разработчиков учебных программ EFL было представлено несколько рекомендаций. Это исследование предполагает, что преподаватели EFL должны рассматривать интервальное обучение как полезную стратегию преподавания и использовать данную методику в учебных материалах.The author extends his appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through Big Research Groups grant (№ RGP.2 /53/43).Автор выражает свою признательность деканату научных исследований Университета короля Халида за финансирование этой работы при помощи гранта Big Research Groups (№ RGP.2/53/43)

Validation of the Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire

Validated screening and diagnostic tools for autism spectrum disorder for use in Arabic-speaking individuals are scarce. This study validated the Arabic version of the Social Communication Questionnaire. The total study sample included 206 children with autism spectrum disorder and 206 typically developing children (73.8% male; mean age: 8.5 (standard deviation = 2.6) years). The mean Social Communication Questionnaire total score was significantly higher in autism spectrum disorder children than in typically developing children (p < 0.0001). Scores on the three Social Communication Questionnaire subscales also differed significantly between the groups (p < 0.001). Of the 39 items, 37 were endorsed significantly more often in the autism spectrum disorder group. The total Social Communication Questionnaire score did not vary by age or gender. Internal consistency was excellent (alpha = 0.92). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the area under the curve for the total score showed excellent discrimination between autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children (area under the curve = 0.95; 95% confidence interval: 0.93–0.97). The areas under the curve for the scale subscores were 0.923 (95% confidence interval: 0.898–0.949) for the social interaction score, 0.872 (95% confidence interval: 0.838–0.905) for the communication score, and 0.856 (95% confidence interval: 0.819–0.893) for the repetitive behaviors score. The findings support the use of the Arabic Social Communication Questionnaire to successfully differentiate children with clinically diagnosed autism spectrum disorder using the established cutoff value for the English version.The authors would like to thank all the staff of the autism centers and schools who contributed in distributing and collecting the SCQ forms. They also would like to thank Western Psychological Services (WPS) staff for their help during the process of translating and reviewing the Arabic SCQ. They acknowledge Jennifer Holmes, ELS, for medical editing. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The study was funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP 6-093-3-024)

Prevalence and correlates of autism spectrum disorder in Qatar: a national study

Background Few epidemiological data on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exist for Arabic countries. We conducted the first survey of ASD in Qatar, a population with high consanguinity level. Methods This cross‐sectional survey was conducted from 2015 to 2018 in Qatar school‐age children (N = 176,960) from national and immigrant families. Children diagnosed with ASD were identified through medical centers and special needs schools. Records were abstracted and supplemented by parental interviews. Additionally, children attending 93 schools were screened; ASD case status was confirmed in random samples of screen‐positive and screen‐negative children. Prevalence was estimated after taking into account different sampling fractions and participation rates at each survey phase. Results One thousand three hundred and ninety‐three children already diagnosed with ASD were identified. Among 9,074 school survey participants, 760 screen‐negative children and 163 screen‐positive children were evaluated; 17 were confirmed to have ASD including five children newly diagnosed. Prevalence was 1.14% (95% CI: 0.89–1.46) among 6‐ to 11‐year‐olds. ASD was reported in full siblings/extended relatives in 5.9% (95% CI: 0.042–0.080)/11.8% (95% CI: 0.095–0.146) families. First‐degree consanguinity in Qatari cases (45%) was comparable to known population levels. Among 844 ASD cases (mean age: 7.2 years; 81% male), most children experienced language delay (words: 75.1%; phrase speech: 91.4%), and 19.4% reported developmental regression. At the time of the survey, persisting deficits in expressive language (19.4%) and peer interactions (14.0%) were reported in conjunction with behavioral problems (ADHD: 30.2%; anxiety: 11.0%). In multivariate logistic regression, ASD severity was associated with parental consanguinity, gestational diabetes, delay in walking, and developmental regression. Conclusions ASD prevalence in Qatar is consistent with recent international studies. The methods employed in this study should help designing comparable surveys in the region. We estimated that 187,000 youths under age 20 have ASD in Gulf countries. This figure should assist in planning health and educational services for a young, fast‐growing population.The study was supported by the Qatar National Research Fund. The sponsor had no role in the design and conduct of the study, or the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, or in the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript, and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors thank all the independent and private schools that have participated in the SCQ screening phase. The authors thank the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education for providing their team with the data required throughout the study. The authors would like to express our gratitude to the psychological services team at the Shafallah Center for Children with Disabilities, as well as Dr. Irshad Shafeullah and Dr. Zakariah Al-Sayed for their support in patient recruitment. The authors also thank our colleagues from QBRI: Dr. Hatem Al-Shanti for his assistance in patient phenotyping, and Mr. Yasser Al-Sarraj and Ms. Hamda AlMutawwa for their support with patient recruitment. The authors thank Dr. Hanaa Massoud for assisting with patient recruitment through the clinic at the Child Development Center in Rumailah Hospital. The authors would also like to express their appreciation to the QBRI administration team for their assistance with planning and logistics pertaining to research-related training sessions and research collaborator visits. Additionally, the authors would like to thank all of the special needs centers and clinics which collaborated with us to provide data needed for the high probability cases; Shafallah Center for Children with Disabilities, Hamad Medical Corporation, Child Development Center ? Rumailah Hospital, Child Development Center-Private, Renad Academy, Al-Tamakun school, Step by Step Center, Qatar Institute for Speech and Hearing, and Hope Center. The authors also thank the HBKU Sponsored Research Office for the support provided throughout the research funding period.?K.R. and the OHSU Biostatistics & Design Program was partially supported by the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) through OHSU Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA UL1TR0002369) National Consortium. The authors are immensely grateful to the families and their children for their time and participation in any of the phases of the research. F.A. and E.F. designed the research plan. F.A., M.A., and E.F. applied for funding. F.A., H.A., S.E., I.G., M.T., M.A., M.K., N.A.A., M.A., A.H.S., and L.D. organized the data collection. F.A., H.A., S.E., and I.G. completed data entry and cleaning, and performed initial data analyses with M.A. E.F. performed data and statistical analyses. K.R. provided biostatistical advice. E.F., F.A., and I.G. wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript. The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest.Scopu