Factors that Influence Emirati Male Achievement in Higher Education

The success of Emirati male students in higher education is one filled with positive interactions between the students, faculty, and staff. The influence of faculty in the success of Emirati males is vital to the overall curricular success of this student population. The strong cultural ties to seeking out elders for guidance and influence is easily replicated on college and university campuses. In this manuscript we examine the history of education in the Middle East from its inception to the meteoric rise of higher education. Through examining the past and present education we will explore how the cultural and societal norms have provided an instrumental key to the factors that help to encourage success amongst Emirati males. A two-fold study explored the factors that Emirati males believed has the greatest influence on their curricular and co-curricular success in higher education environments. Findings indicate that Emirati male achievement in higher education may be mediated by a sense of patriotism, obligation to represent the family, and influenced by interactions with faculty members