Thesis for Doctor of Education

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The Relationship Between the Learning Styles of Students in Grades Five and Six and Their Held Misconceptions About Dividing Fractions Based on Kolb’s Model
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-05) Abosalem, Yousef Mahmoud
As a school subject, mathematics has a remarkable influence on student’s performance in other subjects. Having deficiencies in mathematics is considered a critical problem for students. Students’ success or failure in mathematics at the school level has a direct impact on further education and choice of a career (OECD 2010). Fractions, in particular, is a difficult mathematical topic with students encountering difficulties in performing and comprehending operations that involve the use of fractions (Nunes & Bryant 2008). Several studies have found that students’ learning styles have an effect on students’ performance or academic achievement in mathematics in general and in fractions in particular (Rochford & Mangino 2006). Therefore, this study was conducted to examine if there is a relationship between two grade five and six students’ learning styles according to the Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory, and their misconceptions in dividing fractions. The study was conducted on a sample of 1864 students from grades five and six selected randomly from fifteen public schools in Abu Dhabi in the academic year 2011/2012. A quantitative approach and two data collection instruments (Kolb’s LSI and mathematics diagnostic test) were employed to gather data. The data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics specifically proportion tests, and the Chi- Square Independence Test. The results of this study revealed that the dominant learning style of both grades is convergent with 724 students (38.84%), 34.70% for grade five and 42.92% for grade six. The next dominant learning styles were assimilating with 23.35% and accommodating with 21.73% for grade five. While diverging and accommodating in grade six are the next dominant learning styles with 23.54% and 18.00% respectively. Moreover, the analysis of the Chi-Square independence test indicated that students’ learning styles varied from grade to grade. With respect to students’ misconceptions on dividing fractions, the results indicated that the two grades hold the same misconceptions. The first one is flipping the dividend with 31.81%. Coming in at the close second is the lack of fraction concepts with 28.96%, and finally multiplying without flipping with 28.70 %. The answer to the main question, which aimed to examine the relationship between students’ learning styles and their misconceptions in dividing fractions, is that the relationship is indeed statistically significant at .
An investigations into the factors that associated with writing anxiety for english language learners in UAE universities
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-05) Hussein, Sulaiman
Despite increasing interest in investigating the effects of second/foreign language writing anxiety on L2 learners’ writing performance and attitudes over the last three decades, the potential sources of that phenomenon have not been widely researched and identified, particularly in Arabic EFL contexts. Hence, the current study with its mixed approach design mainly explores and investigates the potential factors associated with writing anxiety and the strategies for alleviating it among the English language learners in UAE universities. A total of one hundred and ten students in addition to six EFL instructors were the study’s participants. Quantitatively, two survey questionnaires and students’ writing scores were used to investigate the anxiety levels, effects and sources. For the qualitative phase, ten highly-anxious students and ten low-anxious ones were individually interviewed to deepen understanding about the possible sources of their anxiety and the strategies they use to mitigate its detrimental effects. Additionally, a focus group discussion with the instructors was held to explore their perspectives on the coping strategies they use and suggest to reduce the levels of anxiety in writing classes. The findings show that the participants encountered high levels of anxiety when writing English compositions and there was a statistically significant negative correlation between students’ writing scores and their levels of anxiety. Furthermore, the findings indicate that high levels of writing anxiety could primarily be attributed to writing tests, cognitive and linguistic factors. Some pedagogical practices, feedback, and evaluation factors were also reported by the participants as moderate and weak contributing factors to their writing anxiety. In addition, the findings reveal that various affective, cognitive, linguistic, and pedagogical mitigating strategies and tactics can be used by the low-anxious students and EFL instructors to lower the anxiety levels. The results also demonstrate that computer use in writing classes and tests was perceived as an anxiety provoking factor and had no significant effects in reducing the participants’ writing anxiety. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications and recommendations for further studies are provided for educators, policymakers and researchers.
The Journey into Inclusive Education: a Case Study of Three Emirati Government Primary Schools
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-06) Alborno, Nadera Emran
The Ministry of Education (MOE) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially launched the general rules for the provision of special education programmes and services under the theme ‘School for All’ in May 2010. This initiative represents the first practical measure by the MOE to implement the Federal Law 29/2006 with regards to the rights of individuals with disabilities and equal access to education; this was in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (UN 2006), which was signed and ratified by the UAE. This research study investigates the implementation of the educational provisions introduced through the ‘School for All’ initiative in the context of three primary government schools in the UAE. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, using a multiple case study methodology, to provide a rich and contextualised picture of the implementation from the perspective of the various stakeholders (principals, teachers, students, parents as well as Ministry officials). Data was collected using qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews, participatory and non-participatory observations, as well as an analysis of documentation and artefacts related to the three schools. The data from each school has been recorded in a context-situated case study format, this was followed by a cross-case analysis that allowed for the collective understanding of the nature of inclusive education in Emirati government primary schools, following the implementation of ‘School for All’ initiative. Over the last two years (2011 – 2012), fifty government schools have joined the initiative, where access has been granted to students with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities to be educated in mainstream classrooms. The provisions and services provided by the initiative have so far concentrated on five school aspects, namely: (1) staff training and development, (2) school structures with respect to students’ placement, accommodations and modifications, (3) support services such as speech therapy, (4) assistive technology and (5) community awareness. The ‘School for All’ initiative aims to introduce a shift towards inclusive education in an attempt to better serve the disabled population. This study explores how the implemented provisions have helped the case schools move towards inclusive cultures, through the development of inclusive policies and practices. It also elicits issues related to inclusion from the stakeholders’ perspectives, as any successful school reform needs to consider their viewpoint and feedback. It draws on the ‘Index for Inclusion’ developed by Booth and Ainscow (2011) in exploring the barriers, as well as the resources to learning and participation with respect to the three school dimensions of cultures, policies and practices. This Index was specifically chosen as it provides a flexible and adaptable framework for developing and evaluating inclusive schools. Themes emerging from the data identify positive system characteristics that should be supported and encouraged, as well as the areas of concern and gaps in practice that need to be addressed in future development plans at both school and Ministry levels. The lack of specific research or reliable data in relation to the implementation of the Federal Law concerning the rights of people with disabilities in the UAE has prompted this research; this study contributes to bridging the research gap in this area
A Comparative Analysis of Proficiency Scores of University Students in the United Arab Emirates: The Effectiveness of Using a First Language When Teaching a Second Language in a Reading Class
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-10) Traish, Amira
This study, an investigation into the effectiveness of using a learner’s first language (L1) to teach a second language (L2) in reading comprehension classes, focuses on tertiary students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The role of the learner’s L1 in facilitating instruction of an L2 has evoked considerable discussion among linguists and language instructors. Many theorists argue that a student’s L1 contributes to a more successful learning environment and facilitates second language acquisition, particularly with respect to socio-psychological factors such as motivation. The UAE has set guidelines for entrance into English-medium programmes mandating that students attain a 500 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an average Band 5 in the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS). Because English has risen to near total hegemony in the linguistic/language realm, both students and instructors feel pressure to pass these reading examinations; one-third of the country’s tertiary budget is for first-year students. Because of the importance placed on proficiency scores, this study uses empirical data, comparing test scores of two classes and exploring and examining their differences. One instructor uses a student’s L1 (Arabic) to teach reading in L2, and the other does not. Research questions for this study have employed a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative), which has included assessment data from midterm and proficiency exams as well as a student questionnaire, classroom observations, and interviews. The findings of the study, which indicate negligible differences in overall scores, demonstrate that the pedagogical practice has no significant impact on the scores obtained. However, further study is warranted to accommodate more of the variables that may have affected data outcome. It is hoped that this study will prompt additional interest and research in the field of L1/L2 reading instruction and that further exploration of this topic will facilitate improved reading and academic performance for students both in the UAE and elsewhere.
A New Management Model for Higher Education in Dubai-UAE: Quality Management in Alignment with Professional Autonomy
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-01) Rabah, Iman
Many researchers argue that the total quality management model should be modified in order to fit the higher education context, yet there is no quality management model which is truly modified to take into account the nature of higher education and the need for professional autonomy including academic freedom and peer review. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a model of TQM that doesn't damage the scholarly values of higher education and enhances professional autonomy, including academic freedom and academic quality in teaching and research. The purpose and objectives are addressed through a theoretical and analytical review of the TQM literature in higher education. In addition to this, empirical data and interpretations are collected from faculty members from a sample of two universities in Dubai in order to study academics' perceptions of TQM in higher education. The two universities have been accredited by the Ministry of Higher education in the UAE and include both a private university and a public university. The subjects are academic staff in both teaching and administrative positions. These include faculty members and senior administration deans, vice presidents, and presidents. The qualitative approach is the best approach to primarily use in this thesis based on the interpretive paradigm. The new model that the thesis attempts to build is based on TQM concepts, yet depending on the interpretations and collected data irrelevant TQM concepts will be modified using the traditional university management models in an attempt to resolve the paradox and tension between TQM and those traditional models. The methodology uses meta-analysis for the TQM literature and involves collecting interpretations and narratives from academics to study the positive and negative influences of quality management practices on research and the teaching process. The methodology also includes quantitative analysis by using the survey instrument for the purpose of triangulation. Qualitative methods including interviews, questionnaires, and documents analysis are primarily used for the interpretive paradigm of using social constructivism to inductively develop a theory based on the grounded theory approach.
Narratives of the Maps: Emirati Undergraduate Students’ Stories of National Identity
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-01) Al Sumaiti, Rabaa
In 1971, the rulers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) put their national dreams forward and celebrated the federation of the UAE. Since then, the UAE has changed rapidly to become a globalised country that aspires to achieve international prominence, thereby affecting Emiratis and exposing them to external factors at odds with Emirati values emerging from Muslim and Arab culture. This has caused great concern regarding Emirati youth national identities, and the possibility that they are building weak understandings of their culture and citizenship. This doctoral thesis explores four Emirati female undergraduate students’ experiences of national identity through cultural and political symbols. The theoretical framework is a synthesis of Mead’s (1934) and Goffman’s (1959) symbolic interactionism and Moscovici’s (1988) social representation theory. The study follows a social constructivist methodology based on narrative and ethnography using participant observations, ethnographic interviews, and visual methods to createstories of national identity experiences. The findings demonstrate that the students’ experience of national identities in everyday contexts included socially interacting with cultural and political symbols producing an internalised image of the UAE they relate to their objectives and future ambitions. Recommendations include addressing further research and theoretical implications of identity studies in the region, reviewing higher education curricula and youth programmes, as well as the need for a comprehensive cultural strategy in the UAE.
Student Perceptions of Individual and Social Responsibility Education and Engagement in Higher Education of United Arab Emirates Higher Colleges of Technology – Sharjah Colleges
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-03) Ajaif, Tarifa
The need for Individual and Social Responsibility Education has increased in the 21st century (Brennan 2008) due to a number of political and social events which happened around the world, including the recent events associated with the Arab Spring in the Middle East. Educating for social responsibility is a highly debated topic in Higher Education research because of different reasons including forms of delivery, evaluation and community based learning (Williams and Cochrane, 2010). This research is unique as it is being conducted for the first time in the Arab World taking into consideration the Arabic Culture, Emirati traditions and Islamic values. The research approach of social constructivism adopted a theoretical framework of Social Capital and Experiential learning to explore student perceptions on Social Responsibility Education and Engagement at Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates. Using mixed methods approach of an online survey based on Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory Survey (PSRII) and face to face interviews, the research surveyed 650 male and female Emirati students studying at the Sharjah Colleges- Higher Colleges of Technology. There are several new and important findings in this research related to Curriculum, Extra curriculum and Community projects at Sharjah Colleges. It also identifies the integration of United Arab Emirates Vision 202, United in Responsibility vision in existing programs and College practices. The conclusion of this research provides recommendations including further research and a comprehensive framework on Social Responsibility Education and Engagement program including a reward system.
MODELLING OF SENIOR STAFF CHARACTERISTICS: TOWARDS AN OPTIMUM PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-03) Albakeri, Faisal
The public administration system in the UAE consists of a unique mix of local and expatriate elites and senior staff working in harmony towards socio-economic development of the country. They are the ones entrusted by the leadership to lead organisations and manage resources efficiently and professionally, and to preserve cultural and historical heritage from extinction in the midst of globalization. Successful ones possess certain characteristics that are worth exploring and research. This study is a journey of exploration of the environments that shape senior staff personalities, and may contribute to their success or failure. The introduced model encompasses educational and cultural principles and values in the country, and is aimed at serving the leadership to fully utilise senior staff's capabilities and efforts throughout their professional half-life cycle at the senior levels. The study is also expected to contribute to further development of the National Qualifications Framework being administered by the National Qualifications Authority in the UAE. The thesis presents a new metaphor of the tree compared to humans, and reflects effects of social and geographical environments on upbringing, values and shaping of personal characteristics, which reproduces professionalism and competence as parts of the expected standards of senior staff. The final chapter concludes the study with a set of applicable recommendations and suggestions and ideas for areas of further related research.
Exploring Emirati EL teachers' beliefs about teaching and their relationship to classroom practices: a hermeneutic study
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-06) Valenzuela, Jacqueline Soledad
Research shows that teacher beliefs are central to understanding teacher behaviour. Studying teacher beliefs is crucial to understand and affect their practices. Research also shows that classroom practices are influenced and determined by contextual factors in the teaching environment. Hence, teacher beliefs and contextual circumstances influence teachers’ instructional choices and decisions, revealing a relationship between teacher beliefs and contextual factors as variables affecting teaching practices. This study explores female Emirati teachers’ beliefs about teaching and their contextual environment, examining the way in which they relate to classroom practices. The study focused on English language teachers in secondary schools in the Emirates of Dubai and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. To approach this research inquiry, a qualitative paradigm based on Gadamerian hermeneutics was adopted. The data-gathering process consisted of semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. Eight teachers participated in this study for a period of eight months. The data were analyzed using a meaning-based interpretive approach that sought understanding at idiographic and nomothetic levels. The findings showed the predominance of a salient mother-sister image that described how the teachers viewed themselves and concurrently provided a lens to look into their professional world. Their understanding of the nature of teaching rested, rather than on notions of subject matter and methodologies, on the student-teacher relationship which was viewed as an integral part of the teaching-learning process. The holistic view of student development evidenced a strong emphasis on student social skills and values. Their classroom practices generally reflected consistency with teacher beliefs, although points of discrepancy were also found. Similarly, lack of student academic motivation and negative attitude towards English were identified as the most prevalent contextual factors affecting teaching practices. The nature of these teachers’ beliefs and perceived contextual factors and their relationship to teaching practices are discussed as well as the implications, limitations and recommendations for further research.
Toward Professionalising Teaching in the UAE: An Investigation of Emirati Public Secondary School Teachers’ Understanding of Their Profession in Dubai
(The british University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-01) Almarzouqi, Asma
Research has proven that among the major factors that influence student learning is the quality of teachers. The high teacher attrition rate and the low rate of Emirati secondary school students pursuing a career in teaching indicate a serious problem with teaching as a career. To address such an issue, this research aims to investigate the main research question: how do Emirati public secondary school teachers understand professions and professionalisation, and what changes do they want to see brought in to enhance teaching as a profession in Dubai? The study framework depended heavily on the five criteria of profession adapted from Broman’s (1995) and Cruess, Johnston and Cruess’s (2003) models: body of knowledge, teacher autonomy, high social status, teacher licence, and code of ethics. Data was collected using a mixed methods approach which consisted of three main instruments. A quantitative questionnaire was distributed to 95 teachers, a qualitative, semi-structured, open-ended interview was conducted with ten teachers, and three types of documents related to education and teachers were analysed within a content analysis approach. The findings show that teachers were mostly aware of the current status of teaching; that it is not yet considered a full profession in the UAE. Even though participants were mostly not very familiar with the concept of profession, they generally demonstrated a good understanding of the criteria of profession. One of the important criteria of profession that appears to be lacking is autonomy, as the focus of major education reform is currently based on a top-down approach. The complexity and scope of the body of knowledge for teachers were found to be a controversial issue, which is similar to the international literature. Even though participants valued the role of licensing in professionalisation, they questioned the implementation process, and providing alternative routes was suggested. Improving the social status of teaching was associated with improving the working conditions, teacher autonomy, teacher licence, code of ethics, and parents’ positive involvement. The thesis presented implications related to the role of teachers in the professionalisation process. It also presented implications related to the student-teacher preparation. These findings can be an important source of information for policymakers, as such research is among the first in the field in the UAE context.
Understanding the influence of psychosocial factors on Emirati female college students’ leadership identity development: Hermeneutic multiple case studies from Ras Al Khaimah
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-02) Al Naqbi, Aisha
Reviewing literature on women’s leadership, I realized that not enough studies have been done on the psychosocial factors that can shape women’s leadership identity, particularly in relation to the cultural context. The paper offers an understanding of how Emirati women develop as leaders, how they form an understanding of leadership while focusing particularly on exploring the psychosocial and cultural factors that contribute to their leadership identity formation. Since identity formation is a very complex issue, the paper will explore it from different dimensions and will use a complex framework that addresses sociocultural, psychosocial factors and women leadership formation theories. These factors can be social or cultural influences that contribute to building the participants’ leadership identity; like the role of the family, social factors, culture and the image of leadership role models and how it affects their aspirations to pursue leadership roles. I will also be looking at the influence of role models and their role to inspire young Emiratis to pursue leadership. The paper intended to shorten the gap in Arab women’s leadership generally and Emirati women leadership in particular while providing an insight to educators to help them plan and design successful leadership programs that are gender and socially sensitive to the needs of students in the Arab regions. A qualitative hermeneutical research approach will be carried out to explore the relational leadership of multiple case studies in one of the UAE colleges. The paper will introduce a new leadership identity development model that is gender and culturaly sensitive, and can be used to study leadership identity among college students cross-culturally. The new model looks at developmental influences, group influences, boarding views of leadership, the development of the oneself and others. It also investigates other influences like religion, gender, culture, belief system, family, authority and power, and transnational influences.
An Emirati Tapestry of Time: A narrative inquiry of the meaning and experience of time
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-03) Kenaid, Kaltham
This research investigates how time is experienced and what time means for the seven chosen Emirati participants. An interpretative, qualitative framework underpins this research project is guided by the philosophies of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Martin Heidegger. Using a narrative inquiry methodology, it weaves the simple narratives of the participants’ experiences including the temporal domains of past, present, and future. The collected data is derived from in-depth interviews informed by the three-interview series suggested by Irving Seidman (2006). The experiential data analysis is guided by Paul Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation. The analysis brings to light the narratives and descriptions for each participant’s time experience. The main thematic analysis of participants’ responses are organised into three main thematic categories. These themes are: time consciousness, social time, pedagogical time and future projections with a focus on pedagogical time. The study presents the participants’ narratives as thick descriptions of their experience and weaves their narratives into an Emirati Sadu (traditional Bedouin weaving). The findings indicate that the pedagogical time experience was influenced by the student’s moods of boredom and the teacher’s instructional methods. The teacher played a constructive role when she was attentive to the needs of the student. As for the external environment, the findings illustrate that the speed of life to which the participants were exposed created a detachment from a rich past instead of a continuation of such time experience. Implications for pedagogical leadership and practice are offered. Future research is also suggested using different methodologies to determine other aspects of Emirati time experience in the educational field.
Teaching Leadership in UAE Business and Education Programmes: A Habermasean Analysis within an Islamic Context
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-04) ELKALEH, EMAN
The thesis uses Habermasean critical theory, focussing on his theory of knowledge and human interests and communicative action model in particular, to investigate leadership curricula in selected UAE business and education programmes and examine the extent to which they are derived from and linked to students’ cultural and Islamic values. The study is conducted in response to scholars’ calls for developing leadership models and practices that integrate traditional and international knowledge and perspectives to mitigate the dominance of Western theories and values that threaten Islamic and cultural identity over the curriculum. It aims to start a dialogue between Western and Islamic sources of knowledge and to select the practices that work best in any particular society given its unique cultural and religious values. This study employs a mixed methods approach that takes classical pragmatism as its philosophical foundation and critical theory as a theoretical lens. Data is collected in four sequential phases using critical discourse analysis of course materials, class observations, student survey and faculty interviews with qualitative and quantitative methods given equal importance and weight during data collection and analysis. Results were integrated at the interpretative level and abductive reasoning was used as the logic of justification. Results show that there are increasing efforts to incorporate cultural and Islamic values into the curriculum. However, the curriculum is still mainly dominated by Western theories and models of leadership, especially in the leadership courses offered by business schools, mainly because of the lack of English resources and theories on UAE and Islamic models of leadership. There was a significant difference between business and education leadership courses: education courses tended to include more materials on the UAE and Islamic leadership than did business courses. Thus, education students viewed the curriculum as more relevant to their cultural and Islamic values than business students did. It also found that faculty played a significant role in adapting the curriculum to students’ cultural and Islamic values. Those who were either Muslim or came from a multicultural environment (e.g. VI Australia, Canada, New Zealand) where they taught Muslim students tended to include more materials on Islamic and UAE leadership models than those who were not exposed to similar experiences or possessed the same knowledge about Islam. Students, while highly appreciative of the genuine efforts exerted by faculty to incorporate Islamic and cultural materials into the curriculum, believed that these efforts are not enough as Islamic history is very rich and more materials on UAE and other Muslim leaders can be further added to the curriculum. Faculty attributed the limited use of Islamic and cultural materials to the lack of published work on Islamic leadership and the UAE, in one hand, and to the academic standards that they have to meet for the purposes of international accreditation, on the other. Based on these findings, the thesis offers a model that is derived from Habermas’ theories of knowledge and human interests and communicative action to develop a culturally relevant approach to leadership teaching. The model embraces a holistic approach that appreciates and recognises the significant contributions of Western and indigenous knowledge and encourages openness to mutual learning between both traditions.
An Investigation of Emirati Student Recruitment and Retention in Nursing Education, and the Experience of Nursing Educational Leaders
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-04) Devadas, Briliya
Nursing started in the Emirates with the arrival of expatriate nurses in the later part of the nineteen century, but fifty years on though, nursing education in the country is still in its infancy. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors surrounding poor Emirati student recruitment and retention within the nursing programme(s) in the Abu Dhabi Emirate, and the experience of nursing education leaders in dealing with this issue. A review of the literature, both regionally and globally, identifies several factors as influencing this phenomenon, but there has been no study, published until date, from the UAE. Within a mixed methodology approach, a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design was used to collect data from 140 Emirati students at different levels of the nursing program, at the only College of Health Sciences, in the Emirate. Questionnaires, semi- structured interviews and related documents analyses were used to collect information for the purpose of this thesis. Unstructured interviews were also conducted with select nursing leaders in the country to explore their experiences. Quantitative analysis revealed that overall participants perceived the Emirati society as holding a positive image of nursing, though a majority of them indicated that nursing as a profession, would be a third or last choice of career for them. Inferential analysis on the reasons to choose or not choose nursing, revealed an opportunity to work as part of the team; and as a stepping stone to other professions as significant reasons, versus perceived program difficulty level, and perceived unpleasant tasks. Thematic analysis of interviews were categorized as: - 1) Personal interest; 2) Parental support; 3) Professional awareness; 4) Perceived barriers; 5) Potential benefits, and 6) Policies at the local and national levels. Nursing leaders from different spheres of the profession had different experiences and responsibilities, and tackled the problem from different perspectives. The study has several implications for nursing education and policy in the United Arab Emirates and the region.
Discourse Analysis of English and Arabic Newspaper Opinion Editorials: Cohesive Devices Patterning and Implications for Teaching Translation and Writing
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-01) AYYASH, EMAD ABU
The present study investigates the roles of cohesive devices in English and Arabic newspaper opinion editorials and the common patterns that exist between the two languages as far as the use of cohesive devices is concerned. Two famous opinion columnists have been chosen, Thomas L. Friedman and Ahmed Hasan Al-Zubi. Ten articles written by each columnist have been selected using systematic sampling (SS) within which both purposive, criterion-based sampling and random sampling have been used. The articles have been analysed using the quantitative and qualitative textual analysis within an embedded, mixed methods approach. While the analysis has been in great part of qualitative nature, descriptive statistics have been provided to describe basic features of the data and to avoid subjective judgments. In order to provide descriptive statistics pertaining to numerals, percentages and concordances of cohesive devices, WordSmith Tool 6.0 (Scott 2015) has been utilised within a thick, qualitative description of the roles cohesive devices have played in all the twenty articles. The study has attempted to answer the following questions: 1) What are the roles played by cohesive devices in English and Arabic opinion articles?, 2) What are the patterns related to the roles of cohesive devices? and 3) What are the common patterns, if any, that exist in English and Arabic opinion articles as far as cohesive devices are concerned? The study has found that cohesive devices have played a number of various roles that fall under six broad categories in the two sets of articles. Following the identification of these roles, a cross-language patterning has been conducted to find out the common patterns between the two sets of articles at two levels: role-related patterns and patterns pertinent to the use of cohesive devices. Finally, the pedagogical implications for English-Arabic translation and writing have been outlined.
Needs Assessment of Gifted Education Programmes in Dubai; an investigative case study of governmental Primary Schools
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-01) ALGHAWI, MARIAM ALI
Gifted education, defined as the schooling of students demonstrating an exceptional ability to learn, is relatively new in the education system of the United Arab Emirates (UAE); hence, research on gifted education in the UAE is limited. This study was the first to investigate the implementation of gifted education programmes at seven primary government schools in Dubai. The main research question of the study was: What programs are offered for gifted learners in primary government schools in Dubai? And what is needed in order to improve the provisions of gifted education? The study adopted the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) gifted program standards as a framework. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods research design was employed with a triangulation of data to test the validity of the findings. The methods used to collect the data included classroom observations, interviews and a questionnaire survey with teachers, a focus group with parents, and a review of official documents. The conclusions were that although the provision of education for gifted students has progressed in Dubai in the last ten years, there is still room for improvement with regards to identification of gifted students and implementation of gifted policies and programs. School administrators and teachers need to better understand and implement the policies prescribed by the Ministry of Education. Based on the findings a set of recommendations is offered to better serve the gifted students of UAE in the future.
Citizenship and National Identity in International Schools in the UAE: A Case Study of Three American Schools in Dubai
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-03) Alaryani, Aysha Salmeen
This thesis examines the national identity formation and citizenship development of Emirati students studying in three international high schools in Dubai using an American curriculum. The research questions look at the extent of national identity and citizenship integration in curriculum and activities of these international schools, the role of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in promoting citizenship and national identity in multi-cultural international schools, and the perception of students, parents, teachers, school administrators and government officials on the role of international schools in promoting national identity and citizenship of Emirati students. The theoretical framework is a combination of three theories that include the important characteristics of the topic: Kymlicka’s (2001) liberal nationalism and cultural nationalism, Layder’s (2006) social and cultural agency theory, and Wells’ (1999) social-cultural learning theory. The literature review examines a number of fields relevant to this topic: conceptions of national identity, citizenship conceptions and education, cultural theories and intercultural learning, general organization cultural theory, cross-cultural literature, international education and internationalization of curriculum. The methodology is an interpretive qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The results revealed that there is a lack of curriculum and activities integrating Emirati content. There is a general dissatisfaction among Emirati parents and some Emirati students. While some teachers expressed an interest and desire to integrate more Emirati content, the school administrators generally reported that a sufficient amount was being done, and the government agency officials have a different set of priorities. The conclusion chapter provides a number of recommendations for appropriately increasing the integration of UAE content while maintaining a strong international focus.
Emirati Women’s Leadership Development: Biographical Narratives of Culture and Learning
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-10) Al Naqbi, Shamma Hamdoon
The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate cultural factors and learning that have contributed to the leadership development of Emirati women. Available international educational leadership literature does not adequately address religious and cultural values, particularly those in Islamic and Arab contexts. The methodology adopted is qualitative aimed at an exploration of meaning, important in understanding the factors that contributed to leadership development of my participants. Three sources of data were used in understanding the complex issue of leadershipdevelopment: in-depth narrative semi-structured interviews, document analysis and diary writing. Several themes are identified in the data analysis as having the main influences on Emirati women’s leadership development: family influences, cultural influences, social influences, influential role models, colleagues’ relationships, workplace culture/environment, and involvement in leadership activities. Based on these findings, an Emirati model of women’s leadership development has been developed that includes those factors distinctive to UAE society that contribute to a local model. The thesis will focus on participants from two Emirates in the UAE that are less frequently studied in research on the GCC and Middle East region: Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Further qualitative and quantitative research is required in order to continue the research that this thesis has presented as an exploratory study that has sought to begin the dialogue that is so relevant at this time in the UAE.
Grit Levels and Academic Performance in Emirati Male and Female College Level Students in the Emirate of Dubai
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-12) MOHAMMAD, NAYELA
Many researchers argue that grit a non-cognitive skill is important for students to perform better academically and to improve their skills. It is also believed that once students have grit, they will be able to overcome their setbacks and cope up with failure, because they believe that they can improve their abilities and succeed. However, being a new scientific study there has been a few studies in this field. The purpose of this thesis is to draw the attention to the importance of grit as a non-cognitive skill that enables students to overcome setbacks and cope with failure. Also, grit enables students to believe in their abilities that they can improve and succeed. This can be considered important for educational policy makers to focus on grit as an equal to cognitive skill, in order to develop grit in students to become high achievers. The data which was collected and analysed from Emirati tertiary level students both male and female in Dubai attempted to give an idea about the level of grit in the Emirati sample- if they are gritty or not- and the way they overcome setbacks and failure. The samples in this study are male and female Emirati students studying at a tertiary institution in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). These include students studying at different majors and are at different levels or years of study. The methodology used in this study is mixed methods and is an explanatory sequence, which starts with a quantitative method with an online questionnaire to find if there is a relationship between grit and academic performance in Grade Point Average (GPA). The second part of the methodology is the qualitative method, which uses a semi-structured interview and the approach being narrative. The narrative approach is used to understand the meaning of the participants’ experience regarding grit. The findings of this study have slightly the same findings and results to similar studies conducted by Duckworth and other scholars and researchers, which is that there is a relationship between grit and academic performance, where this study focused on students’ current GPA. However, the participants of this study are Emirati tertiary level students both male and female studying in different majors and levels and this is the difference with other major studies conducted in this field.
The Perspectives of Emirati Grade 12 Students on Writing Challenges in the English Language in the UAE Public Secondary Schools
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-04) ASSAF, MOHAMMAD AHMAD MAHMOUD
The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study is to examine Emirati Grade 12 students’ perspectives on the challenges they face when writing in English. The researcher explores the issue of writing from students’ perspectives because their voices on the challenges they encounter in writing English have been overlooked while so much attention is often focused on teachers’ views and techniques. The theoretical framework draws on Spolsky’s (1989) and Grabe’s (2001) list of learning conditions to teach L2. Additionally, the study considers the findings of the meta-analysis of best writing instructions for adolescent students conducted by Graham and Perin (2007). The study was conducted at thirty-two public secondary schools located within six emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) utilising three research questions. These were answered by employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design using a quantitative questionnaire administered to (n=1562) EFL Grade 12 students. Then, the findings of the questionnaire made it possible to prepare a series of semi-structured interviews with 15 students whose writing was analysed to focus on the difficulties they faced with this skill set. Findings were discussed with two focus groups of six teachers of English from the six educational zones as well as three English curriculum specialists from the curriculum department at the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Dubai. Descriptive and inferential analyses were carried out using SPSS while qualitative data obtained from interviews and focus groups were summarised to bring out the relevant themes. The findings indicated that the writing challenges, identified by students, were somewhat in line with the results of previous studies in which only teachers’ opinions were considered. However, there were some dissimilarities, especially in relation to the teachers’ and the MoE’s responsibilities towards the development of students’ writing skills. Similarly, most of the participants in the study were aware of the prominence of concerted efforts to help in bridging the gap between high school graduates’ writing performance and the requirements of higher education institutions. One of the most important implications of this study is the necessity to adopt a national writing strategy whose implementation would raise the level of students’ writing abilities so that they can pursue higher education easily and conveniently.

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