Browsing by Author "Gaad, Eman"

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    Editorials: The theory versus practice dilemma - effecting education practice and research in the best possible way
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018) Abukari, Abdulai; Gaad, Eman
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    Educating Learners with SEND in One Private Mainstream School in Dubai: Effectiveness and Challenges of Policy Implementation
    (Springer Link, 2023) Badawieh, Muntaha; Abukari, Abdulai; Gaad, Eman
    This study investigates the SEND policy implementation in one private school in Dubai. It highlights whether the school’s teachers and support staff adopted and effectively implemented the SEND inclusion policy. The investigation process focuses on three areas which are curriculum modifications, Assessment differentiation, and teacher’s professional development. A qualitative research study of semi-structured interviews has been conducted to investigate the effectiveness and challenges of SEND policy implementation; for this purpose, interviews were conducted with the school’s teachers for data analysis; the researcher has decided to use the qualitative approach because it shows a subjective evaluation of beliefs, behaviour, and attitudes, the total number of participants were two subject teachers and one school principal. This study investigated all the significant aspects, and the overall result was conducted to provide the proper recommendations. The qualitative study findings indicate that the school policy implementation is very effective, and teachers’ awareness of the inclusion policy is appropriate. Nevertheless, they face difficulties in accommodating students’ needs in the classroom due to the massive number of students in each classroom. Also, it showed that the inclusion support team acts as a backbone in supporting the teachers through the weekly meetings, which help them modify the curriculum and accommodate the assessment for their students. In terms of challenges, the school has few numbers of inclusion support teachers; therefore, it leads to some challenges teachers face when implementing the policy.
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    The Impact of Supporting Parents of Children with Disabilities in the UAE
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2020-04) Thabet, Rawy A.; Gaad, Eman; Abu-Ayyash, Emad A.S.
    This paper intends to measure the impact of a training programme on parents/caregivers of children with disabilities. This training programme was designed by academics at the British University in Dubai with support from the Al Jalila Foundation (AJF), a charitable organization located in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This research measures how this programme helps those parents and caregivers to cope with the challenging behaviours of their children with different types of disabilities, with a particular focus on people from Ras Al-Khaimah, an emirate of the seven emirates that form the UAE. Mixed methods were used to measure such impact. To this end, 31 parents/caregivers were interviewed and completed pre and post questionnaires. The results suggest that this programme had a positive impact on the quality of life of the participants. The findings also show that there is a pressing need and increasing demand for more training programmes to support parents/caregivers of children with disabilities to better cope with the challenging behaviours. A set of recommendations for further practice is offered to support decision makers in the area of empowerment of people with disabilities and their families/caregivers in the region.
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    Views of Adolescents with Cognitive Disabilities and their Parents on Using Sports as Means for Social Inclusion in Dubai
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2021-10) Almotairi, Mishal Hussain; Gaad, Eman
    This study examines views of adolescents with cognitive disabilities and their parents on the inclusion of such adolescents in various sport programmes through their educational institutions in Dubai. Following the adoption of a new national policy known as ‘The National Policy for People of Determination 2017’, learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are often referred to as students of determination in the UAE, are expected to live fulfilled lives and be included in mainstream education and make the most of their potentials. Most educational institutions use sports and physical activities as means of the social inclusion of adolescents with disabilities. This paper focuses on adolescents with cognitive disabilities aged 13 to 18 that are enrolled in educational institutions (schools or centres). The study investigates the impact of enrolling adolescents with cognitive disabilities in sport programmes on their social inclusion. Such impact includes forming and sustaining friendships, motivation and self-steam development. A qualitative approach was adopted for the research. Purposeful sampling of adolescents and their parents from several schools and centres that cater for adolescents (aged 13-18) with cognitive disabilities was undertaken. Semi structured interviews were held with parents while focus groups discussions were used to gather data from the adolescents themselves (boys and girls). Issues, challenges and recommendations are presented to inform policy, decision makers and future studies in the field.