Browsing by Author "SHEHZAD, NAUREEN"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effective Team Communication Stimulates Teacher Effectiveness: A Study of a Private College in Attock City, Pakistan
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-10) SHEHZAD, NAUREEN
    Communication is an art, a skill that brings people close to each other and builds a bond of trust and dependence upon each other. Researchers since the early nineteenth century have defined and explored communication in different scenarios and have devised ways to improve and refine it. Communication in educational institutions holds much importance since a teacher collaborates, communicates and delegates responsibilities and communicates at various levels in the institution. Communication among teachers plays a pivotal role in teacher’s effectiveness and all-inclusive academic success of the students. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of communication that exists between teachers and leaders and its effects on teacher’s proficiency. With current researches showing a link between teacher effectiveness and student achievement, it is important to consider how team teacher’s communication impact teacher’s effectiveness. The prominent theories and models of communication that give primary importance to communication are Kotter’s Model for Change, Shannon and Weaver’s transactional model of communication, which is a building block in today’s modern communication. Communication primarily depends on interpersonal skills that are expressed in the Johari Window while Leader-member Exchange theory discusses the importance of shared and distributed leadership which is suitable in today’s era. The research questions are answered through a mixed methodology approach including both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The survey questionnaire is designed in Qualtrics that includes Likert scale closed-ended questions for quantitative data collection and open-ended questions for qualitative data collection. On this basis, it is revealed that age, gender and years of experience do not affect team communication and teaching efficacy. Qualitative data shows that teachers in this school perceive a high-quality communicative relationship with team leaders, a collegial environment that enhances teacher effectiveness and a faith in leadership style existing in the college. The research can be expanded to the whole school and it can include how team communication effects a student’s achievement. The research can be generalized to the other educational institutions or other campuses in different parts of the country, which would reveal rich variety of qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Instructor Social Presence in Digital Education at Higher Education Institutions in the UAE
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2024-06) SHEHZAD, NAUREEN; Dr Tendai Charles
    The radical changes in educational pedagogies has been a driving force behind writing this thesis. With the ever evolving landscape of digital education, understanding the role of instructor social presence in online education is of paramount importance. The study explores the role of instructor social presence and its impact on student engagement in the context of UAE. Using a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, in the first phase quantitative data was collected by surveying instructors in different educational institutions in the UAE. The survey consisted of Likert-scale questions and was distributed to 100 participants using random sampling. The second phase of the study included in-depth interviews from faculty (N=10) using purposeful sampling. The study is grounded in Community of Inquiry as the theoretical framework which stems from Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory. Through careful and intensive investigation, it was found that instructor social presence is a good predictor for student behavioural, cognitive and psychological engagement. While applying Cresswell’s inductive approach to qualitative data, several themes were reveled which primarily focused on the importance and inclusion of instructor social presence. This study is geographically specific and yielded the results only in the UAE. Further studies need to be carried out with a larger population using longitudinal study designs. To conclude, it is important to note that technology and artificial intelligence is shaping the future of education. Therefore, as teachers, we need to keep abreast of all upcoming technologies to impart education that can engage and bring life-long learning skills to the GenZ.