JREPT: Vol 2 No 2

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    Editorials: Expanding research into niche fields
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-10) David, Solomon Arulraj
    Research in education is tremendously expanding with range of niche fields and innovative approaches. With the continuous edge to break through into innovative ways in education practice, education research is vying through uncharted territories. Many new journals along with the established ones are keen on capturing research works in rare focuses. Journal for Researching Education Practice and Theory (JREPT), since its inception, has showcased some of such research works with rare focuses. This issue in particular present few applied research on such infrequent areas. We are witnessing education in an increasingly competitive and technological world, where the focus of research is heavily technology and management oriented. And not many researchers work on research areas that are seldom visited. The four research papers in this issue seem to explore such rare topics in four different areas. The work on giftedness attempts to offer a critical evaluation of the special provisions for gifted students in an elementary school in Dubai. Such analytical examination with evidence based arguments and discussion could lead to possible transition in a positive direction. The study on moral education aims to account the experiences and perceptions of teachers and parents about the impact of the implementation of moral education at schools in Dubai. Parents’ and teachers’ experiences and perceptions on moral education is essential as UAE recently introduced the moral education in schools. The research that explores behavior management strategies used by teachers at primary schools in Thailand recommends professional training to teachers and the implementation of positive behavior support in schools. The paper that explores on the role of values in educational research offers a critique of two research studies, arguing that research can never be value-free. I am sure the readers my find these works interesting and special. JREPT would continue to present studies with such rare specialisation.
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    Exploring Behaviour Management Strategies Used By Teachers In Thailand Primary Schools
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-10) Nasiru, Mufutau Afolabi; Kuyini, Ahmed Bawa; Cornish, Linley
    This study aimed t o explore the behaviour management strategies used by teachers in Thailand primary schools and the teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of their strategies. A five-part questionnaire, comprising - Participants’ Background Information, Behaviour Management Strategies, and Perceptions of Effectiveness of the strategies was completed by 50 teachers from 10 schools. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The results showed that most teachers used non-aversive behaviour management strategies. The teachers also rated non-aversive strategies as more effective. The study recommends further professional training for teachers, and implementation of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) in a school-wide approach.
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    A Critical Evaluation of the Special Provisions for Gifted Students: a case study of a student in an Elementary School in Dubai
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-10) Sharma, Neha H
    This paper critically evaluates the special provisions made by an International Baccalaureate school in Dubai for a gifted male student in elementary grade. There is very limited research in the field of gifted education within the United Arab Emirates. No prior study about the programs and services offered to the gifted learners in the private schooling sector has been published till date. Although private schools following various curricula in the emirate of Dubai probably make special provisions to identify and cater to the unique needs of the gifted learners, there is no research-based study evaluating these services. Private schools are guided by UAE federal laws regarding inclusive education and are inspected annually by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. These annual school inspection reports are available in the public domain which comprehensively evaluate the special educational provisions, but do not specifically focus on the gifted programs and services. Lack of research studies and neglect by the local authorities regarding gifted provisions presented the opportunity, vision and rationale for the current qualitative case study. A holistic approach was deemed appropriate to describe and critically analyse the school policy, systems of identification, gifted programs offered and teacher readiness to provide appropriate support to identified gifted learners. This case study attempts to present a rich panorama of the gifted provisions offered in one private school in the UAE. Based on the literature regarding best practices in the field of gifted education, the provisions have been critically evaluated and some suggestions about possible improvements in services alongside few recommendations for future studies have been included in the current study.
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    Experiences and Perceptions of Teachers and Parents about the Impact of the Moral Education Program Implementation in Dubai Schools
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-10) Sbai, Ikrame
    Children are born as a blank slate, they need adults’ guidance to survive in their societies. From the old times, the major mission of schools was to equip students with both intellectual and moral values. The United Arab Emirates UAE acknowledges the role of Moral Education in helping young children to develop their own values and beliefs. To build a sustainable society based on respect, tolerance and ethics and to develop the next generation of leaders who are actively productive in their communities, the Moral Education policy was introduced in the UAE private and public schools for the 2017-2018 academic year. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of the implementation of the Moral Education policy in Dubai schools. A qualitative research design was used in this study. Teachers’ data was collected through a qualitative survey to explore their experiences and perceptions about the impact of the Moral Education policy in Dubai. On the other hand, interviews were used with parents for data collection. The research findings revealed that there is a lack of parents’ involvement with children’s academics, which is an essential factor for the effective implementation of the Moral Education program. Also, the study indicated that the Moral Education program is on the right path towards building students’ character traits and preparing more responsible individuals who have a sense of morality and appreciation of the UAE culture and other cultures.
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    On the Role of Values in Educational Research: a Critique of Two Research Studies
    (The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-10) Kushkiev, Plamen
    This paper aims to critique the conceptual framework and paradigmatic nature of two studies that report on empirical data to draw conclusions and claim transferability. The focus is placed on the influence of the raft of beliefs and values the researcher brings to the process of research. My main argument is that research can never be value-free, because research frameworks and designs are underpinned by a set of assumptions about the nature of social reality, what good knowledge is, and how to attain it. Researchers are expected to be self-reflexive and state how their values affect the choice of topic and overall design of their inquiry. In this paper, I deconstruct the theoretical underpinnings and methodological decisions the researchers make to shed light on the influential role of values on the process of educational inquiry. To put my discussion in context, I opt to critique Hariri’s (2014) study, which investigates TEFL university instructors’ emotional attitudes to their students, fellow teachers and workplace, and Akbari et al. (2017) exploring EFL teachers’ emotion regulation behaviour in the classroom. Even though the two studies seem to be conducted within a disparate research tradition, I argue that the researchers have similar underlying ontological and epistemological assumptions that necessitate the choice of a particular methodology. I therefore suggest that the researchers’ personal, social and competency values determine the selection of a research methodology. I suggest that researchers should be introspective and explain how their beliefs and hunches have influenced the overall process of inquiry, and what measures were taken to minimize the effects of these preconceived assumptions. The research findings might have wider implications for evidence-based teaching and policy construction.