Theses for Doctor of Philosophy in Education

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A Balanced Approach Towards Teaching the Skills of L2 Reading and Writing to Enhance the Writing Proficiency of Foundation Program Students at Universities in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2023-03) ALFARAN, FATHIA HASAN; Dr Tendai Charles
The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of balancing reading and writing instruction in foundation programs and how that affects learners’ essay writing skills in higher education institutions in the UAE. To achieve this goal, two research questions are formulated to drive the inquiry: What are the foundations program instructors’ perceptions and practices regarding the balance of teaching L2 reading and writing? How does the balance in teaching L2 reading and writing enhance foundation programs learners’ writing performance in higher educational institution in the UAE? In the current study, the mixed methods approach is employed to assess classroom practices to investigate whether there is a balance in teaching reading and writing so as to strengthen the learners’ performance in these two skills; and examines whether these practices improve foundation programs learners’ essay-writing skills in higher education institutions. The quantitative data have been collected from teachers’ questionnaire to answer the first question. The qualitative data have been collected from an experiment that consists of a pre-posttest to answer the research second question. The results of the intervention and the achievement tests, instructors’ questionnaire and interviews revealed that the techniques used in the balanced reading and writing teaching program are suitable for first-year students and can be implemented if the instructors get appropriate training from knowledgeable people.
Academic Leadership for Teaching and Research Development in Higher Education: A Bahraini Case Study
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-03) AL-Qallaf, Amal Jasim
The Arabian Gulf countries have witnessed a significant growth and development in higher education provisions and demands since the end of 1980s. The main purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the experiences and roles of academic leadership administrators in higher education in the Kingdom of Bahrain while enhancing teaching and research quality, and investigating the current quality management model used for effective leadership, and what style of leadership best handles the challenges of cultural diversity within Bahraini higher educational organizations especially in their early stages of development in order to reach world standards development. A composite theoretical framework was designed using Bolden, Petrov, and Gosling (2008) academic leadership model, Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s (1998) and Branine’s (2011) models of cross-cultural management, Schein’s (2004) model of organizational culture and leadership, Schultz’s (1995) model of organizational culture and Shils’s (2008) academic ethos for teaching and research. The methodology used in this study is a predominantly qualitative and interpretive case study, using mixed methods which included the following: International, regional, national, and organizational document analysis; interviews with Deans, Chairs, and Quality Assurance Authority representatives; a faculty survey; and alumni focus groups. There are two main types of results. The first is empirical, finding that there is a rich potential for research in Bahrain but funding, heavy workloads and more advanced training are the main obstacles, whereas for teaching the strength is in the academics’ quality of teaching but workload is the single most important problem, and for leadership the strength is in the quality of expertise but are constrained by lack of autonomy. The second main result of the study is the development of a more comprehensive, regionally appropriate, and multi-dimensional model for university development that includes: academic leadership and organizational dimensions, the academic ethos elements; the multicultural interactions dimension; the dynamic system Interaction; the integrated model, and the temporal domains/changes and developmental. This model aims to contribute to the development of an academic system that best suits higher education institutions in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Adoption and Implementation of Online Learning Systems in Lebanon: Prospects and Barriers
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-08) SHAYA, NESSRIN MOHAMMAD
This study aims at obtaining a finer-grained understanding of the primary prospects and barriers to adopt and implement online education systems in Lebanon, through investigating online learning readiness and acceptance among various key stakeholders in higher education. This study started with an assumption that traditional systems govern the processes of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, depriving the nation from the chance to harness the opportunities brought forth by online education. A multiple case study, mixed-methods research design, was conducted on Lebanese higher education students, faculty and senior academic leaders, revealed adequate readiness levels and increased acceptance of online education among students and faculty. Data was collected quantitatively through electronically distributed questionnaires and qualitatively through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Macro and micro levels of analysis took place using statistical testing methods and thematic analysis led to an emergent status of online education in Lebanon. Operationally, strong e-learning management capacity and institutional readiness distinguished private institutions, while weak technological infrastructure and geographical complexity characterized the public university. Lack of readiness in ministry for abrupt change that online education might cause in pedagogy and instruction surfaced, leading to strategical resistance for full-fledged online programs. Diminished state funding for public university, fears from the mediocrity of ‘no-lecture university’, faculty job relevance, doubts in students’ self-regulation skills and the possible influence of corruption on student enrollment form major barriers. Prospects lie in the consensus that online education can serve as a catalyst for higher education transformative change supported by embracing culture for implementation at postgraduate studies, leading to a proposal on strategic plan for successful implementation. Various statistically tested associations along with sophisticated qualitative stakeholder analysis led to expanding readiness and acceptance models with practical implications for future testing. Limitations were assigned along with valuable and empirical contributions.
An Investigation into the Influence of Culture on Principals’ and Teachers’ Relationships and Practices in Public Secondary Schools in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2023-09) ABU-AYASH, YUSEF AHMAD; Professor Abdulai Abukari
As today’s world has become more globalized and interconnected, multicultural work environments have become the norm. However, Leading and/or following in a multicultural work environment can be quite challenging. The lack of knowledge and understanding of the different cultural norms, values and even communication styles can hinder both leaders and followers’ ability to navigate cross-cultural interactions more effectively. It logically follows that in order to have a more successful and productive relationship as well as to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts, it has become imperative for both leaders and followers to learn how influential culture is and how to function in an environment in which differences are likely to be more pronounced than similarities. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of culture on principals and teachers in public secondary schools in the UAE. This purpose was further broken into several objectives: to understand how national culture and organizational culture influence the perception of leadership styles, to understand the influence national culture might have on the relationship between principals and teachers in terms of conflict creation, to understand the influence organizational culture might have on the workplace practices of principals and teachers in terms of conflict resolution, and to understand the influence cultural induction might have on improving the workplace practices of and the relationship between principals and teachers in terms of conflict prevention. The study adopted a mixed method research approach and results revealed that there was a variation in the perception of leadership styles between principals and teachers. While principals perceived their leadership style to be transformational, teachers perceived it to be transactional. This variance in perceptions was found to be stemming more from differences in national culture than in organizational culture. As for national culture influence in terms of conflict creation, results revealed that the influence was evident both directly through manifestations in behaviors and indirectly through language. As for organizational culture influence in terms of conflict resolution, results showed that organizational culture was quite influential in this respect. The same influential role was found to be played by cultural induction in terms of preventing conflict from taking place. In light of the findings of this study, the researcher concluded that future research should consider a larger sample size, a more generalizable sampling technique, and to extend studying the influence of culture on leaders and followers in settings other than educational ones. Furthermore, future research should be well-cognizant of real-self vs. ideal-self for participants. Recommendations to leaders, followers and policy makers were also provided; those included: the importance of designing a more immersive and extended onboarding/induction cultural programs for new joiners who come from different cultures, that future cultural induction programs better be led by school principals themselves in the real work-environment context/school, and that both leaders and followers should be open and welcoming of differences and engage in a life-long cultural learning journey. This study filled in a gap of knowledge concerning the influence of culture on leaders and followers in terms of conflict creation, conflict resolution and conflict prevention, particularly within the UAE public education context. The study also stands out among a limited number of studies that explored the influence of both national and organizational culture on leadership styles perception through examining the perspectives of both leaders and followers, and therefore, paving the way for a single holistic model that accounts for both national and organizational culture (‘Organational’ culture) simultaneously and equally. Lastly, this study expanded the existing literature examining the use, application and interpretation of nation-wide cultural data at the individual level; hence emphasizing the importance of being vigilant and not fall into the trap of ecological fallacy when drawing conclusions.
Arabic as a foreign language (AFL): Northern UAE AFL Teachers’ Perceptions of the Integrated Approach
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-04) SALAMEH, WALID
The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers perceive an integrated approach for students’ communicative competence in Arabic; and whether teachers are receptive to implementing an integrated approach in the TAFL classrooms and if they identify any potential obstacles to implementing an integrated approach at the private universities in the UAE Northern Emirates. The literature reveals that many studies investigated the students’ perceptions towards learning Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) but rarely tackled the teachers’ perceptions in this regard and what communicative Arabic instruction should involve. The design exploited in this study is a mixed methods research in two sequential phases: a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. The source of the quantitative data was a survey adaptation of Arabic Teacher Survey (ATS). It is a 45-item survey of 40 participants. Due to the small size of the population who participated in the study, no significant relationships emerged between teachers’ perceptions of the integrated approach and its influence on communicative competence. In general, a positive perception of using the integrated approach arose as the right way to go about the teaching and learning of Arabic. The qualitative phase consisted of one-on-one interviews with five Arabic teachers to provide a more descriptive analysis of the survey data. The participating teachers’ perceptions of teaching both varieties are to some extent different in the order that they would teach the two varieties despite the fact that they all prefer to implement the integrated approach in their classes. The participants’ attributed the obstacles in the implementation of an integrated approach to the teachers’ mindset, insufficient materials, and choosing which colloquial dialect of Arabic to teach. This study sought to uncover the teachers’ perceptions of the integrated approach and its importance for the TAFL field in promoting the students’ communicative competence. Additionally, the study proposes an instructional design that accommodates the integrated approach besides recommendations for further research. The main purpose is to highlight the value of teaching both MSA and a spoken Arabic variety as the underpinning of communicative competence in Arabic.
A Case Study Investigation of Special Needs Inclusion Policy Implementation in three Abu Dhabi Primary Schools In the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-06) NFOR, JACQUI LOTTIN
In the UAE, education has been identified as top priority and the government has taken steps to promote inclusive education to protect the rights of persons with disability, using Law No 29 of 2006, pertaining to the ‘‘Rights of Persons with Special Needs’’ (Ministry of Social Affairs 2006). Based on this law, all young people are afforded equal rights and opportunities (Farouk 2008), which aligns with UNESCO’s Salamanca Convention Framework for Action Statement (1994) to accommodate all children in mainstream schools, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, or emotional condition. This government policy was to fit in with the proponents of inclusive education which refers to all students, who ‘’irrespective of their strengths or weaknesses, will become part of the school community’’ (Hassan 2008, p.8). This research study adopts a qualitative approach that investigates the implementation of Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (ADEC) special educational needs policy, with inclusion as the guiding platform for this policy. Employing a collective case study investigation, the study evaluates school and HQ staff applying their comprehension of the intricate idea of inclusive practices in school settings. This provides a rich and contextualized view of how these various stakeholders, including mainstream teachers, special needs teachers, principals, and students, perceive its implementation. Research instruments to compile the data for triangulation (Stake 1995; Denzin 1984, 1989), employs qualitative methods that include observations, semi-structured interviews, as well as documentation analysis. The research guiding question is: ‘To what extent is Abu Dhabi Education Council’s Special Educational Needs Policy implemented in practice and what can be done to improve its implementation to support inclusive education in government primary schools in Abu Dhabi ’. In order to effectively answer this question, this research focuses on four areas to evaluate policy impact, namely the curriculum, accessibility, assessment and in-service teacher professional development. These four key areas gives some weight to the study. The investigation targets the culture within five primary schools with reference to their inclusive policies and practices. Also central to the study analysis is employing The Index for Inclusion which is a tool with a set of indicators developed by Booth & Ainscow (2011) to measure the above four areas. Analysis from the themes which emanated from this study reveals that, Abu Dhabi Education Council’s Special Educational Needs Policy is robust, with many positive characteristics that align with similar effective global education policies that support an inclusive learning culture across schools. However, there are still gaps between policy implementation and practice within schools, ranging from a lack of understanding of what the policy entails to effective knowledge of special educational needs practices, as well as continuing professional development. Furthermore, additional research is still needed to gather reliable data to support policy implementation as required by Federal Law on an inclusive educational system, not just within Abu Dhabi Education Council schools, but across schools in the UAE. Insights into the contexts are used to put forward research- based recommendations for future practice which will improve the effectiveness in implementing inclusive practices.
Challenges Facing PBL Implementation in K-12 Schools in Al-Ain
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2021-02) Alhaddad, Yasmine
A significant emphasis is posed by the UAE vision 2021 National Agenda by review of the crucial role of education in the country, which is specifically linked with long term investment in the younger generation and future workforce. A multitude of educators perceives PBL (PBL), as an evolution from the basic methodology of instructive teaching and the prospects represent advancements that can change the underlying framework of the study, undergoing the learning process. This research intends to assess the difficulties of educators and instructors in a K-12 school in implementing the PBL approach and how these difficulties are overcome by the educators and instructors. Moreover, the research also intends to impart knowledge of PBL approach as supplementary for the enactment of 21st Century Skills skills among the students by assessing the views of study participants regarding PBL as facilitating prospect for giving of 21st Century Skills. The primary research methodology was used in the research with open and shut queries, and questionnaires were distributed among study participants. According to study findings, most prominent difficulties identified by the educators or the participants of the study were meeting the states responsibility necessities, time, actualising PBL within K-12 timeline, fitting in the guidelines, and planning the learning experience itself.
Competency Preparedness of Baccalaureate Nursing Graduates and Practice Expectations at Entry Level as perceived by the Nursing Personnel and Nursing Leadership of the Hospitals in UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2021-07) ARUL RAJ, ANNIE ROSITA
ABSTRACT Background: The competency readiness of new nursing graduates is a topic that interests nursing professionals in both academic and clinical settings. In the present era, quality health care, patient safety, cost-effectiveness, and satisfaction of the clients and their families are some of the major concerns of healthcare leaders and the top priorities in the strategic plans of their organizations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain insights on the competency preparedness and practice expectations of new graduates among the preceptors and nurse leaders and professional development nurses of hospitals accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC) in UAE. The theoretical framework of the study is formulated by consulting the theories and models such as Patricia Benner’s Novice to Expert theory, The QSEN (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses) competency model, COPA (Competency outcomes and performance assessment) model, Behaviorist learning theory, Constructivist learning theory, and the Conscious competence learning theory. A review of the literature, both regionally and globally, presents the competency preparedness, by various stakeholders but there has been no study, published to date, from the UAE regarding the current and expected level of competency. Design/ Methodology/ Approach: The researcher employed a mixed methodology approach, and within that, a concurrent exploratory approach was adopted to collect data using the Nursing Practice Readiness Tool among 104 nursing personnel of the hospitals. Fifty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted among them, especially the nursing leaders of the hospitals in Abu Dhabi. Results: The quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis indicated the general competency preparedness that is acceptable with gaps in domains such as critical thinking and clinical knowledge and a high level of preparedness in communication and technical skills. Implications: The study has several implications for nursing education, nursing practice setting, and policy in the United Arab Emirates and the region.
Contribution of Clinical Education in Developing Clinical Reasoning Skills of Undergraduate Physiotherapy Students in Preparation for Professional Practice in the United Arab Emirates
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-06) RAMAKRISHNAN, SENTHILNATHAN
Clinical reasoning expertise determines the quality of patient care but the process by which clinicians achieve expertise in clinical reasoning is not well documented. Physiotherapists are becoming more and more accountable for their clinical decisions, actions and outcomes. This increase in autonomy and accountability for physiotherapists’ means there is more responsibility on the physiotherapy education settings to focus on development of clinical reasoning skills for physiotherapy graduates. The main purpose of this study was to explore the contribution of clinical education in developing clinical reasoning skills and professional practice readiness among undergraduate physiotherapy students. This research also aimed at finding the factors underlying effective clinical education and the factors affecting development of clinical reasoning skills in order to recommend an appropriate reasoning-based, clinical education model for the UAE context. Though there are several studies available on this phenomenon globally, extensive literature search couldn’t locate studies published locally within the UAE. Theoretical underpinning for this study was primarily drawn from the dual-process theory of clinical reasoning and the experiential learning theory. This study took mixed methods approach that followed the sequential explanatory research design to collect the data from 34 students and 26 clinical educators using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data analysis showed no significant difference in students’ self-assessment of clinical reasoning. In-depth interviews were useful to explore the factors affecting the development of clinical reasoning and the factors underlying effective clinical education. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data collected identified several factors that were mainly intrinsic to the students’ such as the knowledge, skills and experience influencing the development of clinical reasoning skills apart from the effectiveness of clinical education. This study has several implications for undergraduate physiotherapy education, particularly to the clinical education aspects in the United Arab Emirates.
A Critical Analysis of Education in Palestine: Exploring the Challenges of Politicisation
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-04) AL RAHL, AHMED MAHMOUD MOHAMMAD
The present study investigated the impact of the socio-political conditions and challenges of the current educational system in Palestine based on Freire’s critical pedagogy theory. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Data was primarily collected using questionnaires administered to 1,705 students, 623 teachers, and 611 guardians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from four political leaders and four educational leaders. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis tests were performed using SPSS while thematic analysis of qualitative data was conducted using NVivo. The study found that complex and dynamic socio-political conditions in Palestine shaped education negatively with the three main factors currently impacting education in Palestine being the Israeli occupation, international governments, and the Palestinian political parties. The study concluded that the nearly 70-year Israeli occupation led to a highly politicised Palestinian society. Specifically, politicisation has had a crippling effect on the Palestinian educational system in terms of curriculum, policies, and operations. The study underlined the role of the Palestinian political and educational leaders as being crucial in mitigating the negative effects. The efforts of political and educational leaders in unifying the nation and exploring independent sources of funding helped to ensure the establishment of a depoliticised national educational system through a neutral administering body. Finally, the study confirmed that despite all the critical challenges, the Palestinian people were able to achieve tangible success and growth in the field of education.
Cross-Cultural Adjustment of Expatriate Academics in Selected Higher Education Institutions in the United Arab Emirates
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-05) QUANSAH, DAVID KWAME
This study investigates the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics in selected higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The focus is on cross-cultural adjustment across three facets of adjustment: general, work, and social interaction. The study is based on the frameworks of Black et al. (1991), Miller’s (2009) Identity Development Trajectory, and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner's Seven Dimensions of Culture model (1998). These frameworks are successfully applied through questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. A total of 324 expatriate academics employed in three HEIs in the UAE responded to the questionnaire, and 57 of them participated in face-to-face interviews. The results obtained through this study affirm, to a large extent, the findings of previous studies which are discussed in the literature review. The model devised by Black et al. (1991) is found to be applicable to the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics in HEIs in the UAE. This finding justifies the development of a model that explains the process of cross-cultural adjustment among the expatriate academics. Factors such as gender, family status, language, prior overseas experience, and cross-cultural training are found be the strongest determinants of the expatriates’ cross-cultural adjustment. Anticipatory adjustment significantly contributes to their cross-cultural adjustment. Social adjustment, family-related factors and financial factors are found to be the major contributors to the expatriate academics’ intent to stay longer in the UAE or in the organization. The most important area of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences that were identified by the respondents as the prerequisite for expatriate academics to successfully adjust, consist of the following components; professional, demographic, individual personality, social and intercultural, organization, and country. Most respondents also indicate that their employers have adopted a vi “swim or sink without help” approach with regards to their cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the findings from this research, the researcher has been able to gain more insight into the cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics in HEIs in the UAE and the need for HEIs to ensure a smoother cross-cultural adjustment of expatriate academics. Although the purpose of this study is not to generalize, the researcher suggests future research involving host country nationals, students, recruitment specialists, and cross-cultural training specialists or consultants. By expanding the sample size and including various parties or stakeholders including different methodologies for data collection, this topic can be explored further, and the range of issues discussed in this thesis can be expanded.
A Cross-Sectional Study on the relation between Teachers' Organizational Commitment to Change and their Acceptance and Use of an LMS in the UAE Applied Technology High Schools
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-02) Ayoub, Shadi
The importance of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in teaching motivates schools to adopt them. Teachers' ongoing contribution and participation are key in order to realize the value from these systems. However, limited research explains secondary school teachers’ acceptance and use of an LMS worldwide in general and in UAE in particular. It is important to understand the many emotional and behavioural aspects pertaining to teachers’ technology acceptance and their relationship with other factors situated within the school organisation. Many factors were identified that, directly or indirectly, affect teachers' acceptance and use of technology. Another domain that the study used is teachers’ organisational commitment, which is considered very important as it directly relates to many areas in education such as teaching and learning, well-being, and school success. Different key forms of teacher commitment have been identified in research including commitment to the organisation, commitment to student learning, and commitment to the profession. Teacher commitment, in all forms, has been used as an important factor to determine teachers' outcomes. Building on the ideas mentioned above, the study examined relationships among measures of UAE secondary school teachers’ acceptance and use of an LMS and their organisational commitment profile. Three widely cited theoretical models were used namely, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and the Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment (TCM). The study used TCM to generate the organizational commitment profiles for teachers assuming a change context due to introducing a new technology. The Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) method was used to generate the teachers’ commitment profiles. The commitment profile was used as a group moderator to assess its effect on technology acceptance, measured as behavioural intention (BI), self-reported use (SRU), and observed frequency of use (FRQ). Commitment profile was also used as a moderator of the different relationships between predictors and BI. Other moderators were also included such as gender, perceived mandatoriness, LMS user type, work experience, and organizational tenure. A total 311 high school teachers from seven schools completed a survey questionnaire. In addition, real usage log data extracted from the system was used to observe actual use of the LMS (FRQ) and to group teachers based on their usage level. The study first investigated which factors affected teachers’ acceptance of the LMS by applying multiple regression analysis using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method side-by-side with Partial Least Squares (PLS) model. The main predictors of LMS acceptance were: attitude towards using the LMS (ATT), performance expectancy (PE), social influence (SI) and facilitating conditions (FC). Effort expectancy (EE) was of little importance. The observed use of the LMS was significantly predicted by SRU. Then the study tested different moderation effects and found that gender is a significant moderator of the relationship between PE and BI while user type was a strong moderator of the association between FC and SRU. On the other hand, perceived mandatoriness and age were found to be insignificant moderators. Teachers with different organizational commitment profiles were found to have varying levels of BI and SRU. On the other hand, varying commitment profiles did not report different levels of FRQ. Lastly, the study reported marginal effect of the commitment profile as a moderator when interacted with other factors such as gender, perceived mandatoriness, user type, and work experience. The overall findings in UAE context has implications for theory and practice.
Differentiated Instruction in the Mainstream English Language Classroom in the UAE Public Secondary Schools: Exploring Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-04) Bourini, Ahmad Othman
The purpose of this study was to explore English language teachers’ beliefs about differentiated instruction in the secondary EFL mainstream classroom. The study examined the preconceived misconceptions they held about student diversity and the barriers and enablers they encountered in implementing differentiation. The study was largely based on the assumption that the knowledge and beliefs teachers hold about instructional practices impact the pedagogies they follow with students of different levels of readiness, interests and learning profiles. Differentiated instruction is grounded in the work of Vygotsky’s (1962) sociocultural theory, Tomlinson’s (1999) theory of differentiated instruction, Gardner’s multiple intelligences and the learning styles, and the study is guided by this theoretical framework. The study was conducted at public secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using a triangulation mixed methods design. The quantitative part included a questionnaire administered to (n=196) English language teachers from the ten education zones in the UAE. Six qualitative semi-structured interviews and six classroom observations were conducted to profoundly explore in-service teachers’ beliefs and implementation of differentiated instruction. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS. Qualitative data obtained from interviews were coded and thematized as a means of searching for related themes. The findings from the study showed that while most teachers believe that students learn differently and their diverse needs must be addressed accordingly, many of them had possessed limited knowledge and several misconceptions about differentiated instruction and its implementation in the language classroom. Results also indicated that teachers considered formative assessment, using technology, and graphic organizers as major enablers of differentiation. Conversely, time constraints, inadequate flexibility in curriculum, and insufficient training in differentiation were identified as major obstacles to addressing student diversity.
Educational Leadership and Organisational Culture: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2017-06) AL-HUSSAINI, SENABIL B.
This research explores the relationship between leadership and organisational culture in a sample of eleven schools based in the United Arab Emirates that are characterised by a hierarchical management structure. Following a mixed methods research methodology, the leadership styles of principals are classified as transformational, transactional or passive/avoidant. Then, through a qualitative grounded theory approach combined with symbolic interactionism the schools’ organisational culture is interpreted to reveal some of the hidden perspectives on schools’ leadership. The leadership images and pragmatics of language communicated by the participants are analysed in this research study for their associated complexities through the lens of speech act theory. An enhanced form of transforming leadership style was found to be predominant, encompassing a combination of transformational and transactional leadership. Seven theoretical categories of organisational culture were developed and examined in-depth in two selected schools, revealing that the leaders prefer to use redressive strategies in communicating face threatening acts; strategies indicating politeness and rational decision making. The style of leadership, which impacted on the schools’ organisational culture, was found to be strongly influenced by practices from a higher level of schools’ administration and management. School leaders’ polite communication style served as a partial shielding effect to some of the external influences, and the attitudes of individual principals and their styles of leadership were enacted in varied ways. In conclusion, this research proposes a three-dimensional model to interpret organisational culture and leadership influence on organisations such as schools which are embedded in multi-level hierarchical management structures.
Educational Leaders’ Perceptions of the Implementation of Formative Assessment Strategies on Enhancing Students’ Results in the MAP Exams in American Private Schools in the United Arab Emirates
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2020-06) Radhwan, Mina
Assessments are considered as a significant component in the process of improving education all over the world. Formative assessment helps teachers to enhance students’ learning skills and develop their academic progress. Nowadays, for educational accountability, countries, schools and teachers are evaluated based on students’ progress results in various types of assessments. Benchmark tests and specifically the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) is one of the external benchmark assessments in which students are not performing well according to the required targets of the UAE National Agenda 2021. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is fourfold (1) to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the implemented formative assessment strategies, (2) to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the effect of using formative assessment strategies on enhancing students’ skills, (3) to explain grade eight students’ progress in science MAP exams in the light of formative assessment strategies implemented, (4) to explore science leaders’ beliefs about how grade eight teachers implement formative assessment strategies in preparing students for the MAP exams. Guided by the perspectives of Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory, constructive alignment theory, self-determination theory, and depth of knowledge model. An explanatory sequential mixed method design was used in this research study. Teachers’ questionnaires, document analysis of students’ results in the MAP exams and science leader’s interviews were administered in this study. The participants included 163 teachers who implement formative assessment strategies in their daily lesson plans, 250 grade eight science students from both genders and 10 science leaders. The findings revealed many important results: 1) most of the teachers are knowledgeable and aware regarding the importance of using formative assessment strategies in their science classes 2) Think-Pair-Share, Problem-Based Learning, Self-assessment, Exit-Card, Feedback and questioning strategies are the most effective strategies that can help students to improve their results in science benchmark exams 3) according to the use of various formative assessment strategies, students’ results in the MAP science exam in the fall 2019 were better than in the fall 2018. These results indicated that using formative assessment strategies may have a positive effect on enhancing students’ results in the MAP exams.
The effectiveness of existing policies and procedures in the admission of students with SEND in the UAE higher education
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018-09) AL OBEIDLI, NOOREYA
Inclusion of students with special needs and disabilities (SEND) in the schools would prepare to gain their rights through smoother process to access the higher education. Including them in the schools raise the expectations to be included in the next education stage. The number of the students with SEND included in the schools and competing the high school is growing which will increase their demands to enter the higher education (Wolanin & Steele 2004). Higher education plays an important role in social and cultural development through responding to the changes in communities, and meets the requirements affectively (Chatterton & Goddard 2000). Completion of post-secondary education can help people with special needs and disabilities to get better job opportunities, which influences their life style positively and support their independence (Zatt, Hart, and Zimbrich, 2004). The main aim of this study is to explore existing admission process and services to support students with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and examine the effectiveness of the policies and procedures on their admission and enrolment in both public and private universities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This qualitative research has used multiple methods such method as semi-structured interviews with individuals who are in positions to process students’ applications and make the admission decisions for the student with SEND in higher education. Document analysis was used as a tool to support the study such as policies, and procedures. Recruitment process, admission requirements and process, criteria to make the admission decision for SEND in the higher education were also examined. The main finding revealed an existing gap between what’s written in the policies and procedures and the real practice, especially in the public universities. This gap has direct implications for the students with SEND to get access to join the higher education. The study ends with recommendations to help the decision makers in future practices.
The effectiveness of task-based instruction on third-year secondary students’ English speaking performance
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2022-06) BADR, HAYTHAM MORSHED ELSAYED ABDALLA
This study intended to investigate the impact of task-based instruction (TBI) as a communicative teaching strategy on secondary students’ oral production of more fluent, lexically sophisticated, lexically diverse and syntactically complex language as well as exploring teachers’ perceptions and opinions towards the possibility of effective and successful use of this strategy to improve secondary students’ speaking abilities in the Egyptian classroom context. The underlying hypothesis was the ability of TBI to bring about the necessary outcome in terms of fluency, lexical sophistication, lexical diversity and syntactic complexity as a result of the communicative environment created and the mental process enhanced by TBI. The mixed-methods research approach was embraced to glean the research data from two different samples using two main research tools: pre-post tests to collect the quantitative data and semi-structured interviews to gather the qualitative data. Five other research tools were utilized in the current research including an Oxford quick placement test to ensure the homogeneity of the research sample in terms of language proficiency level prior to the experiment and four automatic computer-based tools (Praat, TAALES, TAALED and L2SCA) to accurately and objectively score and assess students’ oral performance on four fluency measures, three lexical sophistication measures, three lexical diversity measures and four syntactic complexity measures. The quantitative data was deductively collected from ninety two second language students equally and randomly divided into two intact groups, while the qualitative data was inductively gleaned from eight language teachers. The results from the quantitative data exhibited the positive impact of TBI on students’ speaking performance for some of the measures examined, despite the short treatment period which lasted for eleven weeks. Moreover, the results from the qualitative data revealed the conflicting beliefs of teachers towards TBI; namely, the ability of TBI to improve secondary students’ speaking skills but with some challenges against its implementation in the Egyptian classroom settings. Based on these results, some pedagogical implications were provided to be considered by language teachers, syllabus designers, administrative officials and researchers in the second language acquisition (SLA) domain and some other recommendations for future potential readers and researchers were made.
The Effectiveness of Using the IPads as an M-learning Devices for Developing ESL Vocational Learners’ Speaking and Listening Skills Based on Social Constructivist Model
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2016-06) ALOLAIMAT, MAHES ALI AL MAHES
The Effects of Inquiry-based learning on the Development of High School Biology Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in the UAE
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-10) Sabri, Sura
Background: Critical Thinking (CT) skills are believed to be essential skills that would enable people to improve the quality of their lives. Being a strong critical thinker is a major characteristic required for future job seekers. Educators agree that people can develop critical thinking skills through training and practicing core critical thinking skills. A suitable environment where CT skills can be implemented is in science education, as it is one of the strongest tools that can be utilized to train learners to use the core CT skills, which can be developed by the implementation of Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) strategies in science classrooms. Moreover, it has been established in educational research that learning through inquiry-based activities positively affects students’ learning experiences and promotes their self-regulatory learning skills. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to Investigate the implementation of inquiry-based learning in biology on the development of high school students’ critical thinking skills by investigating the current practices of IBL instructions and relating them to the development of students’ CT skills. Methods: This research followed the constructivist and postpositivist philosophies of research; the case study was employed with a multiple method design. The case study research included both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative tool utilized was a non-experimental questionnaire and the qualitative tools included lesson observations, teachers’ interviews and document analysis of students’ artefacts. Results: The findings of this study revealed a lack of effective implantation of IBL instructions, as IBL application was limited to structured or guided inquiry and lacked appropriate assessment methodologies in the observed practices. Results also showed a variation in teachers’ ability to develop students’ CT skills within classroom instructions. The result of this study proposed a professional development program that targets science teachers’ skills in utilizing IBL instructions effectively to support students to develop CT skills. Implications Contributions: it was evident that science teachers were struggling to prepare IBL activities that would help deliver the required outcomes without compromising the quality of students’ understanding and their readiness to sit for standardized assessments. They were avoiding the use of open IBL activities due to concerns related to time management, the fear of losing control on students’ learning and the condensed curriculum that needs to be completed before standardized testing. The implementation of the suggested professional development programs will help the teachers to transform their teaching style with the confidence that their students will achieve the required learning outcomes.
Employer's perceptions and Higher Education Institutions initiatives towards UAE Graduate Employability
(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2019-09) HASSOCK, LEISA JANE
The purpose of this study investigates the employability of UAE graduates by i) confirming what initiatives Higher Education Institutions are currently implementing to improve UAE graduate employability, ii) determining what initiatives Employers require Higher Education Institutions to implement to improve their employability, iii) identifying the main influences for Employers when deciding to employ UAE graduates. The UAE government is focused on developing a knowledge economy as the use of fossil fuels become redundant. The study used a qualitative approach utilizing in-depth interviews and focus groups with Employers across all UAE industry sectors as well as Higher Education Institutions to identify employer perceptions concerning UAE graduate employment and work readiness. The findings required graduates to develop soft skills, particularly communication skills together with a stronger work ethic and a focus on lifelong learning. A mixed-method approach was commenced however the quantitative data portion was abandoned when data from questionnaires became limited. Qualitative data however provided valuable in-depth and constructive responses. The findings from this study support the development of curriculum planning and strategic decision making as well as strategic economic and workforce planning. The study identifies employers’ perceptions of UAE graduate’s employability and the current education processes Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are taking towards work readiness for graduate employability.

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