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Item The Effects and Challenges of Integrating GoAnimate Video Creator with TaskBased Language Teaching (TBLT) in Teaching English to a Grade 11 Omani Class(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018) Al Khalili, ShathaThis qualitative research explores the effects and challenges of integrating the GoAnimate web-based tool with task-based language teaching (TBLT) in teaching writing to a grade 11 EFL, Omani classroom. The literature review covers specific topics that form the basis of TBLT, such as constructivism, cooperative learning, group dynamics and the affective filter hypothesis. Moreover, it introduces GoAnimate and brings to light some current multimodality related studies as GoAnimate is part and parcel of it. When it comes to the methodology, convenience sampling is adopted and thus, the sample consists of 6 teachers and 34 students. Additionally, the instrument used to collect data is students’ and teachers’ focus group interviews and the researcher’s self-observational notes. Furthermore, the procedure involves designing a female GoAnimate character called ‘Awash’ and using her to teach a writing lesson while the researcher observes and takes notes. After the lesson, the focus group interviews are conducted. After that, the gathered data is analysed and the research questions are answered. The findings of this research indicate that the integration of GoAnimate in the Omani classroom faces some challenges. Nevertheless, those challenges can be overcome if addressed properly. Additionally, the findings highlight that GoAnimate has a positive effect on students’ motivation and thus, their learning. Based on these findings, some implications for practice and research are put forward.Item The effect of servant leadership on students’ engagement in social studies class: analyzing perception of middle school students in Dubai(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018) Zamani, ZahraOne of the most important goals of education for students is to learn. By engaging students in the classroom they can reach this essential aim. By adopting appropriate leadership styles, teachers can increase students’ learning, for example adopting a servant leadership style helps teachers to coach students to enrich their learning experiences. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which servant teaching influences students’ engagement in Dubai’s middle schools. Based on a positivist approach, quantitative data was collected from a sample of 383 students from four middle schools in Dubai using SES-4DS and modified version of the seven-factor servant leadership scale Questionnaire. Linear Regression was used for analyzing the results. The finding shows that the use servant leadership style by social studies teachers influence learners engagement on three different aspects: cognitive, behavioral and agency. Findings of this research can be used by teachers to apply servant leadership in their classroom. Application of this leadership style in classroom helps students to engage more and therefore learn better.Item Teachers’ perspectives on social media in schools in the UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018) Alkutich, Mohamad EzzatSocial media plays a fundamental role worldwide in changing the way of communication is carried out. Using social media in schools has its pros and cons. This paper aims explores the perspectives of teachers in Abu Dhabi schools regarding the use of social media for instructional purposes in the classroom. The study investigated recent experience of teachers with social media in schools, as well as explore teachers' point of view regarding the importance of social media in teaching and learning. Finding shows that teachers consider social media is a significant tool in their day-to-day school communication, and there was an appreciation for the use of social media in teaching and learning. Moreover, teachers depicted that the implementation of social media in teaching and learning is still an elusive target.Item Teacher leadership potential: assessment in the light of teachers’ perceptions in UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018) Eltanahy, MarwaThere has been a great concern about the leadership roles of teachers and how this effectively contribute to the success of the schools and learners as well. This paper investigates teachers’ perceptions about their potential to be teacher leaders, identifies the main attributes of teacher leadership and explores the main strategies that promote the development of teacher leadership. An online survey study was conducted as a nonexperimental method to answer the research questions with more weight of quantitative than qualitative data. Results show that there is a good potential for teachers to act as leaders who believed that associated abilities of leaders’ ethics and interpersonal skills are the most powerful tools for teacher leadership. This study suggests that policy makers should reduce the demarcation of roles and work on distributing the tasks of teacher leadership among the community of teachers to be included in their job description in order to generate responsible teachers who are able to work and lead more effectively.Item Investigating the Perception of K-12 Teachers on their Assessment Literacy and Obstacles Hindering the Implementation of Effective Assessments in Dubai private schools(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2018) Sbai, IkrameAssessing learners’ performance is endemic in learning. Teachers bear the responsibility of assessing their students regularly to confirm that learning has happened. However, many teachers do not use assessment as a tool to improve learning, but only as an evaluation tool to judge students’ achievement. Research shows that assessment should be used to improve the learning experience of learners and the assessment results should be interpreted for this sake. Many teachers are not prepared on how to use assessments effectively in their classrooms. Several previous studies have indicated that teachers have weak assessment skills, either skills for designing and developing assessments or interpreting the results. In the United Arab Emirates UAE there is a big emphasis on the effective teaching and assessment to achieve the 2021 UAE educational vision. This study explores k12 teachers’ perception of their own assessment literacy in the UAE, as well as the obstacles that hinder them from conducting effective assessments for their students. The participants are teachers working in different schools in Dubai, with different years of experience and are distributed between females and males. A mixed design questionnaire was used as a data collection method. The research results indicated that teachers have a high perception about their assessment literacy. Teachers are also using a range of traditional assessment strategies in their classrooms to assess students. However, most of the teachers are using assessment only to evaluate students’ performance instead of improving the learning experience. One of the main obstacles that face teachers with assessment is the large number of students in the classroom and the lack of training.Item 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