Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted The Influence of Cultural Values on ESL Teachers' Perceptions of Teacher-Centred Instruction Effectiveness in Saudi Arabia(Bangor University, 2024-09-30) Alharbi, Mubarak Jazi; Shank, ChristopherThis study investigates the influence of cultural values on ESL teachers’ perceptions of teacher-centred instruction in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on its perceived effectiveness and impact on student performance. Rooted in a hierarchical and collectivist society, Saudi classrooms often favour teacher-centred methods, reflecting deep cultural respect for authority and structured learning. The research addresses three key questions: How do specific cultural values shape ESL teachers' views on teacher-centred instruction? What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses of this approach? Is there a correlation between teachers' perceptions of effectiveness and student academic performance? A quantitative survey was conducted with 52 ESL teachers and a qualitative interview was conducted with 6 ESL teachers. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were used to analyse quantitative data while thematic analysis was used in the analysis of interview transcripts. The findings reveal a complex dynamic: although the cultural values promote the teacher-centred approach, it is considered as inadequate in engaging the students and enhancing their critical thinking skills. Cultural values were found to have a very low positive correlation with perceived effectiveness while professional development had a high positive correlation with student performance. Teachers agreed that professional development is useful in incorporating new approaches into traditional practises, and they noted that ongoing training is crucial in closing the gap between culture-based practises and current educational requirements. These findings have important implications for ESL education in Saudi Arabia, suggesting that there is a need for more student-centred and less rigid instructional approaches while at the same time being culturally sensitive. The government should focus on professional development to improve the quality of teachers and the learners.10 0Item Restricted ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORKS USED IN SAUDI ARABIAN UNIVERSITIES(University of Mississippi, 2024-08-11) Alqahtani, Asmahan; Warhol, TamaraThis study investigates English language assessment practices in Saudi Arabian universities from the perspectives of English language teachers. It explores how ESL teachers perceive the applicability of assessment frameworks provided by policymakers in higher education. Guided by concepts of Language Assessment Literacy, the study examines the roles and practices of various stakeholders in language assessment, the principles and concepts guiding these practices, and the awareness of the social contexts in which language assessment takes place. In Saudi Arabia, research on language assessment is needed due to the limited attention given to assessment and testing issues, and the minimal involvement of teachers in assessment development and decision-making. This mixed-method study employs both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data were collected through interviews to explore participants' in-depth perceptions, while quantitative data were gathered via surveys to collect information on assessment from a larger population. The interviews included eight (8) English language teachers currently teaching at various universities in Saudi Arabia; whereas, 73 teachers participated in the survey. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data, and descriptive analysis was applied to survey results. Findings reveal that ESL teachers in Saudi universities are generally dissatisfied with current assessment practices. Key concerns identified in interviews include limited teacher involvement in assessments, the rigid structure of the unified exam system, reliance on traditional assessment methods, and the neglect of students' individual needs. Survey findings indicate a preference among language teachers for assessment topics addressing language pedagogy issues over theoretical and local practice aspects of assessment.18 0Item Restricted Optimizing English as a Second Language Learning with Social-Emotional Learning(Gonzaga University, 2024-05-09) Alghamdi, Ashwaq; Hunter, JamesThis project advocates for the integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) principles into English as a Second Language (ESL) education for adolescents aged 14 to 18. Traditional ESL methodologies often neglect the emotional well-being of English language classes, leading to disengagement, learning difficulties and potential discontinuation of language learning. Drawing upon the five SEL competencies stated by Bridgeland, et al. (2016), the curriculum emphasizes promoting self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. By incorporating SEL into the curriculum, students not only enhance their language proficiency but also develop essential life skills necessary for navigating various interpersonal and real-life situations. Educators play a crucial role in recognizing and addressing the emotional challenges that ESL learners encounter, developing a growth-oriented mindset and empowering students to embrace their language learning journey. This project aims to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment, modifying negative experiences that could potentially impact students’ future prospects, such as disengagement in social life situations. Ultimately, the integration of SEL principles seeks to mitigate negative experiences, enhance student engagement, and improve long-term prospects for ESL learners in both academic and real world settings.77 0Item Restricted Theory and Practice: Exploring an Evidence-Based Framework for Call and Language Teacher Education(Washington State University, 2024) Asiri, Ali; Egbert, JoyThis comprehensive overview synthesizes findings from two studies that explored English language education and teacher preparation through evidence-based approaches. The first study addresses the challenge of effectively integrating up-to-date technology into language classrooms, mainly focusing on computer-assisted language learning (CALL) professional development (PD) for English language teachers in Saudi Arabia. This theory-to-practice paper reviews existing literature on teacher PD and CALL PD, culminating in the proposal of a CALL PD framework tailored to the Saudi context. This framework incorporates elements identified as effective in improving current and future CALL PD initiatives. The second study explores the integration of educational escape rooms (EERs) as a novel strategy within teacher preparation programs. While EERs have proven effective in supporting learners across various disciplines, the study addresses the gap in research regarding their application in teacher preparation. The investigation incorporates four evidence-based theoretical elements (content authenticity, active learning, modeling effective instruction, and providing ongoing experiences) into the design of EERs for 45 pre-service teachers. The results highlight key themes in participant interactions during escape room experiences, shedding light on teamwork dynamics and communication. Moreover, participants reported enhanced learning experiences, emphasizing elements such as authenticity, active learning, 21st-century skills, modeling, challenge, and technology use. The findings suggest that designing learning experiences based on these elements can significantly benefit pre-service teachers, offering meaningful insights for teaching and future research directions.14 0Item Restricted The Role of L1 Dialect Phonotactics on the Production of L2 English Phonotactics by Saudi EFL Learners(University of Mississippi, 2024-05-01) Balbaid, Abdullah Ahmad; Schaefer, VinceThis study investigates the phonological challenges and adaptive strategies employed by 30 first-year university students majoring in English from three distinct Saudi Arabian dialect backgrounds—Najdi, Hijazi, and Hasawi—in perceiving and producing English onset biconsonant and triconsonant clusters. Exploring dialectal variations, the research aims to understand how these phonological characteristics influence the acquisition and intelligibility of English pronunciation among Saudi learners. Utilizing a combination of perception tasks through ABX discrimination tasks and production tasks inspired by the Labovian model, the study provides insights into the dialect-specific phonological challenges faced by the participants. Key findings reveal that Najdi speakers demonstrate higher proficiency in both perceiving and producing English consonant clusters, particularly biconsonant clusters, compared to their Hijazi and Hasawi counterparts. This proficiency underscores the significant role of L1 phonotactic knowledge in L2 phonological learning, highlighting the adaptability and cognitive flexibility of Najdi speakers in handling both familiar and unfamiliar phonological patterns. Furthermore, the study identifies distinct phonological repair strategies employed by speakers to address challenges unique to their dialects. While Najdi speakers commonly substitute /p/ with /b/, Hijazi speakers occasionally adapt by substituting /θ/ with /t/, reflecting the phonotactic constraints and opportunities within their dialect for phonological adaptation. The investigation into the impact of dialectal variations on L2 English pronunciation intelligibility indicates that Hijazi and Hasawi speakers' reliance on repair strategies and their challenges with clusters not present in their L1 dialect suggest a noticeable L1 influence, thereby affecting their pronunciation intelligibility. Contributing to a broader understanding of second language phonological acquisition, this study emphasizes the need for dialect-sensitive language instruction, advocating for pedagogical strategies that recognize the unique phonological landscapes of learners. This approach aims to enrich language teaching practices within linguistically diverse settings, fostering more effective and engaging language learning experiences across different educational levels.44 0Item Restricted EXPLORING THE IMPACTS OF CULTURAL VALUES, BELIEFS, AND ATTITUDES ON THE ACQUISITION OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) BY SAUDI STUDENTS(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-22) Alotaibi, Ali; Wallington, AlanThe acquisition of English as a Second Language (ELS) has a significant role in the education of Saudi students influenced by the significance of English language internationally used in communication in education and global interactions. However, the learning and acquisition of ESL for Saudi students is influenced by cultural awareness, language anxiety, cultural relevance, multilingualism, and societal expectations, hindering the outcomes of their language development and acquisition. Different pedagogical approaches and teaching methodologies are leveraged by ESL educators to improve the learning experience for ESL students. Despite different studies addressing influence of sociocultural factors on ESL education, the role of cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes on the influence of second language acquisition by Saudi students is still understudied. This study explored how cultural values, beliefs, and attitudes influence the language development and acquisition of English as a second language by ESL students, and the effectiveness of different teaching strategies. The present research was based on a qualitative research methodology involving semi-structured interviews with 13 ESL educators and two ESL Saudi students. The presented findings revealed the significance influence of sociocultural factors on the motivation and engagement levels of Saudi students, suggesting that cultural shock and barriers impact their language learning processes. The findings alluded that by ESL educators aligning their teaching approaches with the cultural backgrounds of their students improves the students’ participation and engagement levels by promoting cross-cultural awareness and communication. The findings also suggested the blended learning strategy to be an effective pedagogical approach in addressing the unique learning needs for Saudi students. These findings have significant implications for the ESL curriculum and education systems by highlighting the challenges faced by ESL students and educators induced by sociocultural factors, and recommended different approaches that can be implemented to improve the language learning, development, and acquisition of English as a second language.26 0Item Restricted Understanding Motivation to Learn English : A comparison of Urban and Rural Students at Saudi Arabian University(Saudi Digital Library, 2023) Almansour, Sami; Duursma, ElisabethProficiency in English is an important component of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. While upholding Arabic language, the Saudi Arabia (SA) government is reforming the educational system to improve students’ achievements. Explicitly stated in the Vision is a clause dedicated to uplifting the educational standards to enable SA to compete with the world on an equal footing. Although there is no explicit plan to improve English instruction, there is increasing need to teach English for competitive innovation and for considering national reform initiatives in an increasingly global world. The Saudi government has spent billions of dollars offering incentives to international institutions to enter into partnerships with SA universities enabling them to offer joint programmes in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Despite the aspirations of the government, Saudi students’ English language proficiency remains slower to develop. Some studies in other jurisdictions have attributed the lack of English proficiency to low motivation. This thesis addresses the problem of low motivation in the SA context. It reports on a mixed-methods investigation of motivational factors that affect language learning in urban and rural SA contexts; exploring the potential that rurality is related to motivation. To undertake the quantitative study, the researcher administered questionnaires to 233 university learners using a version of Gardner’s (2001) International Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (IAMTB) adapted by Makrami (2010) and translated into Arabic language. Quantitative data was analysed utilising multiple regression analyses and t-tests. To complement the dataset, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with six teachers and 16 students participated in one of five focus group discussions. The qualitative data was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to explore salient themes and issues emerging from students’ and teachers’ perspectives. The findings suggest that whilst there is a strong correlation between eagerness to learn English and instrumental motivation, urban students are more motivated compared to rural students. It seems urban students’ exposure to better job opportunities and limited occupations in rural SA requiring English were largely responsible for these differences. Building on these findings, this study developed novel insights into English as a Foreign Language (EFL); adding to the existing conceptual model. Like Gardner’s (1985, 2001, 2005) Motivation Theory, the model proposed in the current study has the same three main components: motivation, integrativeness, and attitudes toward the learning situation. However, the current model adapts Gardner’s (2001) model to include ‘parental encouragement’ within ‘other support’ thereby expanding its cultural sensitivity and relevance. Based on both the quantitative and qualitative data, students also perceived their peers and teachers to have a positive influence on their learning. While students thought peers were highly influential in their motivation, their intrinsic motivation appears to be facilitated by their teachers’ provision of psychological support, relevant teaching activities, and a friendly attitude. Overall, this thesis is significant because it provides essential information for educators, practitioners, and policy makers who influence EFL learning outcomes and provides in-depth and well-rounded understanding of the EFL motivational learning processes and teaching practices in the Saudi Arabian context; helping fill a gap in current knowledge about important contemporary developments in SA and how best to support them.23 0Item Restricted The Challenges for Saudi Females Studying ESL Abroad in a Mixed-Gender Learning Environment(2023-05-04) Ashwaq, Alhudaib; Denise, CameronWhen Saudi females migrate to countries with mixed-gender learning settings, as are prevalent in an English-speaking country, they face difficulties with this mixed-gender class environment since the situation is different from what they were used to in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to shed light on such difficulties and obstacles those females encounter, the reasons behind these obstacles, and how they can be overcome. Moreover, the study implements a systematic literature review (SLR) technique to better understand why these difficulties occur. No previous research has tackled a similar issue to the best of the author's knowledge.89 0Item Restricted Arabic Students’ Perspectives On Writing Center Use And The Impact Of Tutoring On Their Writing(2023-05-06) Alqahtani, Nouf; Bell, NancyHow to effectively help learners of English as a second language (ESL) at writing centers in the United States is still a topic of discussion. North (2014) and Rafoth (2015) call for paying closer attention to the needs of multilingual writers when tutoring them by addressing both their higher-order and lower-order issues in writing. The writing center doctrine that is commonly followed in writing centers is to help tutees with writing as a process, not a product by focusing mainly on addressing writing higher-order issues (North, 1984). The help provided to them in writing tutorials also derives mainly from tutoring experts’ lore, and tutoring experience without enough empirical evidence to rely on (Cheatle, 2017). In this dissertation, I address this gap by sharing the results of a qualitative case study that aims to examine ESL Arabic students’ perspectives regarding the writing center’s assistance and to evaluate the currently used tutoring strategies to address their writing issues. Six Arabic students had tutoring sessions with five writing tutors. Each tutor had a minimum of two tutoring sessions with students over two months. I held semi-structured interviews with tutors and tutees as well as stimulated recall interviews with tutees only. These interviews were coded to identify the features of the students’ strengths and weaknesses in writing, and their expectations and perceptions in terms of tutoring. The students’ drafts were also coded to identify their writing issues. The tutoring strategies that tutors used to address the students’ writing issues were identified. The results showed that students were satisfied with the help provided to them in writing centers with some exceptions. The characteristics of Arabic students’ writing and needs are common among other populations of international and domestic students. Arabic students had higher and lower-order issues in their writing. For example, paper organization is the most common issue for all students. The tutors provided some effective tutoring strategies: instructional, cognitive, and motivational. The strategies could be implemented by writing teachers during student-teacher conferences with ESL students.17 0Item Restricted TEACHING ANGLOPHONE LITERATURE TO NON-NATIVE STUDENTS: CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS(2023-04-06) Alnashwan, Afnan Omar; Linkon, Sherry LeeTeaching English-language novels to non-native speakers poses unique difficulties that traditional teaching approaches cannot address. These challenges include not only language barriers but also the need to analyze unfamiliar literature and culture, which students may not have been introduced to in their prior education. As a result, students are expected to memorize and repeat knowledge without developing their literary skills. This thesis investigates these challenges and the limitations of the traditional approach, emphasizing an alternative student- centered, reflexive learning method. It suggests using Toni Morrison's novel Beloved as a primary text, which can provide non-native students with a better understanding of the cultural and social contexts that often shape literature. Through critical analysis of characters’ cultural logic and elements that shape social structures, students can develop their skills and engage meaningfully with the material.9 0