Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
3 results
Search Results
Item Restricted Toward a Better Understanding of Accessibility Adoption: Developer Perceptions and Challenges(University Of North Texas, 2024-12) Alghamdi, Asmaa Mansour; Stephanie, LudiThe primary aim of this dissertation is to explore the challenges developers face in interpreting and implementing accessibility in web applications. We analyze developers’ discussions on web accessibility to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, misconceptions, and best practices prevalent within the development community. As part of this analysis, we built a taxonomy of accessibility aspects discussed by developers on Stack Overflow, identifying recurring trends, common obstacles, and the types of disabilities associated with the features addressed by developers in their posts. This dissertation also evaluates the extent to which developers on online platforms engage with and deliberate upon accessibility issues, assessing their awareness and implementation of accessibility standards throughout the web application development process. Given the volume and variety of these discussions, manual analysis alone would be insufficient to capture the full scope of accessibility challenges. Therefore, we employed supervised machine learning techniques to classify these posts based on their relevance to different aspects of the WCAG 2.2 guidelines principle. By training our models on labeled data, we were able to automatically detect patterns and keywords that indicate specific accessibility issues, even when the language used by developers is not directly aligned with the official guidelines. The results emphasize developers’ struggles with complex accessibility issues, such as time-based media customization and screen reader configuration. The findings indicate that machine learning holds significant potential for enhancing compliance with accessibility standards, providing a pathway for more efficient and accurate adherence to these guidelines.56 0Item Restricted Saudi Teachers' Perceptions of Accommodating Diverse Students, Including Those With Special Needs, in Inclusive Classrooms(ProQuest, 2023-06-14) Alqahtani, Ahmed; Allsopp, DavidGeneral education in Saudi Arabia has undergone significant transformations since the adoption of full inclusion in schools, resulting in an increase in the number of students with special needs integrated into general education classrooms. The goal of this policy change was to boost inclusivity in Saudi education, but questions have been raised regarding the preparedness of general education teachers to effectively meet the increasingly diverse needs of their students. This study explores Saudi general education teachers' understanding of inclusive practices, their perspectives on the impact of inclusivity on student learning outcomes, and their perceptions of their own preparedness to implement inclusive education. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore teachers' beliefs regarding inclusive education, incorporating theoretical frameworks such as the social system theory and the social learning theory. Findings indicate that teachers have limited understanding of inclusive education principles, focusing mainly on students with disabilities and neglecting the needs of others. Teachers lack knowledge of inclusive practices, classroom adaptations, and individual accommodations, and face challenges in addressing diverse student needs and accessing students' background information. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive teacher training programs, including practical experiences and feedback, along with ongoing professional development and the integration of assistive technology for general education teachers in Saudi Arabia. The results align with previous research on the challenges of implementing inclusive education and recommendations are presented to improve education quality and promote inclusivity in the Saudi Arabian education system40 0Item Restricted A PROPOSED TRAINING PROGRAM EXPLORING THE FIRST WEEK EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AS PERCEIVED BY STUDENTS, THEIR TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATIONS AT JAZAN UNIVERSITY IN SAUDI ARABIA(Pensilvania State University, 2023-08-01) Almohammed, Sali; Brendel, William; Yoon, Hyung JoonEducation is crucial to every individual’s academic, social, and personal development. While recent years have shown a remarkable gain for people with disability, serious roadblocks still exist in society, most importantly, in the education system as they proceed on the path to equality. Disability is still the most indicated basis of discrimination under the code of human rights claims in Saudi Arabia, with significant systemic issues raised in education. The study aimed to examine the challenges faced by students with disabilities and identify the resources and support available to them. Furthermore, it sought to understand the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and administrators toward disabled students. The current study was conducted using exploratory narrative research, combining descriptive and explanatory research paradigm. The current research examined the experiences of disabled students and their teachers and administrators. The study focused on the students, administrators, and teachers of Jazan University in Saudi Arabia's South. The study was conducted to understand how disability affects students, teachers, and administrators during the first week of campus life. The data collected through interviews was used to analyze the impact of disability on students during their first week on campus. The researcher conducted 12 interviews, four from each category of participants (disabled students, administrators, and teachers (faculty). Thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the data. Four themes were extracted from the data —Social inclusion, accessibility and accommodations, institutional support, and attitudes toward disability. Every stakeholder who participated in the study is considered very educated and has a sense of issues regarding disability. The study highlights areas where improvements can be made to university premises globally and in Saudi Arabia, particularly to be more inclusive and supportive of students with disabilities. The findings of this study can be used to provide resources and support for disabled students to ensure that they can have a positive experience in their academic life. The findings offer significant implications for the Saudi education policy and practice in higher educational institutions to provide equal opportunities and education to students with disability.54 0