Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
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Item Restricted Exploring Saudi Families’ Engagement in the US Early Childhood Schools: Experiences of Bearing the Burden(University of South Florida, 2024) Alberaidi, Sarah; Han, SophiaA vast body of research in early childhood education has shown the positive effect of parents' engagement on children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. However, researchers identified limitations to parent involvement activities within the culturally diverse context. The purpose of this case study was to fill the literature gap in exploring how Saudi families engage in their children's early education in the United States. Within the context of sociocultural theory, Muscrit theory, family ethnothories, and mirror, window, sliding glass doors framework, this study aimed to understand the family engagement practices of three Saudi families whose children enrolled in early childhood U.S. schools. Semi-structured interviews with both parents and documents were used to collect the data. The data were thematically analyzed. This study's findings revealed that a welcoming and uncomplicated environment helped Saudi families to engage in their children's schools. The families also stated challenges and obstacles that affected their engagement practices in their children's schools and at home. Islamic beliefs, cultural norms, personal preferences, and social anticipations create a burden and a barrier for Saudi families to be able to engage in their children's schools actively. This study discussed implications and recommendations for early childhood schools, programs, teachers, and teacher education programs. Understanding Saudi families' perceptions and experiences in the U.S. early childhood education has the potential to offer valuable insights that can guide our approach and future investigations in the field of early childhood education.33 0Item Restricted Developing Children’s Understanding of the World by Field Trips in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Kindergartens: Case Study.(Saudi Digital Library, 2023) Alsaleh, Afnan Thamer; Jay, MelanieField trips allow children to obtain knowledge and learn in an environment that stimulates their imagination and allows them to interact in unique ways; therefore, field trips may be useful to children as part of their early development. This study explored the role of kindergarten field trips in developing children’s understanding of the world around them. A qualitative method, specifically semi-structured interviews, was used to collect data. The perspectives of early childhood education (ECE) professionals were highlighted, as the sample consisted of two leaders, two teachers who worked in the two kindergartens under study, and a counsellor who is a professor at a Saudi Arabian university. The case study approach allowed for a deep understanding of the topic and enhanced the value of the collected data in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) context. The findings showed that field trips contributed significantly to children’s overall development and even motivated them to learn enthusiastically, which broadened their perspectives of the world around them. In addition, the results indicate that children in early childhood deserve opportunities to explore and find meaning in learning in real- world contexts. However, classroom learning cannot be dispensed with, so combining field trips and the curriculum together achieves appropriate integration of children’s needs and interests, considering this age group. Finally, the study demonstrated the efficacy of activities before, during and after the field trips in supporting the concepts children learned and transferring the impact of learning to other situations. This research expanded and shaped the understanding of field trips as an essential teaching method in kindergartens.63 0